Gender And Education Research Articles

Gender Inequality and Economic Growth in Nigeria: A Granger-Causality Analysis (2009–2023)

This study examined the causality relationship between gender inequality and economic growth in Nigeria, covering the period 2009–2023. The study was anchored on two inequality theories, namely functionalist theory and conflict theory. The ex-post facto was used as the research design for the study. Data for the study were extracted from the World Development Index of the World Bank and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin (2023). The method of data analysis adopted in the study was the Granger-Causality Analysis with the Unit-Root employed to estimate the stationarity status of the variables. The results of the study reveal that there is a causality relationship existing between gender inequality and economic growth in Nigeria, covering the period 2009 to 2023. However, the result reveals that the relationship is bi-directional, flowing from gender inequality to economic. The F-statistics and corresponding probability values show that gender inequality granger causes economic growth. The GIE yielded a p-value of 0.0037 < 0.05, GIEPP yielded a p-value of 0.0137 < 0.05, GHIC yielded 0.0108 < 0.05, and GIED yielded 0.0341 < 0.05. Comprehensive policy interventions that promote gender equality in education, employment, and political representation are necessary to ensure that Nigeria's economic growth is inclusive and resilient.

Reaching gender equity in the classroom

The present study explores the impact of the choice of language in tests for girls’ academic performance at monolingual primary and secondary schools in Sub-Saharan Africa. For that purpose, students in grades 3, 6, and 10 (140 girls and 139 boys) from schools in rural Senegal were given a test consisting of three mathematics problem-solving tasks. They were randomly divided into an experimental group if they received the test in a local language, their mother tongue (Sereer for grades 3 and 6, and Joola for grade 10), and into a control group if they received the test in French, the unique language of instruction in the traditional Senegalese public education system. The findings suggest that using a local language familiar to students may contribute to girls’ attainment at school: Girls in the experimental group in grades 3, 6 and 10 outperformed girls in the control group, therefore narrowing the existing gender gap in education. The present study also explores the application of Cummins’ (1979, 2009) theories of language acquisition: The data shows that girls might take advantage of bilingual education systems that promote the transfer of language skills and knowledge. The results presented in this paper show the benefit of introducing local languages familiar to students in the education system of Senegal and other Sub-Saharan countries where only a European language is employed as the language of instruction, especially for girls, by improving their academic performance and contributing to gender equity in education.

Promoting Well-Being from a Gender Perspective: A Systematic Review of Interventions Using Digital Tools and Serious Games

Gender inequalities continue to pose a significant issue across various aspects of life, adversely impacting the well-being of both females and males. These disparities often stem from the ingrained gender stereotypes passed down to young individuals through parental guidance, educational systems, and media portrayal. For this reason, within the psycho-pedagogical field, various intervention models have been developed in recent years, leveraging digital tools to combat stereotypes and enhance well-being among adolescents. The aim of this systematic review is, therefore, to identify studies employing digital tools, particularly serious games, to promote well-being from a gender perspective. The review was conducted using the PRISMA guidelines and collected articles from four databases: Scopus, the Web of Science, PubMed, and PsycInfo. The screening process culminated in the selection of 15 articles. The findings reveal a proliferation of platforms, applications, and programs aimed at promoting well-being by addressing emotional, cognitive (or mental), physical, and sexual health dimensions. Some contributions emphasize nurturing positive attributes within individuals or fostering empowerment as a precursor to well-being. Additionally, certain articles delve into the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of young men and women; in particular, the authors investigated the effect of using an app to improve well-being before and after the pandemic. This systematic review aims to expand the knowledge base on technology-based interventions for social change. It endeavors to empower educators and advance the creation of innovative, evidence-based digital tools that can enhance positive mental health, promote gender equality education, and foster the well-being of young people.

Study on the Dilemma of Rural Women’s Access to Education in China and its Legal Protection

This paper explores the multidimensional challenges faced by rural women in China in accessing education, revealing the root causes of the intersection between urban-rural educational inequality and gender discrimination. While legal and policy reforms have led to some improvements—particularly in the realm of compulsory education, where enrollment rates for rural girls have increased—significant barriers remain, especially in higher education and vocational training. These challenges are rooted in various structural issues, including disparities in educational resources, cultural capital deficiencies, and the persistence of traditional gender roles, all of which disproportionately affect rural women. The paper offers an in-depth analysis of these factors, highlighting the inadequacies of current legal frameworks and the practical difficulties in their implementation. It proposes strategies to improve the situation, such as enhancing legal enforcement, increasing state investment in rural education, addressing societal and cultural biases through gender equality education, and expanding vocational and lifelong learning opportunities tailored to rural women’s needs. The findings suggest that only through a comprehensive approach—integrating legal, policy, and cultural initiatives—can rural women’s educational rights be effectively protected, leading to more equitable educational outcomes, reduced gender disparities, and fostering overall social progress in China.

