Progress For Children: A Report Card on Gender Parity and Primary Education (No. 2)

(UNICEF , April 2005)

“Girls’ education has been expanding all over the world, but not fast enough to ensure a basic education for millions of children still out of school or to ensure the progress of countries that lag behind. Progress for Children reports on where the world stands in its commitment to eliminate gender disparity in education by 2005: the first Millennium Development target agreed to by the international community and key to achieving the goal of universal primary education by 2015….”

”Education is about more than just learning. It saves lives: from the teenagers it protects against HIV/AIDS to the babies saved by their mothers' knowledge of health and nutrition.

This report card measures the world's advances towards Millennium Development Goals 2 and 3, which pursue universal primary education and gender equality. It emerges at a vital time: 2005 is the year by which the first Millennium target – to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education – is to be met. There is no time to lose. The report card shows that in many regions and countries, the target will not be met.

Education is the right of all children: girls and boys, rich and poor. Investing in education – and girls’ education in particular – remains our best hope of accelerating progress towards the wider goals in human development that the international community has pledged to meet. ... Carol Bellamy..”