Assessing the UN millennium goals in closing the gender gap in education in the Arab World. (c2004)

Abstract

Education has cross-cutting effects on all development areas including economic growth, mortality rates, reproductive health, and over all well-being of the human race, especially women (UNFP A 2002). Thus, the United Nations have devoted specific Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to eliminate gender disparities at all levels of education by 2015 (UN 2003). While there has been progress in the Arab World in the last ten years in terms of primary education, there is still much to be done for secondary levels and thus resulting in difficulty in catching up with an ever globalizing world. Several countries lag far behind in accessing education to women and may not close the gender gap in education by 2015. This study will review the progress that the Arab countries have achieved in fulfilling the MDGs in closing the gender gap in education. It will primarily concentrate on the three areas affecting gender education, primary education, secondary education and literacy rates of 15-24. The first chapter will briefly outline the history of the Millennium Development Goals, define the gender gap and highlight the developmental implications. The second chapter will present data on the Arab countries progress and prospects to reaching the educational targets by 2015. The third chapter will provide case studies and analysis on two Arab countries, Yemen and Lebanon, in their pursuit to achieving the educational MDGs. The fourth chapter will analyze barriers to girls' education and the fifth chapter will provide strategies and interventions in order to make these goals a reality. The study concludes by confirming that the region's prospects in fulfilling the educational MDGs are mixed. They can only be realized through international, national, and civil long-term commitments to reach all levels and areas of the Arab region.