Addressing Gender Inequality in Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Barriers, Policy Reforms, and Cultural Shifts

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-309-2_103How to use a DOI?

Keywords

gender inequality; education; sub-Saharan Africa; gender disparity

Abstract

Despite significant global progress in female education over the past five decades, gender disparities persist, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper explores the intricate relationship between gender inequality and education, focusing on key challenges like early marriage and the broader cultural and financial barriers that hinder girls’ access to education. The analysis highlights how early marriage negatively impacts female educational outcomes, emphasizing the need for legal reforms and public awareness initiatives to eradicate this practice. Gender inequality within educational systems is examined, noting that while achieving gender parity is a step forward, it does not equate to true gender equality. The paper discusses the importance of addressing both cultural stereotypes and financial barriers, presenting education as a powerful tool for reshaping societal norms and empowering women. Finally, it underscores the role of financial support in alleviating economic obstacles to education, calling for a holistic approach that combines educational reforms with economic interventions to foster gender equality.

Copyright

© 2024 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Zhijun Zhou
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/12/09
TI  - Addressing Gender Inequality in Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Barriers, Policy Reforms, and Cultural Shifts
BT  - Proceedings of the 2024 9th International Conference on Modern Management, Education and Social Sciences (MMET 2024)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 858
EP  - 864
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-309-2_103
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-309-2_103
ID  - Zhou2024
ER  -