Access of Women to Higher Education in Uganda: An Analysis of Inequalities, Barriers and Determinants

The study analyses factors affecting women's access to higher education in Uganda, where women are under-represented at all levels of education, as students, teachers, and managers. This reflects women's low status in Ugandan society. The conceptual framework is derived from literature...

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Main Author: Kwesiga, Joy Constance
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of London Institute of Education 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/57
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author Kwesiga, Joy Constance
author_facet Kwesiga, Joy Constance
author_sort Kwesiga, Joy Constance
collection KAB-DR
description The study analyses factors affecting women's access to higher education in Uganda, where women are under-represented at all levels of education, as students, teachers, and managers. This reflects women's low status in Ugandan society. The conceptual framework is derived from literature covering Women in Development, the human capital concept of investment in education, the indirect benefits of educating women, and social theories of gender inequality. Literature on general educational access factors, mainly focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa is reviewed, using Hyde's (1991) three-fold classification of family, societal, and institutional factors. A sample of four primary schools, sixteen advanced level secondary schools and eleven higher education institutions provided empirical data. A crosssection of over 600 Ugandan students, teachers in secondary schools and higher education institutions, political and civic leaders and parents responded to questionnaires. Decision-makers at sample institutions and the Ministry of Education headquarters were interviewed, and documentary analysis also covered official reports, documents and records, previous research and the mass media. Although focus is on the higher education level, lower levels are investigated to provide insight into causes of diminishing numbers of female students as one climbs the educational ladder. The central conclusion is that the family, society and the state in Uganda act as if they are constantly weighing the profitability of investing in boys' or girls' education, albeit not in the conventional way of measuring earnings of educated workers, but rather assessing the future functional value of the individual. Lower status within the family structure, lower perceived social value, exacerbated by general economic constraints and inadequate educational structures make girls' education, particularly higher education, appear less profitable than that of boys. This obscures the indirect benefits that families and society would reap from higher rates of female participation in education.
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spelling oai:idr.kab.ac.ug:20.500.12493-572024-01-17T04:44:17Z Access of Women to Higher Education in Uganda: An Analysis of Inequalities, Barriers and Determinants Kwesiga, Joy Constance Access of Women, Higher Education,An Analysis of Inequalities, Barriers, Determinants The study analyses factors affecting women's access to higher education in Uganda, where women are under-represented at all levels of education, as students, teachers, and managers. This reflects women's low status in Ugandan society. The conceptual framework is derived from literature covering Women in Development, the human capital concept of investment in education, the indirect benefits of educating women, and social theories of gender inequality. Literature on general educational access factors, mainly focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa is reviewed, using Hyde's (1991) three-fold classification of family, societal, and institutional factors. A sample of four primary schools, sixteen advanced level secondary schools and eleven higher education institutions provided empirical data. A crosssection of over 600 Ugandan students, teachers in secondary schools and higher education institutions, political and civic leaders and parents responded to questionnaires. Decision-makers at sample institutions and the Ministry of Education headquarters were interviewed, and documentary analysis also covered official reports, documents and records, previous research and the mass media. Although focus is on the higher education level, lower levels are investigated to provide insight into causes of diminishing numbers of female students as one climbs the educational ladder. The central conclusion is that the family, society and the state in Uganda act as if they are constantly weighing the profitability of investing in boys' or girls' education, albeit not in the conventional way of measuring earnings of educated workers, but rather assessing the future functional value of the individual. Lower status within the family structure, lower perceived social value, exacerbated by general economic constraints and inadequate educational structures make girls' education, particularly higher education, appear less profitable than that of boys. This obscures the indirect benefits that families and society would reap from higher rates of female participation in education. 2018-08-06T07:58:21Z 2018-08-06T07:58:21Z 1993 Thesis Abidi, S.A.H (ed) (1988), The Future of Education in Eastern Africa (Proceedings of PWPA Eastern African Regional Conference held in Kampala, Uganda, July 22-25-1987), Professors' World Peace Academy, Uganda, Kampala http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/57 en application/pdf University of London Institute of Education
spellingShingle Access of Women, Higher Education,An Analysis of Inequalities, Barriers, Determinants
Kwesiga, Joy Constance
Access of Women to Higher Education in Uganda: An Analysis of Inequalities, Barriers and Determinants
title Access of Women to Higher Education in Uganda: An Analysis of Inequalities, Barriers and Determinants
title_full Access of Women to Higher Education in Uganda: An Analysis of Inequalities, Barriers and Determinants
title_fullStr Access of Women to Higher Education in Uganda: An Analysis of Inequalities, Barriers and Determinants
title_full_unstemmed Access of Women to Higher Education in Uganda: An Analysis of Inequalities, Barriers and Determinants
title_short Access of Women to Higher Education in Uganda: An Analysis of Inequalities, Barriers and Determinants
title_sort access of women to higher education in uganda an analysis of inequalities barriers and determinants
topic Access of Women, Higher Education,An Analysis of Inequalities, Barriers, Determinants
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/57
work_keys_str_mv AT kwesigajoyconstance accessofwomentohighereducationinugandaananalysisofinequalitiesbarriersanddeterminants