Key Barriers to Girls’ Education in the ASEAN and Pacific Region

Abstract

This rapid review explores the barriers to girls’ education, with a focus on the most marginalised and why. The report focuses on the East Asia and Pacific region, with a focus on Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Vanuatu and Vietnam. The fundamental right to education is clearly acknowledged in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and education is vital to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with SDG 4– ensuring inclusive and equitable education for all by 2030 – recognising its importance. SDG 4 emphasises learning outcomes, skills acquisition, and equity in both development and emergency settings. Education in the EAP region has received a lot of attention in the past 20 years and there is a plethora of information and reports out there, and the evidence base is vast.