The number of girls schooled in the world grows

Gender inequality in education continues to be a serious problem of social justice. It is true that the whole world is once again tilting the balance and that, according to Unesco data, we are getting closer and closer towards greater gender parity, particularly in primary education. However, there are still many problems that do not allow us to move towards equality.

According to UNESCO data, in 2012, in Guinea and the Niger, approximately 70% of the poorest girls had never attended primary school, compared to less than 20% of the richest boys. But as we said, progress has been made in this fight. Between 1999 and 2012, the number of countries that had less than 90 girls enrolled per 100 boys dropped from 33 to just 16.


It is estimated that 31 million girls of primary school age and 34 million girls of secondary school age do not go to school. Currently, a woman in South Sudan is three times more likely to die during pregnancy than to finish primary school.

6 benefits of education for girls and women

1. Reduction of mortality. A mother who knows how to read, who has basic knowledge about nutrition, health, hygiene ... That is, a trained mother has a 50% more chance that her child will survive after 5 years of age.


2. Girls' education involves transforming and boosting their lives, allowing them to get out of poverty. In sub-Saharan Africa investing in their education could boost agricultural production in the area by 25 percent.

3. The fulfillment of the right of girls and women to receive education is, above all, an obligation, a moral imperative and a question of justice that arises from the dignity of society.

4. Family planning and quality of life. They could know their rights, have opportunities to access decent employment, make decisions ...

5. Personal and professional development. A girl with secondary education will have many more opportunities to access a job and will earn more than twice as much as a girl who has not gone to school.

6. Citizen participation. Education helps women to participate more fully in democratic processes, and in social, political and economic life.


6 obstacles to the education of girls and women

1. Cultural patterns and early marriage. In Nepal, 40 percent of girls are married before they turn 15.

2. Socialization processes, especially in the family and school. There are prejudices and stereotypes that limit women's access to some careers.

3. Sexism in education. Men are encouraged to logical-mathematical thinking and scientific research, while women are directed towards social areas and those related to language.

4. The school supposes expenses. Although the school is free, there are many indirect costs such as textbooks, uniforms, transportation ...

5. Violence and insecurity. This has cultural and economic roots and is more serious in those spaces where there is insecurity, both economic and social.

6. The sexual division of labor. Men occupy the majority of positions of high qualification and high added value. It is estimated that, worldwide, women earn between 50 and 80 percent less than men for the same work.

Recommendations for the schooling of girls

- Schools should be safe, inclusive and take into account gender issues, in addition to promoting teaching and learning that empowers students and promotes positive relationships between one sex and the other.

- Resources must be allocated to those communities where the disparities between the sexes persist the most.

Sara Pérez

Video: The Strictest Schools For Kids


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