GEM Gender Report highlights that gender inequality persists in education

The GEM Gender Report “Building bridges for gender equality” was issued this month. The 2019 Gender Report takes a snapshot of the progress on gender parity in education participation, attainment and learning achievement. It also examines broad social and economic contexts (gender norms and institutions) and key education system characteristics (laws and policies, teaching and learning practices, learning environments, and resources).

The new Report highlights important disparities and unequal progress in different regions. One third of countries have not achieved gender parity in primary education. Half the world’s nations fail to provide lower secondary education to as many girls as boys, according to the Report, which also points out that only one in four countries have equality in upper secondary education. Sub-Saharan Africa is far behind in all education levels and the Arab States for the first-time lag furthest in achieving gender parity in primary education, possibly because of conflict.

This year’s report also outlines a range of approaches that bilateral donors, multilateral donors and non-government organizations (NGOs) have taken in recent years to address selected priority areas in girls’ education. In this section, six interventions funded by the EU are presented as examples of good practice:

• A Global Programme to Accelerate Efforts to End Child Marriage in 12 countries under Engagement of Local Actors priority (p. 37)
• The Skills and Technical Education Programme in Malawi under Technical and Vocational Education priority (p. 39)
• EU4Skills: Better Skills for Modern Ukraine project under Curriculum and Textbook Reforms to Eliminate Gender Bias and Stereotypes priority (p. 40)
• GENTLE: play-based gender-responsive early childhood education project in Vietnam under Gender-Responsive Teacher Education priority (p. 40)
• Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR under Female Teachers in Rural Areas priority (p. 40)
• Education Cannot Wait project Education for Children of Rohingya Refugees and Host Communities project in Cox’s Bazar under Safe Schools, Including Protection From Attacks and Safe Journeys to Schools priority (p. 41)

Together with the Gender Report, UNESCO also launched a global initiative Her Education, Our Future to galvanise cooperation around three main pillars: better data, better policies and better practices for girls’ and women’s empowerment through education. UNESCO has produced an online interactive map with information on the status of national constitutions, legislation and regulations on gender equality in countries around the world at to track progress and inform policy-makers and donours. The map can be accessed at https://en.unesco.org/education/girls-women-rights.