B.Data aggregated by region

Data (percentage)		Gross enrolment ratio, Primary Female		Gross enrolment ratio, Primary Male		Gross enrolment ratio, Primary Total		Gender parity index for gross enrolment ratio, Primary
Year	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006
Region
Arab States	91	91	..	100	101	..	96	96	..	0.90	0.90	..
Central and Eastern Europe	100	102	..	103	105	..	102	104	..	0.97	0.98	..
North America and Western Europe	100	101	..	102	102	..	101	102	..	0.98	0.99	..
Sub-Saharan Africa	86	89	..	98	101	..	92	95	..	0.87	0.88	..

Source: Available from http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/tableView.aspx, UNESCO Institute of Statistics, Education (accessed 31/03/2008).

Note: Two dots (..) indicate that data is not available.

Table 2

Secondary education

A.Country data

Data (percentage)		Gross enrolment ratio, Secondary, All programmes Female		Gross enrolment ratio, Secondary, All programmes Male		Gross enrolment ratio, Secondary, All programmes Total		Gender parity index for gross enrolment ratio, Secondary, All programmes
Year	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006
Country
Yemen	30	30	..	63	61	..	47	46	..	0.48	0.49	..
Lithuania	100	100	..	100	100	..	100	100	..	0.99	1.00	..
Slovakia	96	97	..	95	96	..	96	96	..	1.01	1.01	..
Finland	112	114	..	107	109	..	110	111	..	1.05	1.04	..
Iceland	109	110	..	106	108	..	108	109	..	1.03	1.02	..
United Kingdom	106	106	..	103	104	..	105	105	..	1.02	1.03	..
Nigeria	29	29	..	37	36	..	33	32	..	0.79	0.82	..
United Republic of Tanzania	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..

B.Data aggregated by region

Data (percentage)		Gross enrolment ratio, Secondary, All programmes Female		Gross enrolment ratio, Secondary, All programmes Male		Gross enrolment ratio, Secondary, All programmes Total		Gender parity index for gross enrolment ratio, Secondary, All programmes
Year	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006
Region
Arab States	65	65	..	71	71	..	68	68	..	0.91	0.91	..
Central and Eastern Europe	89	87	..	93	91	..	91	89	..	0.96	0.96	..
North America and Western Europe	101	102	..	100	101	..	101	101	..	1.01	1.01	..
Sub-Saharan Africa	(**) 27	(**) 28	..	(**) 34	(**) 35	..	(**) 31	(**) 31	..	(**) 0.78	(**) 0.79	..

Source: Available from http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/tableView.aspx, UNESCO Institute of Statistics, Education (accessed 31/03/2008).

Note: Two dots (..) indicate that data is not available.

Two asterisks (**) indicate that the figures are estimates from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS).

Table 3

Tertiary education (ISCED 5 and 6)

A.Country data

Data (percentage)		Gross enrolment ratio, ISCED 5 and 6, Female		Gross enrolment ratio, ISCED 5 and 6, Male		Gross enrolment ratio, ISCED 5 and 6, Total		Gender parity index for gross enrolment ratio, Tertiary
Year	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006
Country
Yemen	5	5	..	13	14	..	9	9	..	0.38	0.37	..
Lithuania	89	94	..	58	60	..	73	76	..	1.55	1.56	..
Slovakia	40	46	..	33	36	..	36	41	..	1.23	1.29	..
Finland	98	101	..	82	83	..	90	92	..	1.20	1.21	..
Iceland	90	93	..	48	49	..	68	70	..	1.87	1.91	..
United Kingdom	69	69	..	51	50	..	60	59	..	1.37	1.39	..
Nigeria	7	..	..	13	..	..	10	..	..	0.53	..	..
United Republic of Tanzania	1	(**) 1	..	2	(**) 2	..	1	(**) 1	..	0.41	(**) 0.48

B.Data aggregated by region

Data (percentage)		Gross enrolment ratio, ISCED 5 and 6 Female		Gross enrolment ratio, ISCED 5 and 6 Male		Gross enrolment ratio, ISCED 5 and 6 Total		Gender parity index for gross enrolment ratio, Tertiary
Year	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006
Region
Arab States	(**) 20	(**) 22	..	(**) 22	(**) 22	..	21	22	..	(**) 0.95	(**) 1.00	..
Central and Eastern Europe	60	63	..	48	50	..	54	57	..	1.25	1.26	..
North America and Western Europe	79	80	..	60	60	..	69	70	..	1.31	1.32	..
Sub-Saharan Africa	4	(**) 4	..	6	(**) 6	..	5	(**) 5	..	0.61	(**) 0.61	..

