(MENAFN– The Conversation)
For 20 years, investing in girls’ education has been seen as essential for gender equality in sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2016 and 2018, the World Bank invested $3.2 billion in projects for adolescent girls’ education.
Girls face several challenges to education, including poverty, lack of support, teenage pregnancy, child marriage, and violence in schools. Addressing these barriers can significantly enhance their education.
However, questioning whether focusing solely on girls’ education helps or harms boys and if it truly benefits girls in the long term is vital. Our recent study reveals it may not be sufficient for either gender.
We analyzed data from 136 low- and middle-income countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa, to compare the educational outcomes for boys and girls.
We looked at two key indicators:
- Secondary school completion
- Student performance in standardized tests (harmonized learning outcomes)
The analysis showed that, overall, girls are lagging behind boys in secondary school completion (30% for boys and 24% for girls), although in southern Africa, girls are outperforming boys. Both genders generally score similarly in learning outcomes, indicating that education is lacking for both.
While boys complete school at higher rates, the gap is small, and the overall completion rates are low for both genders. Simply put, neither boys nor girls are achieving educational success.
Therefore, targeting educational aid at girls alone is not the best approach. Gender equality is best achieved when both boys and girls receive equal opportunities early in life and continuing into adulthood.
Our research suggests that, while girls have better support early on, they encounter significant barriers later. Women often earn less than men due to societal norms and expectations, reflecting larger systemic issues.
This challenges the notion that focusing only on girls’ education can holistically tackle gender inequality.
To promote greater gender equality, targeted interventions are needed, including:
- Acknowledging unpaid work women do
- Improving women’s access to decent job opportunities
- Challenging discriminatory laws and social norms
An approach that includes quality education for all genders and addresses the broader socio-economic issues will be more effective in reducing gender inequality in sub-Saharan Africa.
Contributors to this research include Sara Naicker, Jere Behrman, and Linda Richter.
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