Overcoming Educational Barriers: Analyzing Root Causes and Solutions for Gender Disparity in Adivasi Education

This paper examines the current state of the gender gap in literacy rates and school education among Adivasi populations in India. Despite significant progress in overall literacy rates in recent decades, Adivasi communities, particularly Adivasi girls, continue to lag behind. We analyze the latest data from the Census of India, National Family Health Surveys, and other government reports to quantify the extent of the gender gap in literacy and school enrollment, attendance, and dropout rates among major Adivasi groups across different states. Root causes including poverty, lack of access to schools, cultural norms, early marriage, and lack of female teachers are explored. The paper also reviews recent government initiatives and welfare schemes aimed at promoting education of Adivasi girls and reducing gender disparity. Based on the analysis, targeted policy recommendations are made to accelerate progress in closing the gender gap and ensuring basic school education for all Adivasi girls in India.

Research on the Impact of Gender Role Perceptions on Women's Educational Opportunities in Urban and Rural China

This study explores the impact of gender role perceptions on womens educational opportunities in urban and rural China, focusing on how socio-cultural, familial, societal, and personal factors contribute to educational disparities. Through a comprehensive review of existing research, the study tests three hypotheses: (H1) perceptions of gender roles in urban areas correlate with higher educational attainment among women compared to rural areas; (H2) exposure to progressive media positively influences educational ambitions across both urban and rural contexts; and (H3) increased access to technology narrows the gender gap in education between urban and rural women. The findings underscore the persistence of traditional gender norms in rural areas, which hinder womens educational progress, while urban areas benefit from more progressive views that support higher educational attainment. The study also highlights the significant role of media and technology in challenging traditional gender norms and promoting educational equality. By addressing these factors, policymakers and educators can develop targeted strategies to reduce educational disparities and foster gender equality in both urban and rural China.

Integrating Virtual Reality Tools into Secondary School Classrooms to Address Gender Gap in STEM Education: An Action Plan

This action plan addresses the gender gap in STEM education by integrating Virtual Reality (VR) tools into secondary school classrooms. Despite various strategies to increase female participation in STEM fields, women remain underrepresented in these areas. The action plan proposes the use of immersive and interactive VR experiences to create more engaging learning environments that may attract a diverse student body, particularly female students. By leveraging the potential of VR to simulate science experiments and other STEM-related activities, this project aims to enhance students' interest and confidence in STEM subjects. A pilot will be conducted in a secondary school, with approximately 50-100 students and a dedicated STEM teaching team. Key strategies include virtual reality technology training for teachers, the design of inclusive STEM curricula, and continuous evaluation through both formative and summative assessments. The expected outcome is that female students will show increased willingness to pursue further study and careers in STEM fields, contributing to long-term reductions in the gender gap in STEM education.

Exploring Gender Diversity in Aviation Education: A Comprehensive Review of Challenges, Initiatives, and the Path Forward

Gender diversity in aviation education has long been a significant issue for the aviation industry. This review investigates gender diversity by analyzing historical participation, key barriers, and initiatives to promote inclusivity. Using a systematic approach, academic databases such as Google Scholar, JSTOR, ResearchGate, Scholarly Commons, Academia.edu, and specialized aviation industry sources were searched. Peer-reviewed articles published within the last 10 years were selected based on inclusion criteria, including relevance to aviation education and gender diversity. A thematic analysis was performed to identify significant gaps, key challenges, initiatives and outcomes to assess the current state of gender diversity in the field. This review highlights the need for comprehensive efforts to create a more inclusive educational environment to close the gender gap in aviation education and improve the industry’s overall sustainability.

Influence of Parental Attitudes Towards Girls Regular School Attendance in Public Secondary Schools in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

The study was designed to examine the factors influencing parental attitudes towards girls' regular school attendance in public secondary schools in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. The study was guided by feminism theory based on the framework of gender relations. The study employed descriptive research design. Purposive sampling and simple random were used to determine the sample size from the target population for the study. The content validity of instruments was assured while reliability of the data collection tool was tested using Cronbach coefficient correlation for consistence. Internal consistence of items in the questionnaire was established at r=0.871. The quantitative data was analyzed by using descriptive statistical through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 25. While qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The study revealed that, lack of parental attention on their daughters’ education at home, early pregnancy and or marriages, cultural dance such as “vigodoro”, household chores and activities, tendencies of parents not to encourage girl-child education, poor parent’s education and security concern for girls were the major factors that hindered girls from attending school regularly. The study also found that, other factors apart from the socio-cultural factors included, level of the education of parents, parents’ occupation, missing parents, negative attitudes on girls’ education and long distance to school played a significant role in hindering girls from attending school regularly. The study proposed several remedial measures such as construct of girls’ hostel, establishment and or promoting gender equality policies and enhancing girls’ educational opportunities be put in place to facilitate girls’ regular school attendance. It was recommended that, advocating for the policy reforms to support gender equity in education, revising the current policy of fee-free education to be relevant with parent’s economic status and creating supportive school environments would support female students regular school attendance. Community engagement and the awareness campaigns could shift societal attitudes and foster parental support for girls' education. It was concluded that, addressing the socio-cultural factors and economic barriers is crucial for ensuring equitable access to education for girls in public secondary schools

