Open Minds: Opportunities for Gender Equity in Education

A publication from the Open Society Education Support Program (ESP) and Network Women's Program (NWP), Open Minds presents a regional overview on gender equity in education in Central Europe, South Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. The report is based on both quantitative data and qualitative analysis of the challenges to gender equity in education in the region; it is intended to be a useful tool and catalyst for policymakers and educators from the region in promoting equitable educational reform.

Open Minds also draws the attention of global policymakers to the unique challenges facing educational reformers in this region, for example in the context of the Millennium Development Goals. One of the report's key points—that girls from vulnerable socioeconomic groups are at greater risk for losing out on educational opportunities—should be central to regional policymaking efforts within and beyond the educational sector.

Although the report acknowledges that there are significant challenges to such reform, it concludes that there are also resources within the region on which to build. These resources include a strong commitment to educational reform (by governments, NGOs, educators, and parents); a focus on critical thinking; and a body of knowledge on curriculum development and innovative pedagogy developed within gender studies programs and women's NGOs over the past decade.