Education and gender inequality: a worldwide analysis and the case of Italy

Abstract

Despite considerable advances in gender equality in recent decades, gender discrimination remains pervasive in many dimensions of life world-wide. Tue nature and extent of the discrimination vary considerably across countries and regions. But the pattems are striking. In no region of the developing world are women equal to men in legal, social, and economie rights. Gender gaps are widespread in access to and control of resources, in economie opportunities, in power, and politica! voiee. Furthermore in a congrous number of countries, increasing trends have been recently recorded in female discrimination (Social Watch, 2003). Tue evidence presented shows that societies that discriminate by gender pay a high price in terms of their ability to develop and to reduce poverty. The gender gap in education is a case in point because investment in women 's education is an efficient economie choiee. lt has been estimated that a 1 per cent increase in f emale secondary schooling results in a 0.3 per cent increase in economie growth (UN, 2000a).