The girls' enrollment rate of Yemen is the lowest in Middle Eastern countries, and there is huge disparity between boys and girls, and between urban and rural areas. The low girls' participation in education is attributed to several socio-cultural factors. The tradition of early marriage in rural areas hinders girls' schooling and leads to high drop out rates. The chastity of girls has great importance in rural areas; therefore parents are unwilling to send girls to mixed gender schools. Also, negative social attitudes towards girls' education, and a lack of female teachers contribute to low female enrollment.
The limited number of schools, employment opportunities, overcrowding and a low quality of education discourages families from sending their girls to school. In addition, male teachers' conservative attitudes towards girls, the distance from schools in rural areas, a lack of books and teaching materials and parents' financial constraints limit girls' opportunities for education.