Since 1995, the world has moved closer to gender parity in education. Girls now enrol in primary, lower and upper secondary school at rates equal to boys. Globally, 91 million more girls are in primary education than three decades ago, and 136 million more are in secondary. Yet the picture is far from complete.
Today, 133 million girls remain out of school. Progress differs sharply by region: Central and Southern Asia has achieved parity in secondary enrolment, while sub-Saharan Africa continues to trail behind. Oceania, once at parity, now sees girls at a disadvantage. In Latin America and the Caribbean, boys are less likely than girls to advance through secondary education. When poverty and location intersect with gender, the disadvantages become even more severe: in Guinea and Mali, practically no poor young women are in school.
The unfinished business of girls’ education is not just about rights. It is about futures for women, for their children, and for societies. The promise made in Beijing remains possible, but only if we match evidence with action.