The world has achieved parity between girls and boys enrolled from pre-primary through secondary education, according to UNESCO’s 2026 Gender Report.
Between 1990 and 2024, Nepal closed a 33-percentage-point gap between girls and boys in lower-secondary completion. UNESCO also records progress elsewhere, although inequalities persist between urban and rural areas and across income levels.
The report was released ahead of the International Day of the Girl. UNESCO says child marriage and early pregnancy still disrupt many girls’ education and calls for young mothers’ right to return to school to be protected.
