Gender-Responsive Education Sector Planning

Education transforms lives. It is the surest investment to break down social and economic differences between people and unravel inequalities based on gender. Yet, despite the world’s commitment to ensure every child completes 12 years of quality education, in low-income countries only 4% of the poorest finish upper secondary school, falling to 2% among marginalized girls.

To advance gender equality in education, education systems need to be gender-responsive by design. As a country’s blueprint for education reform, the education sector plan (ESP) presents a critical opportunity to embed gender equality into the DNA of all aspects of education. Gender-responsive education sector planning (GRESP) is the vehicle for achieving this – identifying gender barriers within education systems and ensuring that strategies and policies are in place to address them through the ESP.