Social gender inequality and the gender gap in the classroom: evidence from Southern and Eastern Africa

Journal of Contemporary African Studies Volume 42 Issue 4 Page 489-510 published_at 2024-08-20
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Title ( eng )
Social gender inequality and the gender gap in the classroom: evidence from Southern and Eastern Africa
Creator
Usui Sayaka
Blevins Benjamin K.
Source Title
Journal of Contemporary African Studies
Volume 42
Issue 4
Start Page 489
End Page 510
Abstract
The gender gap in education is not limited to the subject of mathematics or only to be found in high-income countries, and its repercussions can have generational consequences. Previous literature has sought to explain why the gender gap persists in most high- and middle-income countries vis-à-vis social gender inequality without drawing from similarly comprehensive data from the African context with its unique gender gap landscape. This paper examines the correlation between more gender-equal countries and the gender gap in student test scores for reading, mathematics, and HIV-AIDS awareness in southern and eastern Africa. We use ordinary least squares and quantile regression to analyse student information from the SACMEQ III dataset in comparison with measurements of social gender inequality such as the Gender Inequality Index and the Global Gender Gap Index. As such, this analysis draws on data from roughly 60,000 African students and includes test scores from reading comprehension and HIV-AIDS awareness, a unique subject that is critical for health, wealth and wellbeing on the continent. Our study finds that in each subject at every quantile, the gender gap displays a robust inverse relationship with more gender-equal countries specifically demonstrating higher educational performance among girls. With youthful populations and burgeoning economies, these countries in Africa have much to gain from addressing the gender gap in education. These findings encourage policymakers to consider how the social condition of gender-equality might influence the academic performance of students, especially for girls.
Keywords
Gender
quantile regression
OLS
SACMEQ
sub-Saharan Africa
education
Language
eng
Resource Type journal article
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Date of Issued 2024-08-20
Rights
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Contemporary African Studies on 20 Aug 2024, available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/02589001.2024.2375658.
This is not the published version. Please cite only the published version.
この論文は出版社版ではありません。引用の際には出版社版をご確認、ご利用ください。
Publish Type Accepted Manuscript
Access Rights embargoed access
Source Identifier
[DOI] https://doi.org/10.1080/02589001.2024.2375658 isVersionOf
Remark The full-text file will be made open to the public on 20 February 2026 in accordance with publisher's 'Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving'