Mind the Gap Report and Policy Paper Series

The Mind the Gap report and policy paper series aims to support the Charlevoix Declaration on Quality Education’s commitment to enhance the evidence base and monitor progress toward gender-equitable education in crises. This series is developed in consultation with the INEE Gender Working Group and INEE Reference Group on Girls’ Education in Emergencies (closed). Support for the series is provided by Global Affairs Canada.

Each Mind the Gap report:

Draws from data on 44 crisis-affected countries, from recent research, and from sets of case studies of interventions in a range of crisis-affected contexts;
Provides a summary of progress and gaps in provision, funding, and data related to girls’ and women’s education in emergencies;
Highlights national and international policies and legal frameworks that protect girls’ and women’s right to education in emergencies and enable continuity of learning when formal schools are not accessible;
Is available in English and French. The summary briefs are available in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Is accompanied by a Closing the Gap policy paper, which summarizes key findings and recommends actions for a range of stakeholders. The Closing the Gap policy papers are available in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Third edition (2023)

Report: Mind the Gap 3: Equity and Inclusion in and through Girls’ Education in Crisis. This report monitors progress, gaps, challenges and opportunities in improving education and training for girls and women affected by conflict and crisis since Mind the Gap 2 and highlights the following thematic areas: recruiting and retaining female teachers, girls with disabilities and gender-responsive inclusive education, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) education in emergencies.

Policy paper: Closing the Gap 3: Promoting Equity and Inclusion in and through Girls’ Education in Crisis. This paper summarizes the findings of the Mind the Gap 3 report and recommends actions for governments, donors, civil society, collectors and collators of data, and teachers and other education personnel to address the gaps identified in the delivery, planning, funding, and monitoring of girls’ and women’s education in crisis contexts.

Summary brief: Women Who Teach: Recruiting and Retaining Female Teachers in Crisis Settings. This brief was developed to support the dissemination of key messages in Mind the Gap 3. It provides an overview of evidence and gaps in the recruitment and retention of female teachers in emergency contexts and recommends actions for supporting female teachers’ wellbeing and professional development.

Summary brief: Gender-Responsive Inclusive Education: Ensuring Education Access and Quality for Girls’ with Disabilities. This brief was developed to support the dissemination of key messages in Mind the Gap 3. It provides an overview of evidence and gaps related to education challenges and opportunities for girls with disabilities, and on gender-responsive inclusive education approaches. The brief also recommends actions to improve the accessibility and relevance of gender-responsive inclusive education.

Summary brief: Comprehensive Sexuality Education in Emergencies: Developing and Delivering Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Education in Crisis Settings. This brief was developed to support the dissemination of key messages in Mind the Gap 3. It provides an overview of evidence and gaps related to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) education in emergencies and recommends actions and measures to protect women’s and girls’ rights within education.

Second edition (2022)

Report: Mind the Gap 2: Seeking Safe and Sustainable Solutions for Girls’ Education in Crises. This report monitors progress, gaps, challenges and opportunities in improving education and training for girls and women affected by conflict and crisis since the first Mind the Gap report and highlights the following thematic areas: distance education and the digital divide, school-related gender-based violence, and girls’ education during climate crises.

Policy Paper: Closing the Gap 2: Delivering Safe and Sustainable Solutions for Girls’ Education in Crises. This paper summarizes key findings from Mind the Gap 2 and recommends actions for governments, donors, civil society, collectors and collators of data, and teachers and other education personnel to address the gaps identified in the delivery, planning, funding, and monitoring of girls’ and women’s education in crisis contexts.

Summary brief: Distance Education & the Digital Divide: Ensuring Learning Continuity for Girls During School Closures. This brief was developed to support the dissemination of key messages in Mind the Gap 2. It provides an overview of evidence and gaps in girls’ and women’s access to distance education and recommends actions for gender-responsive planning and design of distance education policies and interventions.

Summary brief: Gender-Based Violence and Girls’ Education: Protecting Girls’ Rights in and around Schools. This brief was developed to support the dissemination of key messages in Mind the Gap 2. It provides an overview of evidence and gaps related to school-related gender-based-violence and recommends actions and measures to protect women’s and girls’ rights within education.

Summary brief: Girls’ Education and Climate Change: Investing in Education for Resilience. This brief was developed to support the dissemination of key messages in Mind the Gap 2. It provides an overview of evidence and gaps on the relationship between girls’ education and climate crises, and recommends actions to mitigate the impacts of climate change on girls’ education and promote resilience.

Infographic: Mind the Gap 2: Statistics at a Glance. This INEE infographic visualizes key statistics from the 2022 Mind the Gap 2 report.

First edition (2021)

Report: Mind the Gap: The State of Girls’ Education in Crisis and Conflict. This report summarizes progress, gaps, challenges and opportunities in improving education and training for girls and women affected by conflict and crisis. The report includes a comprehensive overview of enabling policies and legal frameworks that protect women’s and girls’ right to education in emergencies, as well as key findings on the relationship between girls’ education and protection during crises.

Policy Paper: Closing the Gap: Advancing Girls' Education in Crisis and Conflict. This paper summarizes the findings of the Mind the Gap report. It recommends actions for implementers, policymakers, and donors to address the gaps identified in the delivery, planning, funding, and monitoring of girls’ and women’s education in crisis contexts.

Infographic: Mind the Gap: Statistics At A Glance. This INEE infographic visualizes key statistics from the 2021 Mind the Gap report.