Education and Gender Gap

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Education and Gender Gap

Md. Saeed Anwar

Sociology DisciplineKhulna University


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Presentation Outline

1. Meaning of Gender Gap

2. Education and Gender Gap in the World Perspective

3. Education and Gender Gap in Bangladesh Perspective4. Causes of Gender Gap in Education

5. Interventions to Eliminate Gender Gap in Education

6. Conclusion


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Meaning of Gender Gap

Gender Gap:

A gender gap is a disproportionate difference or disparity

between the sexes (Wikipedia, 2013).

The difference that exists between males and females inaccess to some social good or benefit based solely on their

difference in gender (Wikipedia, 2013).

So, gender gap in education refers to the increased

likelihood of better educational opportunity and

achievement for males than females in most societies

(Wikipedia, 2013).


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Education and Gender Gap in the World

Perspective

Gender Gap in Primary Education

Gender gaps in access to education have

narrowed, but disparities remain among regions in

all levels of education, particularly for the mostexcluded and marginalized (UN, 2013).

Gender parity in primary schooling worldwide

has been achieved (UN, 2013).

However, girls continue to face barriers to

schooling, particularly in Northern Africa, sub-

Saharan Africa and Western Asia (UN, 2013).


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Gender Disparities at Primary Levels of Education:Girls

primary school enrolment ratios in relation to boys(girls per

100 boys) (Source: UN, 2005)Different Parts in the World 1990/91 (%) 2001/02 (%)

Southern Asia 76 85

Sub-Saharan Africa 83 86

Western Asia 83 87

Northern Africa 82 93

Oceania 90 93

South-Eastern Asia 92 97

Latin America and the Caribbean 98 93

CIS, Asia 99 93

CIS, Europe 100 99

Eastern Asia 93 100

Developing Regions 87 92


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Perspective Cont

Gender Gap in Secondary Education

Access to secondary-level education remains

highly unequal (UN, 2013).

Substantial gains have been made towards

closing the gender gap in secondary education

in Western and Southern Asia, though girls

continue to be at a disadvantage in those regions(UN, 2013).

The situation is most extreme in sub-Saharan

Africa, where the gender gap in enrolment has


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Gender Disparities at Secondary Levels of Education:

Gender disparities tend to increase at higher levels of education. At the

secondary level of education, the gender gap remains a serious concern in sub-

Saharan Africa, Southern Asia and Western Asia (UN, 2005).

Different Parts in the World 2001/02 (%)

Southern Asia 79

Western Asia 79

Sub-Saharan Africa 79

Oceania 91

Eastern Asia 93

Northern Africa 96

CIS, Asia 97South-Eastern Asia 93

CIS, Europe 101

Latin America and the Caribbean 107

Developing Regions 89


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Perspective Cont

Gender Gap in Higher Education

Access to higher education (university-level)

remains highly unequal (UN, 2013).

Disparities are greatest at the university level. InSouthern Asia, only 77 girls per 100 boys are

enrolled in tertiary education (UN, 2013).

However, in 2005, USA Today reported that the

"college gender gap" was widening; stating that

57 percent of U.S. college students are female

(Marklein, 2005).

In the United States, the 2005 averages saw male


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Perspective Cont

Gender Gap in Higher Education Also, in 2005-2006, women earned more Associate's,

Bachelor's, and Master's degrees than men, but men

earned more Doctorates (Jacobs, 1996).

By 2010 nearly 60 percent of bachelors degrees in the

US went to women (Marklein, 2005).

This is repeated in other countries; for example,

women make up 58 percent of admissions in the UK

(Marklein, 2005) and 60 percent in Iran (Jacobs,

1996). In Canada the 15 percent gender gap in

university participation favored women (Christofides,

et al., 2006)


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Perspective Cont

Gender Gap in Literacy Rate

Worldwide, men are more likely to be literate,with 100 men considered literate for every 88

women (Chapman, 2008). In some countries the difference is even

greater; for example, in Bangladesh only 62women are literate for every 100 men

(Chapman, 2008).

In the United States, girls are significantlyahead of boys in writing ability at all levels of

primary and secondary education


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Gender Gap in Youth Literacy Rates

Globally, there is still a large gender gap in youth literacy rates,

although the gap has been shrinking over time. Still, the data seem to

show that fewer girls are emerging from education systems with basicliteracy skills than boys (UNESC0, 2011).


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Education and Gender Gap in Bangladesh

Perspective

Bangladesh has succeeded in boosting education for girls(Sharif, 2012).

Among the eight South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bhutan,India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka), Bangladeshis the fourth to achieve gender parity in primary education andcurrently has slightly more girls than boys in school (Sharif,

2012). Authorities are now taking steps to address that imbalance

(Sharif, 2012).

