Education Gender Gaps
Global education gender dynamics have shifted dramatically. 133 million girls and 139 million boys are out of school—boys now slightly outnumber girls among the unenrolled, reversing historical patterns in many regions. Tertiary enrollment shows gender parity index of 1.05, with 113 women per 100 men in higher education. Yet persistent gaps remain: women comprise only 35% of STEM graduates (unchanged for a decade) and 28% of STEM workforce, with just 25% of engineering/ICT students in two-thirds of countries.
Gender Gap Insights
Out-of-School Gender Reversal
Historical girls' disadvantage in school access has narrowed dramatically and even reversed in many regions. Globally, 139 million boys and 133 million girls are out of school—6 million more boys, representing a gender parity index of 1.05 (more girls enrolled relative to population). This reverses decades of girls being the majority of out-of-school children. Regional patterns complex: Sub-Saharan Africa still has 58M girls vs 52M boys out of school (girls disadvantaged), but Latin America, East Asia, and developed regions now see more boys out of school. Reasons for boys' growing disadvantage: higher dropout rates in secondary (boys leave for work/gangs), special education over-identification (boys labeled disabled 2x more), juvenile justice pipeline (incarceration removes boys from school), changing labor markets (service economy values soft skills, traditionally feminine-coded). Conflict regions: boys forcibly recruited as soldiers (South Sudan, Somalia, DRC), girls face early marriage/abduction—both genders suffer differently. Policy shift needed: moving from "girls' education" focus to "gender-equitable education" addressing both girls' and boys' specific barriers.
Tertiary Enrollment: Women Leading
Women now outnumber men in higher education globally: 113 women per 100 men enrolled (GPI 1.13), representing 264 million tertiary students. This female advantage has grown from parity in 2000 to 13% surplus in 2026. Largest female surpluses: Latin America (126 women per 100 men), North America (122), Europe (118), Oceania (114), Arab States (111). Near-parity: East Asia (102), South/Central Asia (96—women still slightly behind). By country: Argentina 157 women per 100 men, Iceland 152, Slovenia 147, USA 135, UK 128—women dominate. Male surplus countries: Pakistan (67 women per 100 men), Afghanistan (38), Chad (35), Niger (41)—conflict, poverty, cultural barriers. Reasons for female advantage: girls outperform boys in secondary (higher grades, graduation rates), parents prioritize sons' immediate employment over daughters', women view education as economic mobility pathway in gender-discriminatory labor markets. However, degree segregation: women concentrated in education (79% of graduates), health (76%), humanities (65%); men dominate engineering (75%), computer science (82%), physics (72%). The "leaky pipeline": despite higher enrollment, women drop out of STEM careers post-degree—childcare, discrimination, hostile cultures.
Persistent STEM Gender Gap
Women comprise only 35% of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) graduates globally in 2026—unchanged from 2016, despite decades of interventions. STEM workforce: women 28%, reflecting attrition after graduation. Field-level breakdown: life sciences 55% women (biology, medicine—strong female representation), physical sciences 41%, mathematics 39%, computer science 18%, engineering 17%—extreme gender segregation. Engineering/ICT: in two-thirds of countries, women represent less than 25% of students. Top female representation countries: Algeria 48% women in engineering, Oman 43%, Tunisia 42%, Malaysia 40%—cultural factors, labor markets, policy incentives matter. Lowest: Japan 9% women engineers, Switzerland 11%, Germany 14%, Netherlands 15%—wealthy countries with persistent stereotypes. Interventions with mixed results: girls-only coding camps, female role models, curriculum changes increase interest but don't overcome systemic barriers—workplace discrimination, lack of mentors, motherhood penalties (STEM jobs demand long hours, poor work-life balance). Critical mass theory: when women reach 30% of STEM workforce/students, self-reinforcing—creates peer networks, reduces tokenism. Currently 22 countries above 30% threshold in computer science, 8 in engineering. Pay gap persists: women STEM graduates earn 15% less than male counterparts with same credentials.
Primary/Secondary Enrollment Patterns
Primary enrollment nearly gender-equal globally: GPI 0.99 (99 girls per 100 boys), representing near-universal parity. Secondary lower: GPI 0.96 (96 girls per 100 boys)—girls drop out more for early marriage, household labor, safety concerns. However, completion rates differ: girls graduate secondary at higher rates than boys in 2/3 of countries—girls who remain in school outperform. Regional disparities: South Asia secondary GPI 0.89 (11% gap), Middle East/North Africa 0.92, Sub-Saharan Africa 0.89 (rural areas 0.75—massive gap). Parity or female advantage: Latin America 1.02, Europe 1.01, North America 1.00, East Asia 1.01. Afghanistan extreme: primary GPI 0.68 (32% fewer girls), secondary 0.52 (48% gap)—Taliban restrictions. Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso: primary GPI 0.85-0.90. Early marriage rates correlate with girls' dropout: countries with 40%+ girls married before 18 show secondary GPI below 0.80. Conflict disrupts both genders: boys recruited as fighters, girls as "bush wives"—both lose schooling. Safe schools matter: violence, harassment, lack of sanitation (menstrual hygiene facilities) drive girls' dropout. Conditional cash transfers (Brazil Bolsa FamĂlia, Mexico Prospera) proven effective: paying families to keep girls in school increases enrollment 15-25%, delays marriage, improves learning outcomes.
Understanding Gender Gap Data
Gender Parity Index (GPI)
GPI = (Female rate Ă· Male rate). GPI 1.00 indicates perfect parity. GPI 0.97-1.03 considered parity range (within 3% = statistically marginal). GPI below 0.97 indicates female disadvantage, above 1.03 male disadvantage. Example: if 90 girls and 100 boys enrolled, GPI = 0.90 (10% gap favoring boys). If 110 girls and 100 boys, GPI = 1.10 (10% advantage for girls). Used for enrollment, completion, literacy, test scores. UNESCO tracks GPI across 200+ countries, published annually in Global Education Monitoring Report.
STEM Definition Variations
STEM definition varies by source: UNESCO uses ISCED fields (natural sciences, mathematics, statistics, ICT, engineering). USA National Science Foundation includes social sciences (psychology, economics), inflating female percentages. This analysis uses narrow STEM (physical/life sciences, math, computer science, engineering) excluding social sciences. "Leaky pipeline": women 35% of STEM graduates but 28% of workforce—7 percentage point attrition post-degree. Further attrition at senior levels: women 18% of STEM executives, 12% of STEM CEOs—glass ceiling persists. Some countries combine STEM with broader "STEAM" adding arts—further definitional confusion.