Strong education systems are equitable, inclusive and resilient, leaving no girl or boy behind. Yet girls and boys with disabilities face disproportionate barriers in accessing and completing education and reaching foundational learning milestones.

Sharpening focus to reach the children who are the most marginalized in education benefits all learners.

From intention to action

All GPE partner countries have signed or acceded the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), ratified by 192 countries. Many countries have adopted policies in support of disability-inclusive education.

However, the lack of clarity and consistency over what inclusive education means and how it could be implemented has resulted in a tendency of countries to adopt “inclusive education” at a policy level while still struggling to implement inclusion in practice.

This involves:

• Understanding specific vulnerabilities and how exclusion in education occurs in each context
• Addressing enabling factors to inclusion such as having data and education management information systems (EMIS), policies and planning, that are gender responsive and disability inclusive
• Supporting governments to leverage more financing for education and spending it equitably, progressively allocating domestic financing to the most marginalized children.

GPE also enhances the capacities of civil society through Education Out Loud, including organizations of persons with disabilities, to advocate for the right to education for all children, disseminates knowledge and facilitate peer exchange on what works in inclusive education through the GPE Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX).

Inclusive priority education reforms

A systems approach to gender equality and inclusion involves improvements across every aspect of national and decentralized education planning, management and delivery accompanied by targeted support to girls and boys in the most vulnerable situations.

GPE partner countries identify and define their priority education reforms in partnership compacts and 87% of these have been informed by an analysis of gender and marginalization to better understand the different educational experiences of girls and boys, and 90% include a priority reform focused on gender equality.

Across partner countries, 4 out of 5 also include strategies to support disability inclusion as part of their priority education reforms.

These involve improving the accessibility and safety of schools, collecting disability data and identifying disabilities early through screening processes, piloting inclusive schools and resource centers, reforming curriculum and assessments and training teachers, both pre- and in service, on gender and inclusive pedagogy.

Many partner countries plan to procure assistive devices to support learning for children with disabilities or to provide school uniforms, school supplies and other targeted incentives for the most vulnerable girls and boys.

Inclusion is a process to multiply possibility for all

Each partner country’s journey toward a more inclusive education system is unique as country context, potential barriers, available resources and capacities differ.

In many education systems, girls and boys with disabilities are still largely invisible or excluded, and the share of learners with disabilities who are enrolled in school remains low.

In contexts impacted by fragility where learning poverty is high and resources are stretched, the path to inclusion may be incremental.

As the partnership embarks on its new strategy, GPE continues to scale systemwide approaches for gender equality and inclusion with sustainable financing and strengthened results monitoring, supporting partner countries in their ambition towards equitable, inclusive and resilient education systems.

Building on progress made during GPE 2025 and GPE’s Global Disability Summit commitments, gender equality and disability inclusion are embedded throughout the new strategy, results framework and grant monitoring process.

But real change happens at the country level—through political will, cross-sectoral partnerships and mutual accountability, multiplying possibility for every girl and boy.