The World Education Forum of April 2000, set gender equality as one of its important goals. The target was to achieve parity in enrolment of girls and boys in primary education and secondary education by 2005 and full equality by 2015. This monitoring report shows that many countries will fail to make the 2005 target but circumstances could change quickly, with appropriate policy changes. However educational inequality is caused by deep-rooted social forces and a wide range of economic and social changes are needed.