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Illusion of gender parity in education: Intrahousehold resource allocation in Bangladesh

Author

Listed:
  • Sijia Xu

    (National University of Singapore)

  • Abu S. Shonchoy

    (Florida International University)

  • Tomoki Fujii

    (Singapore Management University)

Abstract

A target in the Millennium Development Goals—gender parity in all levels of education—is widely considered to have been attained. However, measuring gender parity only through school enrollment is misleading, as girls may lag behind boys in other educational measures. We investigate this with four rounds of surveys from Bangladesh by decomposing households’ education decisions into enrollment, education expenditure, and share of the education expenditure allocated for the quality of education like private tutoring. We find a strong profemale bias in school enrollment but promale bias in the other two decisions. This contradirectional gender bias is unique to Bangladesh and partly explained by the presence of conditional cash transfer programs. Although these programs promoted girls’ enrollment in secondary schools, they were largely ineffective in narrowing the gender gaps in academic performance and intrahousehold allocation of education resources. Gender parity in education cannot be truly achieved without addressing these gaps.

Suggested Citation

  • Sijia Xu & Abu S. Shonchoy & Tomoki Fujii, 2019. "Illusion of gender parity in education: Intrahousehold resource allocation in Bangladesh," Economics and Statistics Working Papers 9-2019, Singapore Management University, School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:smuesw:2019_009
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    Cited by:

    1. Xu, Sijia & Shonchoy, Abu S. & Fujii, Tomoki, 2022. "Assessing gender parity in intrahousehold allocation of educational resources: Evidence from Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    2. Ishaan Rahman & Chris Willott, 2025. "Social, Economic and Ecological Drivers of Tuberculosis Disparities in Bangladesh: Implications for Health Equity and Sustainable Development Policy," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-24, August.
    3. Bari, MD. Abdul & Khan, Ghulam Dastgir & Katayanagi, Mari & Yoshida, Yuichiro, 2024. "Gender dynamics of the impact of cash transfer on female educational expenditure of informal settlements in Bangladesh," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 34(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D15 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Intertemporal Household Choice; Life Cycle Models and Saving
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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