(Source: GGGP, 2011)

Educational levels Male (%) Female (%)

Enrolment in primary

education

83 90

Enrolment in secondary

education

40 43

Enrolment in tertiary

education

10 6


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Perspective Cont

Gender Gap in Primary Education

Between 1990 and 1995, primary school enrollment in

Bangladesh stood at 45 percent for girls and 55 percent for

boys (Sharif, 2012).

Today, of the 10.6 million primary students enrolled, girls

account for 50.07 percent while boys make up the remaining

49.93 percent (Sharif, 2012).

Gender Gap in Secondary Education

According to Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information

and Statistics (BANBEIS) figures, at secondary level (grades 6

to 10), the boy-girl ratio in 1990 was 66:34 (Sharif, 2012).

In just 15 years, gender parity was achieved in 2005. The

current boy-girl ratio in secondary school is 46:54 (Sharif,

2012 .


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Perspective Cont

Gender Gap in Higher Education

Gender disparity is significantly high in higher

education (university level) (NEP, 2001).

In 2001, among the total students in the public

universities, only 24.3 percent were female

students whereas the male enrollment

comprises almost three times higher (75.7percent) than that of the female (NEP, 2001).

It is also observed that over the years, both

male and female enrollment in the university


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Causes of Gender Gap in Education

1. Poverty

2. Gender Discrimination

3. Economic insecurity

4. Cultural norms5. Early marriage

6. Rural-urban disparities

7. Unequal distribution of wealth

8. Armed conflict

9. Lack of sufficient school in rural areas

10.Violence

(Sourse: Jackline, 2005)


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Interventions to Eliminate Gender Gap in

Education

1. Free primary education

2. Parental incentives

a) Primary school stipends

b) Improved nutrition

c) School feeding programs (at pre-school and primary schools)

3. Safety and dignity at school

4. Community school

5. Community awareness

6. Accelerated programs

7. Gender advocates8. Early childhood education and care

9. Tackling violence against women (including rape)

10. Raising the legal status of marriage

(Source: Mishra)


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Conclusion Remarkable progress has been made toward achieving

gender equality in education (World Bank, 2012).

Over the past three decades the ratio of girls to boys

enrolled in school has risen at all levels (WB, 2012).

The most significant increase in girls enrollment in sub-

Saharan Africa and South Asia has been at the primary

education level (World Bank, 2012).

In countries in East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean,

the increase in girls enrollment has been at the secondary

education level (World Bank, 2012).

While in countries in Europe and Central Asia, girls

enrollment has risen most at the tertiary education level

(World Bank, 2012).


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Reference

1. Chapman, Amanda, 2008. Gender Bias in Education.

2. Christofides, L. Hoy, M. Yang, L. 2006. Participation in CanadianUniversities: The gender imbalance (19772005). Elsevier: Economics

of Education Review, 29-2010, 400-410.

3. Droulet, D. 2007. Minding the Gender Gap. Retrieved from University

Affairs website: http://www.universityaffairs.ca/minding-the-gender-

gap.aspx4. Ferdaush and Rahman, 2011. Gender Inequality in Bangladesh . Unnayan

Onneshan

5. Global Gender Gap Report , 2011. Country Profiles 31

6. Jackline, 2005. Middle East & North Africa INCHING TOWARDS

GENDER EQUALITY

7. Jacobs, J. A. 1996. "Gender Inequality and Higher Education". Annual

Review of Sociology 22: 15385. doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.22.1.153.

8. Marklein, M. 2005. College Gender Gap Widens: 57% are Women. USA

Today. Retrieved from: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2005-10-

19-male-college-cover_x.htm


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Reference Cont13. Ministry of Planning, 2001.Preliminary Report on the Household Income and

Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2000, Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics

(BBS), Planning Division,Government of the Peoples Republic ofBangladesh.

14. Ministry of Planning, 2010. Statistical Pocket Book Bangladesh, 2009,

Statistic Division, Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS),

Planning Division, Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh

14. Sharif , Shahriar. 2012. Bangladesh achieves equality in education15. UNESCO, 2011. Institute for Statistics in Education.

16. United Nations, 2005. The Millennium Development Goals Report, 2005 .

New York: United Nations.

17. United Nations, 2013. Promote gender equality and empower women.

www.un.org/millenniumgoals.

18. Wikipedia, 2013. Accessed on 04 June, 2014. Retrieved from

http://www.wikigender.org/index.php/Gender_Gap

19. World Bank, 2000. Education Sector Review. Dhaka: University Press

Limited.

20. World Bank, 2012. World Development Report on Gender Equality and

Development.

Documents

Education and Gender Gap