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The attainment of gender education equality: A preliminary assessment of country performance in sub-Saharan Africa

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  • Bennell, Paul

Abstract

The research literature on girls’ education in low and middle income countries focuses almost exclusively on ‘what works?’ which is confined mainly to relatively small scale experimental interventions, particularly randomised control trials This evidence is important but it provides few insights about the overall (especially more recent) progress made by individual countries and the overall effectiveness of the national strategies and specific policies in promoting girls’ education. This article is an initial attempt to redress this research imbalance. It has three principal objectives. Firstly, it outlines a broad conceptual framework which provides the basis for a holistic analysis of country-level performance in improving girls’ education. Secondly, it presents an initial, tentative assessment of country performance in improving girls’ education across sub-Saharan Africa. And thirdly, it explores some of the potentially key national characteristics and policy interventions which may help to explain the considerable variability in country performance during the last two decades in redressing gender inequalities in education in this region.

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  • Bennell, Paul, 2023. "The attainment of gender education equality: A preliminary assessment of country performance in sub-Saharan Africa," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:injoed:v:98:y:2023:i:c:s0738059322001729
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2022.102722
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Harounan Kazianga & Dan Levy & Leigh L. Linden & Matt Sloan, 2013. "The Effects of "Girl-Friendly" Schools: Evidence from the BRIGHT School Construction Program in Burkina Faso," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(3), pages 41-62, July.
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    4. Evans,David & Yuan,Fei, 2019. "What We Learn about Girls'Education from Interventions that Do Not Focus on Girls," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8944, The World Bank.
    5. Katy Bergstrom & Berk Özler, 2023. "Improving the Well-Being of Adolescent Girls in Developing Countries," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 38(2), pages 179-212.
    6. Harold Alderman & Daniel O. Gilligan & Kim Lehrer, 2012. "The Impact of Food for Education Programs on School Participation in Northern Uganda," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 61(1), pages 187-218.
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    9. Caitlin Wall & Terezie Tolar-Peterson & Nicole Reeder & Marina Roberts & Abby Reynolds & Gina Rico Mendez, 2022. "The Impact of School Meal Programs on Educational Outcomes in African Schoolchildren: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-13, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Simplice A. Asongu & Jean R. F. K. Bouanza & Armand F. Akpa, 2024. "Governance and Structural Transformation in Africa: Thresholds of Lifelong Gender Inclusive Education," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 24/037, African Governance and Development Institute..
    2. Delprato, Marcos, 2023. "Children and adolescents educational gender gaps across the lifecourse in sub-Saharan Africa: On the role of mothers' lack of empowerment as a barrier for girls' educational performance," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).

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