Women and Education in Africa: An Analysis of Economic and Sociocultural Factors Influencing Observed Trends

Abstract

This study looks at the social development policies of governments in sub-Saharan Africa which govern investments in education and considers the impact of these government policies and their underlying socioeconomic factors on the educational status of women. Available data indicate that the educational systems of rich and poor African countries have eroded in recent decades and that this erosion has adversely affected females in particular. The paper argues that economic hardships on a national or household level lead to resource allocation decisions which discriminate against women and that gender disparities in education (as reflected in government policies curricula textbooks and social expectations) in the region can only be explained from a sociocultural perspective. Enrollment and graduation rates in the region for 1975-90 are analyzed to reveal the general disparity in the representation of women and regression analysis is used to compare gender-differentiation for countries at different stages of economic development to show that the problem is fundamentally sociological and historical rather than economic. The paper concludes by noting that available data fail to pinpoint the degree to which the educational disenfranchisement of women (which arises from a complex interaction of sociocultural factors) is exacerbated by economic factors. Recommendations which urge governments to achieve gender equality through legislation and support for educational programs urge changes in school requirements teacher training initiatives and school counseling and career guidance practices.