State of the World's Children 2004: Girls, Education and Development

The State of the World's Children 2004 presents girls' education as one of the most crucial issues facing the international development community.

The report argues that the theories, policies and practices of development have been marked by gender discrimination and that the standard approach to development has focused on economic growth rather than human welfare. Through The State of the World's Children 2004, UNICEF calls on every nation engaged in development to make the education of all children - with an emphasis on girls - a major focus of investment.

Ten major issues are presented in this report:

1. The most urgent of the Millennium Development Goals. The State of the World's Children 2004 presents girls' education as one of the most crucial issues facing the international development community.
2. Gender discrimination. Many theories, policies and practices of development organisations have been marked by gender discrimination.
3. A human rights, multisectoral approach to development. Girls' education is so inextricably linked with the other facets of human development that to make it a priority is also to make progress on a range ofother fronts such as early childhood care and nutrition, water and sanitation.
4. Multiple returns on investment in girls' education such as enhanced economic development, healthier families, and fewer maternal deaths.
5. The global gender gap.
6. Poverty. While both boys and girls from poor socio-economicbackgrounds are more likely to be educationally disenfranchised, poverty takes a greater toll on girls, who are in double jeopardy: becauseof their gender and because of their poverty.
7. Funding shortfall. Industrialised countries and international financial institutions, with only very few exceptions, have failed to make the investment in education that will enable girls to attend and complete school.
8. Multisectoral benefits. Educating girls can affect global develpment community. For example, ensuring that a woman is empowered, healthy and well educated – a good unto itself – can have a dramatic effect on the welfare of her children.
9. The 'reverse gender gap'. Although the global gender gap clearly puts girls at an educational disadvantage, it is important to recognise that in some regions – including much of the industrialised world – it is boys' disaffectionwith school that is cause for concern. In a minority of countries, there are fewer boys than girls enrolled in school: a ‘reverse gender gap'.
10. Investing in girls' education. Girls' education is an ideal investment. It adds value to other social development sectors, eases the strain on the health-care system, reduces poverty and strengthens national economies.

Click here to download the report in full or by chapter in PDF format. The report is available in English, French and Spanish.