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April 29, 2022

Andrew Campbell 

The gender gap in early grades learning, notably in mathematics, has shrunk considerably, according to the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) 2020 Global Education Monitoring Report. The findings show that boys outperform girls in math in the early years, but that this gender advantage decreases over time. The UNESCO gender report for 2022, "Deepening the debate on those still left behind," reviewed data from 120 countries in primary and secondary education to present a global picture, deepening the rational discussion on those still left behind.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been a powerful tool for bringing attention to the challenges of gender inequality in education. Due to marital traditions or conventional gender expectations, girls in some countries encounter obstacles to continue their secondary education. Many programs rely on NGOs for implementation and locally tailored solutions to combat these issues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, non-state actors tried a variety of initiatives to help girls continue their education.

The feminization of the teaching profession and the sorting of female students into specialized disciplines, which enhance gender stereotypes, are behind the constant shift in favor of females of indicators such as teacher sex composition, minimum reading competency, and enrollment in higher education. However, because girls are less likely to pursue jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), female representation in STEM disciplines remains low.