The two charts compare the proportions of school-aged boys and girls attending secondary school and the percentages of men and women in higher education across four world regions in 2000.
Overall, participation in both secondary and higher education varied significantly by region, with developed regions showing higher enrolment rates. In addition, gender disparities were more noticeable in less developed areas, while developed regions tended to have a more balanced or even female-dominated participation, especially in higher education.
In terms of secondary education, developed regions recorded the highest attendance rates for both boys and girls, with figures close to universal enrolment. In contrast, regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia had much lower participation, particularly among girls. In these areas, the percentage of boys attending secondary school was noticeably higher than that of girls, indicating a clear gender gap.
A similar pattern can be seen in higher education. Developed regions again led in participation, and interestingly, women slightly outnumbered men in tertiary education. However, in developing regions, overall enrolment remained low, and men were more likely than women to pursue higher education. The gender gap was especially pronounced in regions with lower economic development.
In summary, the charts highlight that while developed regions had achieved near gender equality or even female advantage in education by 2000, significant disparities persisted in less developed parts of the world, particularly affecting girls and women.