Human rights in education implication schema based on the study of the UN Economic and Social Council’s 2030 agenda

Human rights in education are an essential area that needs to be the highest priority for improving almost the entire world, especially for the 2030 agenda. This research analyzed the human rights in education values inside the UN Economic and Social Council’s declaration goal 4 of the official document entitled “Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The data are analyzed through a critical discourse approach in qualitative design and discourse organization analysis method. There are nine main human rights in education found inside the declaration including ensuring and protecting education equality, education, and learning development acceleration, preparing and providing sufficient education funding, cultural diversity in education, providing a safe environment for physical and mental health, providing safe, modern and convenient infrastructure and teaching-learning facilities, gender equality in education, internet literacy in education, involving every country as to the world’s global meeting and cooperation of education. The focus of improvement on human rights in education is concluded to be dynamic, which is influenced by economic, welfare, politics, IT, and other integral aspects of development and depends on the world’s and a country’s needs and future desire.

Factors Influencing Girls' Education in Nepal: History and Perceptions of Participants

This study aims to explore the various ways in which gender discrimination reveals itself within the realm of education for girls, both within the school environment and at home. Additionally, the study seeks to identify the various factors that influence gender-related disparities in girls' education and examine the history of schooling for girls. In our society, socio-cultural norms and values that are biased towards gender are deeply ingrained, and this has prompted the Nepal government to initiate several measures aimed at fostering a gender-friendly environment within schools. Despite these interventions, the study finds that achieving gender parity in education remains elusive. As such, the study has prioritized examining how gender-based societal influences impede girls' education. The study is based on field data collected through direct interaction with participants to obtain insights grounded in real-world experiences.

AI and Digital Technology: Gender Gaps in Higher Education

Abstract This article examines gender gaps in higher education in Spain in the context of technological advancements, particularly digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI). First, analyzing descriptive Spanish data we identify significant disparities, with women overrepresented in health-related fields and underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines. This imbalance is concerning as STEM fields offer better employment prospects and higher salaries. Then, we analyze university degrees’ exposure to technological change through routine task intensity (RTI) and AI exposure indices, as well as a novel index of exposure to emerging digital technologies from 2015 to 2024. Our findings show that women are more enrolled in degrees with higher RTI, prone to automation, and less in degrees with higher AI exposure, likely to benefit from technological advancements. This suggests technological change could widen existing labor market gender gaps. To address this, we recommend policies to boost female participation in STEM fields and adapt educational curricula to reduce routine tasks and enhance AI complementarities, ensuring equitable labor market outcomes amid technological change. (JEL codes: I23, I26, J16, J24).

The Impact of Menstrual Hygiene Education on School Attendance Among Adolescent Girls in Rural Nepal: A Case Study of Gorkha District

This study explores the impact of menstrual hygiene education on school attendance among adolescent girls in rural Nepal, focusing on the Gorkha District as a case study. Despite existing initiatives to promote menstrual health education, significant challenges remain, including cultural stigma, lack of resources, and inadequate infrastructure, which contribute to high absenteeism rates among girls during their menstrual periods. The research examines the relationship between education programs and school attendance, highlighting examples where improved menstrual hygiene management has led to positive changes in attendance rates. The study also identifies gaps in knowledge, resources, and practices that hinder the effectiveness of current programs. Recommendations are made for expanding and enhancing education initiatives, along with policy and community strategies to support regular attendance, such as improved infrastructure, community engagement, and broader education efforts. This paper argues that addressing these gaps through targeted interventions is crucial for promoting gender equality in education and ensuring that menstruation does not become a barrier to learning.

