Unesco: Women ahead in higher edu, but rural-urban gap hits schoolgirls

Unesco: Women ahead in higher edu, but rural-urban gap hits schoolgirls

NEW DELHI: India has made substantial progress in closing the gender gap in education, with women now outpacing men in higher education.

Women outpace men in Indian higher education enrollment while rural school gap persists

India has achieved a significant shift in its educational landscape, with women now outperforming men in higher education enrollment. However, a persistent rural-urban divide continues to obstruct schoolgirls from completing their secondary education, according to the latest findings from the UNESCO 2026 Global Education Monitoring report, Gender Equity in Access to Education. The disparity is most acute at the upper secondary completion stage. …

Women Overtake Men in India’s Higher Education as Rural Girls Face a Growing School Completion Gap

Women in India have overtaken men in higher education enrolment, marking a significant development in the country’s education sector. However, girls in rural communities continue to face difficulties completing secondary school, according to UNESCO’s 2026 Global Education Monitoring report, Gender Equity in Access to Education. The report identifies upper secondary education as the stage where […]

Gender gaps in education narrow globally, yet early marriage remains a major barrier to girls’ education, new UNESCO report shows

UNESCO’s new report shows that child marriage and early pregnancy continue to jeopardize progress in girls’ education. While gender gaps in education have narrowed and the share of girls married before 18 has decreased globally, very few girls return to school after giving birth in some regions, underscoring the need to end child marriage, prevent early pregnancies, and guarantee young mothers’ right to continue their education. The world has m…