Source: Available from http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/tableView.aspx, UNESCO Institute of Statistics, Education (accessed 31/03/2008).

Note: ISCED = International Standard Classification of Education.

Two dots (..) indicate that data is not available.

Two asterisks (**) indicate that the figures are estimates from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS).

Table 4

Percentage of female students: pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary

A.Country data

Data		Percentage of female students, Total secondary, All programmes		Percentage of female students, Pre-primary		Percentage of female students, Primary		Percentage of female students, Total tertiary
Year	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006
Country
Yemen	31	32	..	46	45	..	40	42	..	26	26	..
Lithuania	49	49	..	48	48	..	49	49	..	60	60	..
Slovakia	49	49	..	48	48	..	48	48	..	54	55	..
Finland	50	50	..	49	49	..	49	49	..	53	54	..
Iceland	50	49	..	49	49	..	48	48	..	65	65	..
United Kingdom	49	49	..	49	49	..	49	49	..	57	57	..
Nigeria	44	45	..	49	..	..	45	45	..	35	..	..
United Republic of Tanzania	..	..	..	50	50	50	49	49	49	29	(**) 32	..

B.Data aggregated by region

Data		Percentage of female students, Total secondary, All programmes		Percentage of female students, Pre-primary		Percentage of female students, Primary		Percentage of female students, Total tertiary
Year	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006	2004	2005	2006
Region
Arab States	47	(**) 47	..	46	46	..	(**) 47	(**) 47	..	(**) 48	(**) 49	..
Central and Eastern Europe	48	48	..	47	48	..	48	48	..	55	55	..
North America and Western Europe	49	49	..	48	48	..	48	49	..	56	56	..
Sub-Saharan Africa	(**) 43	(**) 44	..	(**) 49	(**) 49	..	46	47	..	38	(**) 38	..

Source: Available from http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/tableView.aspx, UNESCO Institute of Statistics, Education (accessed 31/03/2008).

Note: Two dots (..) indicate that data is not available.

Two asterisks (**) indicate that the figures are estimates from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS).

B.Country-specific reports: UNESCO initiatives and projects

Finland

13.Finland joined UNESCO on 10 October 1956.

Education

14.Eight schools in Finland participate in the UNESCO Associated Schools Projects Network (ASPnet), which was launched in 1953 (the network includes over 7,983 educational institutions, ranging from preschool education to teacher training in 175 countries). The Associated Schools commit to promoting the ideals of UNESCO by conducting pilot projects in favour of better preparing children and young women and men to meet effectively the challenges of an increasingly complex and interdependent world. The new ASPnet Strategy and Plan of Action (2004-2009) places emphasis on reinforcing the four pillars of Learning for the 21st Century (learning to know, to do, to be and to live together) and promoting quality education as outlined in the Dakar Framework for Action.

15.Finland also participates in the Baltic Sea Project (BSP), the first regional Project within ASPnet to combine environmental education on a specific environmental issue, the Baltic Sea and intercultural learning. The country moreover participates in the project “Great Volga River Route — Uniting the Seas” (Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas) in favour of World Heritage Education for Sustainable Development project, with the support of information and communications technology (ICT), which links ASPnet schools in 18 countries situated along the Great Volga River route, a region with rich cultural and natural heritage.

Communication and information

16.Finland is sponsoring the follow-up documentary to the film If I Stand Up, produced in 2004 by 10 Afghan camerawomen who were trained in communication technologies by the NGO AINA and by the Finnish Public Service Broadcasting Company YLE. The follow-up documentary will consist of four short portraits of political women in Afghanistan. Finland is also financing the training of one Afghan camerawoman in documentary film directing, camerawork, editing and production. The documentary film will be screened at UNESCO headquarters on the occasion of the celebration of International Women’s Day in 2009.

UNESCO Fellowships Programme

17.National Fellowship awarded under the UNESCO-L’OREAL Programme for Women in Science: three fellowships in 2008.

Iceland

18.Iceland joined UNESCO on 8 June 1964.

