Girls Education in Developing Countries

Grant Proposal Synopsis
Education is both a human right and a powerful tool for strategic development investment, women’s empowerment and enhancing economic and social development of societies (McCleary-Sills et al., 2015; Somani, 2017; Sheikh & Loney, 2018). As an important tool for women empowerment, education creates a multiplier effect for women since educated women are healthier and engage more in the formal labor market. However, girls’ enrollment and completion of primary and secondary schools remains to be a major issue in developing countries (McCleary-Sills et al., 2015). Gender inequalities in education persist in many developing countries despite measures that have been undertaken to expand educational opportunities for women across the globe (Ostby, Urdal & Rudolfsen, 2016). Jamal (2016) states that girls’ education in developing issues remains a controversial issue across political, economic, social, and religious domains.
Based on empirical evidence, Somani (2017) recommends several strategies that would help address the lack of basic education for girls in developing countries including community engagement, mentorship programs, community service initiatives, summer projects, context-specific media campaign, and training of educators. Many studies have shown that girls’ access to basic education in developing countries can be improved through programs and strategies that focus on expanding economic opportunities, providing financial incentives to attend school, enhanced community involvement, and eliminating gender disparities (McCleary-Sills et al., 2015; Jamal, 2016; Sheikh & Loney, 2018). Ostby, Urdal & Rudolfsen (2016) suggest that state willingness is the most influential factor in promoting girls’ access to basic education in developing countries rather than capacity factors. While these five studies have examined education of girls in developing countries, none of them has addressed willingness factors comprehensively since they have focused on capacity factors. In essence, the studies fail to address the willingness of girls in developing countries to attend and complete primary and secondary school education.


References
Jamal, A. (2016, August 8). Why He Won’t Send His Daughter to School – Barriers to Girls’ Education in northwest Pakistan: A Qualitative Delphi Study of Pashtun Men. SAGE Open, 6(3), 1-14.
McCleary-Sills, J., Hanmer, L., Parsons, J. & Klugman, J. (2015, October 13). Child Marriage: A Critical Barrier to Girls’ Schooling and Gender Equality in Education. The Review of Faith & International Affairs, 13(3), 69-80.
Ostby, G., Urdal, H. & Rudolfsen, I. (2016, October 31). What is Driving Gender Equality in Secondary Education? Evidence from 57 Developing Countries, 1970-2010. Education Research International, 2016. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4587194
Sheikh, S.M. & Loney, T. (2018). Is Educating Girls the Best Investment for South Asia? Association Between Female Education and Fertility Choices in South Asia: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Frontiers in Public Health, 6(172). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6054002/
Somani, T. (2017). Importance of Educating Girls for the Overall Development of Society: A Global Perspective. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 7(1), 125-139.