She is also likely to marry into another family and take with her any advantages she gains from education. Although literacy and school enrolment among both girls and boys has increased dramatically, much remains to be done. At least 60 million girls lack access to primary education. In India, literacy rates are 39 per cent among women and 64 per cent among men. In Egypt, only 27 per cent of females are literate, compared to 63 per cent of males.
Boys are more likely to be enrolled in school, and to remain in school, than girls.
This becomes more and more true as the level of education increases. Even in the developed world, fewer women than men attend universities. There are signs of progress, however. The enrolment of boys and girls in primary school edges closer and closer to parity every year. Even at the university level, women are catching up and even surpassing male enrolment in some countries.