Towards Gender Equality in Education: Progress and challenges in Asia-Pacific Region

Providing universal compulsory primary education has long been a goal pursued by all countries as a basic philosophy. This paper attempts to take stock of the progress made with respect to gender inclusivity in education in the countries of the South Asia and East Asia and Pacific sub-regions. It ends with a summary of the persisting challenges that remain to be addressed, suggesting lessons derived from successful good practice in each of them. It examines access and parity issues, with a quantitative review of participation rates and appropriate gender-related issues in access and participation within the two sub-regions; as well as follows with a more qualitative review with respect to the equality of education and discusses, in some depth, gender indicators that pertain to the equality of education in the teaching-learning process that can make a difference to boys and to girls.