Education

19.One school in Iceland participates in the UNESCO Associated Schools Projects Network (ASPnet), which was launched in 1953 (the network includes over 7,983 educational institutions, ranging from preschool education to teacher training in 175 countries). The Associated Schools are committed to promoting the ideals of UNESCO by conducting pilot projects in favour of better preparing children and young women and men to meet effectively the challenges of an increasingly complex and interdependent world. The new ASPnet Strategy and Plan of Action (2004-2009) places emphasis on reinforcing the four pillars of Learning for the 21st Century (learning to know, to do, to be and to live together) and promoting quality education as outlined in the Dakar Framework for Action.

Lithuania

20.Lithuania joined UNESCO on 7 October 1991.

Education

21.Lithuania has 24 schools participating in the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet), which was launched in 1953 (the network includes over 7,983 educational institutions, ranging from preschool education to teacher training in 175 countries). The Associated Schools are committed to promoting the ideals of UNESCO by conducting pilot projects in favour of better preparing children and young women and men to meet effectively the challenges of an increasingly complex and interdependent world. The new ASPnet Strategy and Plan of Action (2004-2009) places emphasis on reinforcing the four pillars of Learning for the 21st Century (learning to know, to do, to be and to live together) and promoting quality education as outlined in the Dakar Framework for Action.

UNESCO Fellowships Programme

22.UNESCO fellowships were awarded to young women in the following areas: 1 in music, 1 in biological nitrogen, 1 in education, 1 in intercultural dialogue, and 1 in corporate communication; and 1 national fellowship was awarded in 2008 under the UNESCO-L’OREAL Programme for Women in science.

UNESCO Participation Programme requests favouring women

23.Approved Participation Programme project requests that favour women’s empowerment and gender equality are the project “Building the self-confidence of rural women through self-expression” and the project “Lifetime of flax: revival of Lithuanian women polyphonic songs”.

Nigeria

24.Nigeria joined the Organization on 14 November 1960.

Education

25.Forty-one schools in Nigeria participate in the UNESCO Associated Schools Projects Network (ASPnet), which was launched in 1953 (the network includes over 7,983 educational institutions, ranging from preschool education to teacher training in 175 countries). The Associated Schools are committed to promoting the ideals of UNESCO by conducting pilot projects in favour of better preparing children and young women and men to meet effectively the challenges of an increasingly complex and interdependent world. The new ASPnet Strategy and Plan of Action (2004-2009) places emphasis on reinforcing the four pillars of Learning for the 21st Century (learning to know, to do, to be and to live together) and promoting quality education as outlined in the Dakar Framework for Action. Nigeria is one of 11 countries chosen to pilot-test UNESCO’s national education support strategies. Launched in May 2006, this initiative aims to help Governments establish coherent education policies in order to achieve education for all.

26.Nigeria is one of the 35 countries implementing the UNESCO Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE), a 10-year initiative aimed at achieving the goals of the United Nations Literacy Decade (2003-2012), and is also one of the 11 first-round countries of LIFE. Nigeria is also among the five countries (together with Haiti, Egypt, Morocco and Yemen) that develop LIFE country programmes aligned with their national development priorities, especially as concerns education for women and girls.

27.The country also participates in the 10-year UNESCO teacher training initiative for sub-Saharan Africa, which will assist the continent’s 46 sub-Saharan countries in restructuring national teacher policies and teacher education, with a strong focus on female teachers.

Social and human sciences

28.As to the fight against human trafficking, especially trafficking of women, capacities of local, national and regional leaders and institutions to efficiently fight trafficking were strengthened in the country, and awareness was raised on human trafficking issues through the printing and dissemination of policy papers among relevant stakeholders and through increased cooperation with key regional and international organizations in western and southern Africa. Training of trainers on the socio-cultural approach to human trafficking in Africa was organized in collaboration with the UNESCO Bangkok Office, in Paris in 2006.

Communication and information

29.UNESCO has made efforts to use information and communications technology (ICT) to fight HIV/AIDS, especially to change young people’s behaviour through preventive education schemes. The regional consultation meeting on HIV/AIDS prevention was held in Mali in February 2006. During the consultation meeting, a plan of action was defined and new initiatives on HIV/AIDS prevention for young girls and boys through information and communication were discussed in the context of national and regional plans in four countries: Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Nigeria.

