Paris | November 10, 2025
UNESCO Report Warns of Persistent Gender Gaps in Global Education and Leadership
The latest Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report released by UNESCO has highlighted continuing gender disparities in education outcomes and leadership roles across the world, despite decades of progress in access and participation.
The 2025 report, titled “Equality Unfinished: Gender and Leadership in Education,” found that while enrolment rates for girls have improved significantly at the primary and secondary levels, gender imbalances persist in higher education, STEM disciplines, and school leadership positions. In several low- and middle-income countries, girls continue to face systemic barriers related to socio-economic conditions, safety, early marriage, and digital exclusion.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay called for urgent, coordinated action to address these disparities, emphasizing that “gender equality in education must move beyond access — it must mean empowerment and leadership.”
The report also notes that less than 30% of education ministers globally are women, and women are underrepresented in university leadership and academic research. Furthermore, digital gender divides—especially in AI and technology-related learning—pose a new frontier of inequality.
UNESCO recommends that countries integrate gender-sensitive curriculum reforms, ensure safe and inclusive school environments, and adopt data-driven monitoring systems to measure progress in leadership and educational equity.
Full report available at: UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report
