Despite decades of progress in narrowing the gender gap in schools, millions of young girls worldwide remain deprived of basic education, the United Nations has warned in a stark new assessment.
A report by UN Women, released on Wednesday, estimates that 15 million primary-age girls are currently out of school globally, compared to 10 million boys, a disparity the agency attributes to systemic gender discrimination and persistent socio-economic barriers. In some regions, the proportion of girls excluded from classrooms is as high as 48.1 per cent.
“More girls than ever before are going to school. Not only do they learn to read and write, but each year that they remain in school after the primary level reduces their chance of marrying at too young an age. It increases their prospects for employment, health and overall well-being. Girls and women have an equal right to a quality education and learning throughout all phases of their lives,” the report stated.
While global enrolment rates in primary and secondary schools have moved close to parity, the UN notes that adolescent girls are still far more likely than boys to drop out at the secondary stage. Early pregnancy, child marriage and the expectation that girls shoulder domestic responsibilities remain leading causes of school withdrawal.
The UN also emphasised that education is a fundamental human right. In a post on X, the organisation said, “Education is a human right. Yet, young women & girls continue to face discrimination & marginalisation in many countries, including unequal access to school.”
The release of the report coincides with the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, where restrictions on female education have become among the harshest in the world. UN Women said 78 per cent of young Afghan women are neither in education, employment nor training, nearly four times the rate of young men.
By 2026, early childbearing in Afghanistan is projected to rise by 45 per cent, maternal mortality by more than 50 per cent, and the loss from denying girls secondary education could cost the country 2.5 per cent of its GDP annually, the report warned.
“Despite progress, as many as 48.1 per cent of girls remain out of school in some regions. Gender gaps in primary and secondary enrolment rates have nearly closed, on average. Yet 15 million girls are not in primary school right now, compared to 10 million boys. In adolescence, higher numbers of girls often drop out of secondary school for reasons including early pregnancy and the expectation that they should contribute to household work,” it added.
International education campaigners say such figures underscore the need for urgent policy action to tackle entrenched gender inequality, expand access to schooling, and provide targeted support to vulnerable communities.
Follow us
