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Female Education in Developing countries
Article · January 2017
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Female Education in Developing countries
Introduction
Development is considered to be an improvement in the lives of people, place and things. It a
process that people all over the world desires for. A country with active population of both young
men and women will experience rapid development. Mostly developing countries are being
marginalized in the sense that young women are being denial access to good education which has
makes it impossible for them to contribute tremendously to the development of their society.
Education is a “process of teaching, training and learning to improve knowledge and develop
skills” according to Wehmier. Hence, education is a key which unlock potentials for everyone.
In most developing countries, female child is being treated as an inferior to their male child. Parent
considered it wasteful of resource, time and worthless to send their female child to school and
most time they use them for settling of family debts.
Recent findings about the chronic and prolong crisis in developing countries (India, Bangladesh,
Cameroon etc..) shows the important of education, nutrition and health because citizens of a
particular country are vital asset for the achievement of development. Education according to
Emile Durkheim is a vehicle for social transformation and means of individual and community
emancipation.
India constitution declares education as a fundamental right but almost one third children do not
attend school. Groups that doesn’t have any access to formal education within Indian society are
female, Adivasis, Dalits, minorities, low classes and disable children. Dalits are the most isolated
people in Indian society having suffered for longer time as a result of the practice of
untouchability, segregation and denial of access to multiple economic and cultural resource.
Recent research shows that there is a steady growth in the enrolment of Dalits ranging from
primary to higher education, during post-independence era, the proportion of Dalits girls going to
school is much lower than the number of Dalits boys or any other group. And the level of illiteracy
among Dalit women is much higher than those among upper and middle-class woman. Education
of rural Dalits compare unfavourably with that of their urban counterparts. The quality of
education based on the performance of student determines the economic success of that student.
In developing countries, female education has not been given much attention by policy makers
and recent finding shows that without the proper intervention and support from the government,
it very difficult to encourage and achieve female education for all female school age children.
Failure of government in promoting literacy and primary education in a developing country
reflects educational inequality on the basis of gender, and the gender gap is much higher at the
enrolment level when compare in both primary and secondary schools. One of the major problem
face today is the retention rate because research shows the higher dropout rates which are mostly
common in rural areas than in urban areas.
In a developing country gender plays a vital role in determining the chances attaining higher
educational qualification and literacy. Indian and Bangladesh society which can be said to be a
patriarchic society, segregate on the basis of gender and also discriminates female using religious
and caste system which has affected the interest and growth of female in all spheres mainly
education.
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Female Education in Developing Countries
Sub- Saharan Africa has been recorder as the poorest in human development among the
developing countries because of its low life expectancy rate and higher infant mortality, illiteracy
rate.
Factors which trigger increase in female education in a developing country as stated in the article
are; Availability of greater job opportunities for female, Introduction of policy that encourage
female education, encouraging of parents who sent their female children to school, building of
schools, introducing programs that helps reduce segregation base on gender, poor countries are
moving along the U-shaped curve as they develop and that the curve has shifted over time. And
in a developing country female school enrolment is much lower than male enrolment.
Female workers stand to gain more in a comparative advantage due to the fact that economic
activity in developing countries move from brawn-based / strength-based to brain-based work.
Women time in labour market increases due to reduction in fertility / birth rate. Gender focused
policies can be of a greater influence on female education, some of this policy can be in the form
of infrastructure. Building of more schools within a community because more parents are sensitive
/ afraid of sending them daughter to school that are of much distances. Some developing countries
has totally remove tuition fees in primary and secondary schools, this type of policy helps parents
to send them daughter to school. In Mexico parent are paid by the government in order for them
to keep their daughters in school. In India bicycles are given to girls in order to make their travel
to and from school faster, and it has helped by increasing the number of female enrolment in school
by 30 percent. In Bangladesh it was observed that the banning of early marriage / child marriage
has helped in increasing female education.
Participation in Female Education
Factors affecting participation
According to Harry Patrinos, the overall returns to female education are on average higher than
those to male education in both terms of wages and social benefits. Social benefits of educating
girl child are reductions in infant mortality, higher probability that the children will live beyond
age 5, and the proportion of women with secondary schooling doubles lower fertility rates. Some
of the major factors which affects participation in female education are as follows:
1. Socio-Cultural factors
The chances of women contributing to the development of their country is affected by the
lack of their formal education when compared to men. EFA (Education for all) recent
findings shows that education is only available for male in some Africa and Asia countries.
Making it difficult for women to gain employment because most of the available jobs are
being negotiable through the acquisition of education. The widespread operation of
patriarchal system, early marriage, early pregnancy, heavier domestic and subsistence
duties of females generally lower regards for the valve of female life, which later affects
female participation in education in most developing countries.
