Marking International Day of the Girl Child (11 October 2026), UNESCO’s new “Gender equity in access to education” report showed that child marriage and early pregnancy continue to jeopardise progress in girls’ education. While gender gaps in education have narrowed and the share of girls married before 18 has decreased globally, very few girls return to school after giving birth in some regions, underscoring the need to end child marriage, prevent early pregnancies, and guarantee young mothers’ right to continue their education.