BBC NEWS | INDEPTH | MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Target: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015

This goal aims to reduce the gap between men and women in education and employment. In many developing countries women receive little or no education. As a consequence, they can then only find temporary, poorly-paid or informal work, diminishing their economic potential and social status.

Poor, uneducated women are often disenfranchised at every level – from the household to government. Since 1990, female participation in national parliaments has slowly increased, but women still only occupy 16% of seats worldwide.

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