People & Society
Gender gaps in school are narrowing, UNESCO says
UNESCO said on October 8 that gaps between girls and boys in school have narrowed, but early marriage still holds many girls back.
On October 8, 2026, UNESCO presented the findings of its new Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Gender Report. The report was published for the International Day of the Girl Child, which is marked every year on October 11. It shows that gaps between girls and boys in education have narrowed in many countries, but it also warns that early marriage and early pregnancy still prevent many girls from finishing school.
One of the clearest findings is about enrollment. According to UNESCO, the world has reached gender parity in enrollment from pre-primary school all the way through upper secondary school. In other words, as many girls as boys are now enrolled at these levels. In higher education, a gap remains, but it runs the other way: UNESCO counts 88 young men enrolled for every 100 young women. UNESCO's Director-General, Khaled El-Enany, said that the world had made major progress, but that too many girls still faced barriers to getting into school, completing it and thriving there.
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A situation in which two groups are equal, for example in their numbers or rates.
According to UNESCO, the world has reached gender parity in enrollment from pre-primary school all the way through upper secondary school.