Rural India sees stark gender gap in secondary schooling: UNESCO

A UNESCO report has highlighted a significant gender disparity in secondary education completion across rural India, with only 59 girls completing Class 11 and 12 for every 100 boys.

The agency points to poverty as a major factor widening the gender gap in educational attainment. Economic constraints disproportionately affect girls' access to and continuation in schooling.

UNESCO has called for targeted interventions to address structural barriers preventing girls from enrolling in schools, attending regularly, and completing their secondary education. The report underscores the need for comprehensive policy measures to bridge the rural gender gap in educational outcomes.