Since its creation, UNESCO has been advocating for, promoting and defending the right to quality education for all, especially for girls and women. As fundamental human rights, gender equality and education stand at the core of UNESCO’s mandate. UNESCO launched the Global Partnership for Girls’ and Women’s Education in 2011 guided by the conviction that educating girls and women can break the cycle of poverty and foster greater social justice. The Partnership seeks to increase learning opportunities for adolescent girls and women and to find solutions to some of the biggest challenges and obstacles to their education. The Partnership addresses two main areas which require increased attention: secondary education and literacy.