Challenges to the right to higher education: issues of equity and quality in a context of shrinking public budgets

The fulfilment of the right to higher education is challenged by the unequal access to and attainment of higher education even in countries which have witnessed remarkable progress in this field over the last twenty years. Indeed, between 2000 and 2019, the rate of enrolments in higher education has doubled worldwide, rising from about 19% to almost 39%, from around 100 million to more than 200 million students, half of which are women (UNESCO 2021). Nevertheless, there are continuing inequalities between and within countries and geographical regions in terms of access to and attainment of tertiary education levels (UNESCO 2017).