Published on October 23 , 2025
Delhi, India
As the world marks the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action—a landmark pledge for women’s full participation in society—UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) team has issued a sobering update. Despite decades of advocacy, at least 133 million girls remain excluded from formal education globally, highlighting the unfinished business of gender equality. This 2025 report, tied to the Beijing+30 milestone, celebrates gains like tripled tertiary enrollment for women but warns of systemic barriers that perpetuate inequality. Drawing on fresh data from UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics, it underscores education’s role not just in access but in dismantling stereotypes and empowering futures. For policymakers, educators, and advocates, this guide unpacks the findings, urging a shift from enrollment metrics to transformative reforms.
Background: The Beijing Declaration’s Legacy and the 2025 UNESCO Report
The Beijing Declaration, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women, envisioned education as a catalyst for gender equity, calling for equal access and opportunities. Thirty years on, UNESCO’s GEM Report evaluates progress, revealing a mixed scorecard: remarkable enrollment surges but persistent exclusions, especially for marginalized girls.
- Report Overview: Published in October 2025 by UNESCO’s GEM team, the report analyzes trends since 1995 using data from the World Inequality Database on Education (WIDE). It emphasizes “gender-transformative” education—curricula and practices that challenge norms—over mere parity metrics.
- Global Context: Total out-of-school children and youth hit 272 million in 2023 (latest comprehensive data), with 133 million girls and 139 million boys affected. This marks a 21 million increase from prior estimates, driven by crises, insufficient progress, and data gaps.
- Historical Gains: Since 1995, 91 million more girls attend primary school and 136 million more secondary, with women’s tertiary enrollment jumping from 41 million to 139 million—a 239% rise.
- Unfinished Agenda: Progress stalls when gender intersects with poverty, location, or disability; the report critiques “patchy” implementation of Beijing goals, noting education systems often reinforce biases.
Key Statistics: Global and Regional Breakdown of Out-of-School Girls
UNESCO data paints a nuanced picture: While primary enrollment nears parity, secondary and tertiary levels expose stark divides, with 34% of out-of-school youth in Central/Southern Asia and 39% in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Global Figures:
- 133 million girls out of school (primary to upper secondary).
- 34 million primary-age girls excluded; 28 million lower-secondary; 58 million upper-secondary (UNICEF-aligned estimates).
- Women comprise nearly two-thirds of 765 million illiterate adults worldwide.
- By Region:
- Central and Southern Asia: Parity achieved in secondary enrollment, but poverty-location-gender intersections leave millions behind.
- Sub-Saharan Africa: Lags in parity; highest exclusion rates, with girls 1.5 times more likely out of school than boys.
- Oceania: Reversed gains—girls now disadvantaged post-1995.
- Latin America/Caribbean: Boys less likely to complete secondary; girls face urban-rural divides.
- Specific Hotspots: In Guinea and Mali, nearly zero poor rural young women attend school.
- Intersections: 51% of Global Partnership for Education (GPE) beneficiaries (2021-2025) are girls, yet 3.5 million more girls than boys remain out in GPE countries.
| Region | Out-of-School Girls (Est. Millions) | Parity Status | Key Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-Saharan Africa | ~52 (39% of global total) | Lagging | Poverty, conflict |
| Central/Southern Asia | ~46 (34% of global) | Achieved (secondary) | Urban-rural gaps |
| Latin America/Caribbean | ~15 | Boys disadvantaged in completion | Gender norms in advancement |
| Oceania | ~5 | Reversed (girls now behind) | Resource scarcity |
| Global Total | 133 | Near-parity in primary | Systemic biases |
Causes of the Persistent Education Gap for Girls
The report attributes exclusions not solely to gender but to intersecting factors like poverty, location, and institutional biases, amplified by crises like climate change (projected to sideline 12.5 million girls annually by 2025).
- Socio-Economic Barriers: Poverty and rural isolation compound gender bias; in low-income countries, poor girls are 4x more likely out of school.
- Systemic Issues in Education: Textbooks perpetuate stereotypes; sexuality education is compulsory in only 66% of primary and 75% of secondary curricula globally.
- Violence and Safety: School-related gender-based violence affects 246 million students yearly, deterring girls’ attendance.
- Leadership Gaps: Women hold just 30% of higher education leadership roles; only 27% of education ministers (2010-2023) were women.
- Data and Policy Shortfalls: Inadequate tracking hides intersections; crises (e.g., Afghanistan post-2021) spiked exclusions by millions.
- Emerging Threats: Climate impacts and conflicts add 13 million underestimated out-of-school youth.
Impacts: Beyond Individuals to Societal Costs
Exclusions ripple outward, stunting economic growth and perpetuating cycles of inequality—each year of secondary schooling boosts girls’ future earnings by 10-20%.
- Individual Level: Limits skills, literacy, and autonomy; girls denied education face higher risks of early marriage, maternal mortality, and poverty.
- Societal Toll: $129 billion annual global loss from 250 million children lacking basics (equivalent to 10% of primary education spending).
- Broader Equality: Reinforces norms, reducing women’s workforce participation (women earn 23% less globally) and leadership in STEM/decision-making.
- Multiplier Effects: Educated girls reduce child marriage by 64% and infant mortality by 30%; yet, 122-133 million exclusions hinder SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 5 (gender equality).
Recommendations: Pathways to Gender-Transformative Education
UNESCO calls for evidence-based action, aligning with the 2019-2025 Strategy for Gender Equality in Education, prioritizing data, policies, and practices.
- Curriculum Reforms: Make teaching gender-transformative; expand comprehensive sexuality education and anti-bias content.
- Safety Measures: Eliminate school violence through policies and training; build inclusive infrastructure (e.g., sanitation for girls).
- Leadership Boost: Pathways for women in education roles; aim for 50% female ministers/leaders by 2030.
- Data Investment: Enhance disaggregated tracking (gender, wealth, disability) via tools like HerAtlas and WIDE.
- Global Commitments: Countries pledge to cut out-of-school rates to 2% primary, 5% lower-secondary, 16% upper-secondary by 2030—slashing totals by 165 million.
- Initiatives Spotlight: UNESCO’s “Her Education, Our Future” and GPE’s focus on 51% girl beneficiaries; Malala Fund’s advocacy for climate-resilient schooling.
