This paper prepared by UNICEF provides a comprehensive and practical guide to some of the obstacles to girls education and possible solutions to address them. Country Teams may wish to use the paper as a checklist for their work in CCAs, UNDAFs and other responses to the UN Girls Education Initiative launched by the Secretary-General in 2000. (Details on the initiative itself can be found in the Key documents in this section of DevLink).

UNICEF's "State of the World's Children" contends that promoting basic education for girls will jump-start the progress needed to reach the Millennium Development Goals. Currently, school enrollment and literacy rates are still far higher among boys than among girls, perpetuating the vast waste of human potential.

Annual reports from the Resident Coordinators provide information on collaborative activities undertaken by the UN in particular countries. This document provides a synthesis of highlights and key issues raised in activities related to education in general, and girls' education in particular from the 2001 reports. Country specific information is provided in a separate document (26 pages).

The Millennium Development goal of 'eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary schools by 2005' is a complex task, requiring a multi-sectoral approach and strong partnerships with national governments. While progress is being made, there is still much to be done. These guidance notes have been developed in response to requests from DFID education advisors, and are relevant for other partner organisations. They draw from DFID's Gender manual, Derbyshire, H., 2002, Gender Manual: A Practical Guide for Development Policy Makers and Practitioners, international partners' guidelines and from the experiences of DFID education advisors in-country.

DFID welcomes your feedback. Please direct all enquiries to Rachel Hinton, Social Development Advisor, Education, DFID at R-Hinton@dfid.gov.uk.

The Millennium Development Goals and the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative: A Guidance Note to UN Country Teams

The UNGEI Guidance Note shows how to form strong partnerships for girls' education at regional and country levels between governments, the UN system, bilaterals and nongovernmental organisations, and among schools, families and communities. It provides a rationale for girls' education; places the work of girls' education in the context of the Millennium Development Goals; and provides principles for including girls' education in national development plans and programmes to achieve access to quality education for girls.