Making gender the norm: why now is the time to prioritize girls’ education

An estimated 214 million children globally – or 1 in 7 – have missed more than three-quarters of their in-person learning over the past year. This is the biggest education crisis the world has ever faced. And the challenge is particularly acute for girls who have been facing a learning crisis for a lot longer.

Even before the pandemic struck, nearly 1 in 5 girls aged 15-19 globally were not in education, employment or training, compared with 1 in 10 boys. Many millions more are not developing the transferable, digital, entrepreneurial, and job-specific skills they need to realize their potential. An estimated 9 million girls of primary school age will never have the opportunity to learn to read and write in primary school.