Until women are fully represented at the leadership level of public, professional, and economic life, they cannot enjoy full and equal rights. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will continue the task of assisting the educational path of girls as the first and most important step in this direction. Helping to give women and girls access to education, knowledge and skills, employment and decent living conditions is one component of UNESCO's action in the eradication of poverty, one of the organization's cross-cutting themes in the Medium-Term Strategy for 2002-2007. Gender equity should not be seen narrowly as a women's issue. It is an issue that raises fundamental questions about the nature of social relationships. It is an issue that requires women and men to work together in search of solutions that are both practical and based on principle. This publication discusses seven topics: (1) "Key Concepts: The Scope of Gender Equality, Equity, Mainstreaming and Analysis"; (2) "The Challenge of Gender Equality and Equity"; (3) "Gender Equality and Equity as Goals for UNESCO"; (4) "Gender Equality and Equity in UNESCO's Programmes"; (5) "Facts and Figures Gender Inequality in Education"; (6) "Milestones"; and (7) "Did You Know That...?" (BT)