Exploring gender equality education teaching methods in practical arts education according to the 2022 revised practical arts curriculum

Exploring gender equality education teaching methods in practical arts education according to the 2022 revised practical arts curriculum

Redefining academic trajectories: A comprehensive analysis of the factors and impacts of the gender gap in STEM higher education

Purpose The purpose of this study is to critically analyze the key factors contributing to gender disparities in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and propose creative solutions to mitigate these differences. Despite the significance of this issue, it has not received sufficient attention owing to the absence of clarity regarding the factors that exacerbate the gender gap. Design/methodology/approach This study used a qualitative methodology that combined the viewpoints of social psychology and educational research to pinpoint and evaluate essential elements. Using a grounded theory approach, semistructured interviews were analyzed, and the obtained data were coded and categorized using ATLAS.ti software. Findings This qualitative research identified three key areas: internal and external factors influencing the gender gap, as well as strategic actions within higher education to address these disparities. The innovative contribution of this study lies in its development of a comprehensive theoretical framework that enables the diagnosis, quantification and understanding of these factors and proposes practical measures to mitigate these gender disparities. By promoting greater gender diversity, the proposed model can contribute to more inclusive and sustainable development, which is consistent with the 2030 agenda. Originality/value This study highlights the need for a multidimensional approach to address the gender gap in higher education, fills a crucial knowledge gap and provides a theoretical model to guide effective university policies.

Sustainable education index and copper trade interconnections

The trend in copper trade raises significant concerns regarding global mineral resource sustainability. This study investigates how sustainable education impacts copper trade in China, analyzing data from 1990 to 2021. Findings reveal that a 1% increase in the Sustainable Development Index leads to a reduction in copper trade: exports decrease by 0.14%–0.27% and imports by 0.35%–0.57%, highlighting the negative influence of sustainable education on trade. GDP growth positively affects copper trade, while the official exchange rate impacts exports and imports differently due to currency fluctuations. Urbanization boosts both exports and imports, driven by infrastructure expansion. Additionally, loans to the private sector specifically enhance copper imports. To foster sustainable copper trade, China should invest in sustainable education, promote gender equality in education, encourage green economic growth, implement an effective carbon tax, and provide green loans for the copper sector.

Unfinished Business: Review of the EU’s Policies on Gender Equality in Education

This article presents a broad historical review of the European Union (EU)’s policies on gender equality in education. The review shows that the EU’s policies on gender equality in education have gone through four stages: germination, foundation, formation and deepening. Though the EU has sought to call for greater gender equality in education and made some progress and achievements, gender equality in education is still an unfinished business because its success largely depends on enforcement, regulation and a gender equality culture in society. In reality, the EU, as a supranational organization, does not have enough enforcement power or regulation of its policies, and the patriarchal culture still exists and has a hidden legitimacy in society.

That's amore?: Intimate partner femicide in Italy and the failures of the Italian legislature to prevent violence against women

AbstractIntimate partner femicide has caused growing concern in Italy, as instances continue to occur frequently. The Italian legislature has a long history of legislation that failed to protect women from violence, especially within their family units. Despite significant improvements to legislation over the last few decades, the problem of intimate partner femicide persists. This Note focuses on the failures of the penal code and accompanying statutes in preventing intimate partner femicide. The proposal is for legislation that will impose higher sentences for intimate partner homicide, remove judicial discretion in sentencing procedures, and require anti‐violence and gender equality education in schools.

Implementation and Effectiveness of Policies and Initiatives Promoting Girls' Academic Performance in Wajir County, Kenya

Purpose: Policy implementation and effectiveness in girls' education are crucial for advancing gender equality, and promoting social and economic development. Despite global efforts to promote gender equality in education, girls in Wajir face minimal enrolment, high dropout rates, and low academic performance. The study aimed to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of policies and initiatives promoting girls' academic performance in Wajir County, Kenya. Methodology: The research adopted a descriptive research design to gather quantitative and qualitative data. The target population was 12,060 respondents comprised of 80 Principals, 274 teachers, and 11,704 students from Wajir County, public secondary schools. A study sample size of 388 was calculated using the Yamane method and was sampled using purposive, simple, and stratified random sampling. Data was collected using questionnaires for all respondents. Quantitative data was cleaned, coded, and analyzed descriptively and inferentially with SPSS. Descriptive statistics, including frequency and percentages, as well as mean and standard deviation, were used to describe the relationship between the study variables, while inferential analysis was based on the chi-square test. Results: The study found mixed perceptions regarding the implementation and effectiveness of educational policies and initiatives aimed at improving girls' education in Wajir County. While there is a consensus on the clarity of policy objectives, concerns remain about their relevance and effectiveness in addressing the specific needs of girls. Principals, in particular, expressed skepticism about the alignment of policies with improving academic performance. Conclusion: The study concludes that targeted interventions, improved resource allocation, and enhanced stakeholder collaboration are critical to overcoming the barriers faced by girls in education. The study recommends that there should be more communal support from stakeholders towards implementing the policies that reduce the socio-cultural barriers that affect girls’ education in ASAL regions.

Research on Gender Equality Education Policy in China

Research on Gender Equality Education Policy in China