GESI reference guide: GESI & Education

Mainstreaming Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in education is crucial to ensure that all children have equal access to education and can achieve the expected learning outcomes. Without GESI, boys and girls, children with disabilities, and those from minority language, ethnic, or religious groups may be excluded from education, limiting their ability to fully engage in the social, economic, and political life of their community. The 2020 Global Education Monitoring Report highlights key challenges, such as the significant disparity in secondary school completion between youth from the poorest and wealthiest backgrounds, and the limited educational opportunities for poor rural young women in sub-Saharan Africa. It also reveals that children with disabilities, who make up 15% of the out-of-school population, face multiple barriers to education, with those having sensory, physical, or intellectual disabilities being more likely to never attend school. Furthermore, Indigenous Peoples and minority ethnic or language groups face similar educational disparities. Education also plays a key role in advancing GESI by challenging gender and social norms, empowering children, and fostering inclusion, thereby promoting broader social change in communities.