UNICEF 2003 findings shows that female child education provides benefits for the girls,
current and future families, and their society, and they will be able to contribute to the
political and economic development of their country.
World bank 1993 findings showed that an additional year of female education reduces
fertility by 5 – 10 percent. In terms of employment, women are not giving much
opportunities as men, research shows that veteran / military women experience higher
unemployment rate than military men. Employers prefer employing men than women
because in most cases the men are more equipped for the job because he is educated while
the women are not due to the deprivation she faced as she was not sent to school. And even
when they both have the same qualification employers still prefer men. Therefore, some
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Female Education in Developing Countries
things that hinders female education and employment in developing countries are
traditional belief, family background, early marriage, environment and early pregnancy.
2. Geographical factors
Inequality and lack of institutional provision for female child and the difficulties of
physical access to school affect girls more than boys. There is now an overall and profound
society dichotomy which are in favours to town, village and cities mainly in respect of
school provision (single sex schools) for girls. Transportation patterns and migration affect
educational provision which is considered as a disadvantage to female education.
3. Health factors
In most cases the effect of poverty and malnutrition falls harder on girls than boys because
boys may get preferential feeding while girls are more likely to be undernourished. Female
education can contribute greatly to the development of a society by reducing child and
maternal death rate, improve child health and lower fertility. Women with some formal
education are more expose to birth control measures, nutritional and other needs of their
children than those with no formal education. The increase participation of female children
in school create higher chances in the reduction of fertility rate over time. For example: a
recent research done in Mali BY UNESCO, shows that women with secondary / higher
education have an average of 3 children while those with no education have an average of
7 children.
A child born to a mother who can read is 50% more likely to survive past the age of 5 than
a child born to an illiterate woman according to UNESCO. Mothers with secondary
education are twice likely to give birth more safely in health facilities than those with no
education according to research conducted by UNESCO in Burkina Faso. Problems
associated with family size and family planning are wide spreading in relation to the
possible participation in education and shows the need for sex/ health education in schools.
Therefore, it is clear that health factors have a great effect on female participation.
4. Religious factors
Religious factor is on balance a positive one, though it is often overcome by the
fundamental socio-cultural bias in favour of males. The fact that most religious
practitioners and leaders are male makes for a powerful image in favour of that sex, and it
would be a very helpful move if religious leaders of all faiths and denominations were to
speak out strongly in support of the female cause. Christian missions have, in various areas,
had a most positive effect on female education and literacy levels, though some have a
legacy of harsh sanctions in respect of early pregnancy. In Islamic areas the situation is
generally not so supportive, but a number of positive trends were apparent. The religious
significance of sons in the Hindu family, while still operative, no longer seems in itself to
disadvantage daughters. Often in contrast to the state system, and especially at secondary
level, denominational schools are well organized and resourced, attracting stable, well
qualified staff. This weighs heavily with parents when deciding whether or not to send
their daughters to schools, especially since boarding facilities tend to be more favourable
and secure.
5. Economic factors
Economic factors in terms of grinding poverty and hunger is considered the most
influential in adversely affecting female participation in education, mainly in rural areas.
In such harsh economic circumstances, both direct and hidden costs to a family of sending
daughters to school are perceived by parents to be prohibitive in terms of the provision of
books, paper and uniforms/clothing (important for social reasons) as well as the loss of
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Female Education in Developing Countries
vital help at home and on the land. In most cases the contribution of females is unpaid, and
they may have little or no experience of the handling of money which further reduces their
status and power, but increases their vulnerability. Because of the patriarchal and patrilocal
predominance, investment in a girl's schooling is wasteful since it benefits the family into
which a girl marries rather than her own. In the more privileged classes investment in the
education of females may be an advantage in 'marrying well'. This further increases the
urban/rural gap. Vocational education which might relate to employment prospects, is
everywhere weak and under-valued, but especially so in respect of the interests of girls.
The apparent inability of some countries to resource their schools and even to pay their
teachers regularly leads to low morale, teacher absenteeism and parental disenchantment.
6. Educational factors
In developing countries, the lack of female child access to education limits women’s
earning and cause major barrier to human development, economic growth and poverty
reduction. Research conducted in Pakistan shows that girls need to stay in school longer
than boys before they can realize the full benefits of education. Difficulties of accessibility,
lack of resources and low teacher quality and morale are widespread. In particular the lack
of female primary teachers in rural areas is a real problem. Parents are, in some countries,
very reluctant indeed to send daughters to school if there is no female teacher, and the
facilities for the accommodation and security of such teachers are usually absent or
inadequate. The organization of schooling in terms of the daily and seasonal imperatives
of local economies usually renders it dysfunctional, and the curriculum is often unattractive
in instrumental terms. At secondary level, in addition to the lack of (accessible) places,
problems of cost, direct and hidden are acute, and there is a considerable need for more
single-sex (girls) schools, some with secure boarding facilities and scholarship schemes to
enable participation. Vocational education is weak, and schemes open to girls in this field
are particularly
Recommendations for the listed factors
1. A program that emphasizes on equal educational opportunities should be created by the
government. As it was done in Nigeria which helps improve gender equality within the
Nigeria society. The concept of the program should emphasize on the importance of both
genders in every aspect of societal development.
