Data point: knowledge, gender and (economic) power

As one Economist headline put it, “nations that fail women fail.” Currently, 129m girls across the world are out of school and two-thirds of the 750m adults without basic literacy skills are women. In countries experiencing conflict, girls are more than twice as likely to not attend school than those living in “peaceful” nations. 

A number of barriers stemming from harmful gender norms stand in the way of women and girls receiving adequate education, such as forced early marriage, discrimination, gender-based violence and economic dependence. According to the World Bank, US$15-30trn in unrealised lifetime productivity and earnings is lost due to these barriers impeding women from completing their education.

In order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, swift and transformative action must take place on SDG 4: quality education, and SDG 5: gender equality. Beyond the non-material benefits of a quality education, educating girls can unlock extraordinary economic potential. The GDP of developing countries could rise by 10% on average over the next decade if all girls within those countries finished secondary education by 2030.

Binary gender stereotypes and how they play out in educational forums also harm boys. They perpetuate damaging gender biases that affect women, men, those who are transitioning, and individuals whose gender identity is non-binary. While girls are more likely to leave school at a primary level in poorer countries—or not attend school at all—boys are less likely to complete secondary education. Research from UNESCO suggests that “actively addressing boys’ disadvantage in education could be transformative in promoting gender equality, reducing violence and protecting youth from risk factors that could distort their futures.”

Research focusing on trans or non-binary identities and how these affect educational and economic prospects is severely limited, and practically non-existent when it comes to emerging economies. Data collection methods are inherently unhelpful in this regard, as they predominantly group people into male–female gender assignments. This absence of nuance within international development research can lead to policy interventions that don’t accurately address the problems they were created to solve.

Educational disparities are not just an issue in developing countries, and gender is not the only compounding identity getting in the way. In the UK, the quality of education received by a child is still severely affected by their socio-economic status. A child from an underserved background, for instance, is on average 18 months behind their peers academically when taking their GCSE examinations. 

The covid-19 pandemic—which has been found to disproportionately affect women’s livelihoods—has exacerbated existing inequalities in education. At the peak of the pandemic, 1.5bn children had to switch to online education—a shift requiring reliable internet and access to technology. This often led to disengagement and increased absences from school, particularly for those living in poverty.

In January, the world celebrates International Education Day. It’s important to consider how gender, poverty and a multitude of intersecting systemic and structural factors continue to affect an individual’s education and future opportunities. The Sustainability Project is focused on solutions. What can be done to break through deeply entrenched prejudices to unlock the vast economic benefits of a quality education for all?

Find fresh weekly data points and illustrated data stories at the TSP Graphic Detail hub