Within this larger context, girls' enrollment has increased at least as fast as that of boys, narrowing or almost closing the gender gap in enrollment in many countries. Today, virtually all girls and boys are enrolled in primary school in Latin America and East Asia, where gender differentials in primary schooling are non-existent or very small. However, a significant gender gap remains at the primary level in the Arab states, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. South Asia has seen significant increases in the proportion of both boys and girls enrolled, but has made little progress towards eliminating sex differentials. In all other regions, the gender gap has narrowed, including in the Arab world.
Oman is a striking example of such progress.
In 1970, of some 6,900 children enrolled in primary school, only 16 per cent were girls, reflecting the conservatism of the country s ruler at the time. However, girls' primary enrollment rates are still very low in some of the world s poorest countries, where boys rates are low as well. The gender gap tends to be greatest in such settings because of both culture and poverty, boys are more likely to fill limited available school places. In 1995, fewer than half of all girls attended primary school in 10 African countries and in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. The situation in sub-Saharan Africa is of special concern.