2. Religious leaders of all faiths and denominations should be encourage to speak out
strongly in support of female education.
3. There should be provision of books, clothing and other learning materials to enable more
girls participate in schooling.
4. Single-sex schools should be constructed in society where girls are not send to school as a
result of socio-cultural reasons.
5. Scholarship should be created and available to girls from poor economic background.
6. Creating of awareness about the impact of female child education to the society.
Educational Challenges
1. Child marriage: child marriage leads to drop out from school which later affects the
education and health of their un-born children and also their ability to earn a living. Girls
face barriers regarding education which are most times caused by cultural norms, poverty,
lack of infrastructure, and abuse.
2. Discrimination at school: on getting to school, girls can face discrimination from her
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Female Education in Developing Countries
teachers, and opposite sex classmates. In most cases they are been face by violence from
the hands of their teachers, peers and other people in the school environment and even on
her way to school which can cause her parent to withdraw her from the school in order to
keep her safe.
3. Distance from her home to school: lack of infrastructure may be one of the challenges
faced by female child from gaining education, because the nearest school from her home
might be 3 hours long walk away and above, and the fear of dangers on the way to her
school might prevent some parent from sending their daughters to school.
4. Gender norms: this can be considered a great factor that can prevent girls from attaining
education because most of the household chores are considered to be the responsibility of
a female child in most society. And she might end up not going to school because of their
contributions to the household chores are considered of more values than their education
by their parent.
Female Participation in the labor market
In labour force participation, female employment is force by the shift towards light manufacturing
and service. Female have more advantage in mentally intensive service job than male. Among
developing countries, richer ones tend to have a lower female employment rate. Pakistan’s labour
market is highly segregated by gender. In 1999, only 17 percent of Pakistani women participated
in the labour force, compared to 87 percent of men, and men dominate the better-remunerated
sector of wage employment. Women lag far behind men in labour market outcomes because they
earn substantially lower wages. Within any given occupation, however, women reap far greater
wage benefits from additional years of education than do men. The Ugandan reform studied done
by Keats shows the increase in women labour force and also their migration to the capital city in
search of higher pay job.
In Egypt, trade liberalization has a huge increase in female employment but only in an initially
uncompetitive industry. While in Brazil trade liberalization reduce male and female employments
with same proportional amount. Policy which has an impact on female employment is
microfinance, in many developing countries microfinance organization target female
entrepreneurs. Many skills training programs that are organize by some organization focus mainly
on how to improve women business knowledge and success. At early stages of development,
women do unpaid work on family farms and in family businesses. With development, economic
activity migrates to factories and firms, and women tend to withdraw from the labour force. This
could be due to both households being less economically dependent on two incomes and social
stigma about women working in these outside jobs. examine panel data in Bangalore, India, and
show that women who are working has 80 percent higher odds of domestic violence compared to
women who are not working.
Education can also change a woman’s status within her household. Thomas points out that
women’s education displays a stronger correlation with daughters’ health than sons’, consistent
with a relationship between women’s education and bargaining power and mothers favouring
daughters more or disfavouring them less than fathers do. More educated women report lower
desired fertility and the relationship appears causal when examining exogenous variation in
women’s education in Uganda (Keats 2014), Sierra Leone, and Arab communities of Israel. Lavy
and Zablotsky argue that the fact that their environment has very low female labour force
participation suggests that decreases in desired fertility are not entirely driven by the increased
opportunity cost of time spent not working. Other studies find that better-educated women can
come closer to their desired
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Female Education in Developing Countries
Conclusion
Benefits of female education can be achieved by improving educational quality, as girls benefit
more than boys from quality improvements. It can also be achieved by increasing female
enrolment in, and completion of, both primary and secondary school using incentives such as
scholarships. female employment levels have been rising in most developing countries. similar
context of low female labour supply is the Zomba district in Malawi studied by Baird, McIntosh,
and Ozler, where only 6 percent of women work outside the home. They show that many girls
who had dropped out of school in rural Malawi were prompted to re-enter school.
The significant increase in the use of maternal health service can be achieved by accelerating
socioeconomic development and effectively addressing basic human needs of schooling,
economic welfare and gender-based discrimination. Therefore, achieving gender equality would
require investing in to education of both gender and same time maintaining equal balance between
them.
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Female Education in Developing Countries
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