Published on: 2026-04-24
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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Gender inequality in mathematics achievement, which had been decreasing in recent years, has begun to increase again. This is stated in a new analytical review published by UNESCO in cooperation with the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement.
The authors of the report emphasize that the proportion of girls among students lagging behind in mathematics is increasing. This trend is especially noticeable in the last grades of elementary school, from which it extends to middle school. For example, in 2023, in 81 percent of the educational systems studied, boys significantly outpaced girls in mathematics in the fourth grade.
Such statistics are particularly alarming, since mathematics opens the way to professions in the fields of science, technology, and engineering. Today, women make up only 36 percent of graduates from faculties related to technical sciences, and this figure has practically not changed over the past decade.
Experts note that the causes of inequality are not related to the abilities of girls: gender stereotypes, teachers’ expectations, the atmosphere in the classroom and school, as well as the girls’ lack of confidence in their own abilities, affect the situation.
In UNESCO, an immediate call to action is made. Among the key tasks, experts highlight improving girls’ confidence in their mathematical abilities, appropriate training of teachers, the necessity of collecting statistical data broken down by gender, as well as combating stereotypes.
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