UNESCO Fellowships Programme

30.Fellowships were awarded to young women in the following areas: 2 in rural education, 1 in education planning and management, 2 in food sciences, 1 in pharmacy, 4 in life sciences, 1 in water management, 1 in environment, 1 in plant pathology, 1 in participation and development, 2 in awards ceremony, 1 in women and cultural heritage, 1 in use of ICTs for women’s development and poverty reduction, 1 in library information systems and 2 in television documentary programme production.

Slovakia

31.Slovakia joined UNESCO on 3 February 1993.

Education

32.Nineteen schools in Slovakia participate in the UNESCO Associated Schools Projects Network (ASPnet), which was launched in 1953 (the network includes over 7,983 educational institutions, ranging from preschool education to teacher training in 175 countries). The Associated Schools are committed to promoting the ideals of UNESCO by conducting pilot projects in favour of better preparing children and young women and men to meet effectively the challenges of an increasingly complex and interdependent world. The new ASPnet Strategy and Plan of Action (2004-2009) places emphasis on reinforcing the four pillars of Learning for the 21st Century (learning to know, to do, to be and to live together) and promoting quality education as outlined in the Dakar Framework for Action.

33.In the field of education, Slovakia takes part in flagship projects and strengthens its collaboration with neighbouring countries, such as the Czech Republic, especially as regards the fight against the trafficking of women and the promotion of women. Slovakia is also working on a national programme on education for all (EFA).

Culture

34.UNESCO has organized a subregional workshop on the theme “Crafts-cultures without borders” for the training of women in Eastern Europe in Bucharest and Sibiu, in cooperation with the Crafts Foundation Romania. This workshop has brought together 10 female participants from five Eastern European countries to become managers of associations, small companies and cooperatives.

UNESCO Fellowships Programme

35.Fellowships were awarded to young women in the following areas: 1 in television documentary programme production, 1 in animal agriculture, 1 in life sciences, 1 in conservation science, 2 in intercultural dialogue, and 1 in information and communications technology; and 3 national fellowships were awarded in 2007 under the UNESCO-L’OREAL Programme for Women in science.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

36.The United Kingdom was a member of UNESCO from its creation on 4 November 1946 until 31 December 1985. It rejoined the organization on 1 July 1997.

Education

37.Twenty-two schools in the United Kingdom participate in the UNESCO Associated Schools Projects Network (ASPnet), which was launched in 1953 (the network includes over 7,983 educational institutions, ranging from preschool education to teacher training in 175 countries). The Associated Schools are committed to promoting the ideals of UNESCO by conducting pilot projects in favour of better preparing children and young women and men to meet effectively the challenges of an increasingly complex and interdependent world. The new ASPnet Strategy and Plan of Action (2004-2009) places emphasis on reinforcing the four pillars of Learning for the 21st Century (learning to know, to do, to be and to live together) and promoting quality education as outlined in the Dakar Framework for Action. Education for All (EFA) is the United Kingdom’s main priority in its cooperation with UNESCO.

38.Through the work of the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the country invests an enormous amount of effort in education projects. DFID is one of the founders of the EFA Global Monitoring Report since its first edition in 2002. The Partnership on Sustainable Strategies for Girls’ Education is an inter-agency collaboration among DFID, UNESCO, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Bank. It includes a searchable database of articles and reports as well as access to gender-disaggregated data for primary, secondary and tertiary education, projects and programmes of partners and other bilateral and multilateral agencies, training material and examples of good practices.

UNESCO Fellowships Programme

39.Two national fellowships were awarded in 2006 and 1 in 2008 under the UNESCO-L’OREAL Programme for Women in science.

United Republic of Tanzania

40.The United Republic of Tanzania joined UNESCO on 6 March 1962.

Education

41.Eight schools in the United Republic of Tanzania are participating in the UNESCO Associated Schools Projects Network (ASPnet), which was launched in 1953 (the network includes over 7,983 educational institutions, ranging from preschool education to teacher training in 175 countries). The Associated Schools are committed to promoting the ideals of UNESCO by conducting pilot projects in favour of better preparing children and young women and men to meet effectively the challenges of an increasingly complex and interdependent world. The new ASPnet Strategy and Plan of Action (2004-2009) places emphasis on reinforcing the four pillars of Learning for the 21st Century (learning to know, to do, to be and to live together) and promoting quality education as outlined in the Dakar Framework for Action.

42.The United Republic of Tanzania participates in the UNESCO teacher training initiative for sub-Saharan Africa, a 10-year project aimed at restructuring national teacher policies in 46 sub-Saharan countries, with a strong focus on female teachers.

