Gender in Education: Case of SDG 4 and 5

Delivery of quality education and ensuring both girls and boys have an opportunity to be educated is a
fundamental tenet of SDG 4 and 5. This chapter identified several indicators and outcomes that
compared 54 African countries to determine the countries on track to meet SDG 4 and 5. The
indicators used were Primary completion rate for both female and male students; Ratio of girls and
boys in Primary and Secondary education (%); Expected Schooling (Number of years); Trained
Teachers in Primary education(female/male), and Expenditure per student unit of GDP per Capita
(Primary/Secondary/Tertiary). Furthermore, the outcomes analyzed were the Fifth Pillar (Higher
Education and Training), Literacy rate (male/female aged 15-24), the Ninth pillar that grouped
countries regarding their Technological readiness, and the Twelfth pillar gauged each countries level
of innovation from 1992 to 2012. Cape Verde, Mauritius, and Seychelles were the countries that were
on track to meet SDG 4 and 5. These countries had stable governance and democratic structures.
The constitutions of these countries had gender parity stipulations, and the countries had invested in
educational infrastructure including Buildings, Quality systems, Early Childhood Education, Curricula
that caters to both boys and girls, disabled children, and leveraging the use of ICT in education to
support life-long learning. Policy-makers and other stakeholders from countries that are not yet on
track to achieve SDG 4 and 5 may adopt these countries’ lessons.