Secondary Education
© Ronnachai Na Phatthalung, Thailand
In most Asian countries the gender gap in secondary education, like in primary education, is affecting more girls than boys. However, achieving parity in secondary education is crucial as without this level of education, women are often excluded from better-paying jobs and posts with responsibilities.
Hindrances for girls’ participation at the primary level are reinforced by several other significant factors when talking about girls’ access to secondary education. These include teenage pregnancy, increased early marriage, late enrolment, non gender-responsive school environments (especially sexual harassment or fear of it), and household responsibilities.
Secondary school access is also fringed by the lack of school facilities within the communities, and the difficulty for some families to send their daughters to boarding schools because of costs and safety issues.
The mismatch between secondary education and the labour market realities also affects girls’ participation, as well as the value that the community gives to women’s employment. The lack of professional and technical opportunities for girls limits their chances to pursue education after upper primary level.
Mongolia, the Maldives, Samoa and the Philippines have had a shift towards a reverse gender gap, with more girls enrolled in secondary schools than boys. This situation introduces a new range of issues that communities have to deal with, regarding both social and labour market issues, and more private and domestic related issues.
| Title |
Date |
Source |
File Type |
| Pioneering Support for Girls Secondary Education:
The Bangladesh Female Secondary School Assistance Project |
January 1999 |
PDF |