43.In December 2007, a national training workshop on hands-on and gender inclusive secondary science education for employment was organized in collaboration with FAWETZ in Tanzania. The workshop was a follow-up of the regional training of trainers on promoting girls’ participation in science that took place in Malawi from 8 to 13 October 2007. The teacher training aimed at countering the decrease in interest and performance of girls in science education with a four-fold strategy: it aimed at making science education more exciting and hands-on through laboratory and experimental work. It further supported the development and the use of gender-sensitive textbooks, and promoted the use of teaching methods that are sensitive to the interests and needs of girls. The workshop also provided career guidance and counselling activities to girls, interested in future science and technology-related occupations, as well as guidance on entrepreneurship.

Natural sciences

44.The 10 annual Young Scientist Awards of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme, which places special emphasis on young researchers in developing countries and especially on women, has granted eight awards to female scientists in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

45.UNESCO has also created an African association of women geoscientists. The Earth science community in Tanzania is particularly active in the Association.

Culture

46.Building on lessons learned within the framework of the joint UNESCO/UNAIDS project “Culture, HIV and AIDS”, UNESCO has successfully advocated for the integration of a cultural approach into the United Nations joint programme on the reduction of maternal and newborn mortality in Tanzania. According to the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, maternal and newborn mortality rates in Tanzania remain one of the highest in Africa. The statistics indicate that 54 per cent of women do not use existing clinical facilities, preferring traditional medical care. In this context, a cultural approach will emphasize dialogue and complementarities between traditional Tanzanian therapy providers and clinical health professionals. The project responds to the call made by various United Nations agencies (United Nations Children’s Fund, United Nations Population Fund, World Health Organization, World Food Programme) for approaches that integrate both culture and biomedical features.

UNESCO Fellowships Programme

47.Fellowships were awarded to young women in the following areas: 1 in life sciences, 1 in African archaeology, 1 in environmental management, 1 in economics, 1 in leadership development for women, 1 in awards ceremony, and 1 in communication and information systems.

Yemen

48.Yemen joined UNESCO on 2 April 1962.

Education

49.Thirteen schools in Yemen are participating in the UNESCO Associated Schools Projects Network (ASPnet), which was launched in 1953 (the network includes over 7,983 educational institutions, ranging from preschool education to teacher training in 175 countries). The Associated Schools are committed to promoting the ideals of UNESCO by conducting pilot projects in favour of better preparing children and young women and men to meet effectively the challenges of an increasingly complex and interdependent world. The new ASPnet Strategy and Plan of Action (2004-2009) places emphasis on reinforcing the four pillars of Learning for the 21st Century (learning to know, to do, to be and to live together) and promoting quality education as outlined in the Dakar Framework for Action.

50.Yemen is one of the 35 countries implementing the UNESCO Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE), a 10-year initiative aimed at achieving the goals of the United Nations Literacy Decade (2003-2012), and is also one of the 11 first-round countries of LIFE. Yemen is also among the five countries (together with Haiti, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria) that have started to develop LIFE country programmes aligned with their national development priorities, especially as concerns education for women and girls.

51.Within the framework of LIFE and the United Nations Literacy Decade, the first regional conference in support of global literacy was held in Doha, from 12 to 14 March 2007. The conference triggered new commitment for literacy, identified a range of innovative and proven practices and promoted strong partnerships in support of literacy, with a focus on the LIFE countries in the Arab region (Egypt, Iraq, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan and Yemen). As a follow-up to this conference, a series of best practices in literacy in the Arab region was compiled to be used for fund-raising.

Social and human sciences

52.The Human and Social Sciences Sector of UNESCO conducted various programmes to promote gender equality and development in the region. Research has been undertaken on the impact of globalization on gender equality and cultural obstacles and social impediments to women’s advancement. A paper on enhancing women’s roles in the judiciary in Yemen has been commissioned, which will be made available to ministers of women’s affairs in the neighbouring countries. The paper was presented at a seminar held in Amman during the Second World Congress on Middle Eastern Studies, 14 June 2006.

UNESCO Fellowships Programme

53.Fellowships were awarded to young women in the following areas: 1 in medicine, 1 in life sciences, 1 in the role of women during armed conflicts, 1 in awards ceremony, and 1 in women and cultural heritage; and 1 national fellowship was awarded in 2007 under the UNESCO-L’OREAL Programme for Women in science.