| Women's Education in Developing Countries: Barriers, Benefits and Policies Revised Edition Contributor(s): King, Elizabeth M. (Editor), Hill, M. Anne (Editor) |
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ISBN: 0801858283 ISBN-13: 9780801858284 Publisher: World Bank Publications OUR PRICE: $27.72 Product Type: Paperback Published: July 1997 Annotation: Despite the great expansion of educational opportunities worldwide during the past thirty years, women in most developing countries still receive less schooling than men. Yet there is compelling evidence that the education of girls and women promotes both individual and national well-being. An example is the strong link between a woman's education and her employment and income. Another is that better-educated women bear fewer children, who have better chances of surviving infancy, of being healthy, and of attending school. When women are deprived of an education, individuals, families, and children, as well as the societies in which they live, suffer. When women are adequately educated everyone benefits. Why, then, do women in much of the developing world continue to lag behind men in measures of educational attainment, including literacy, length of schooling, and educational achievement? This volume begins to address this puzzle by examining how educational decisions are made. This is done by exploring the costs and benefits, both public and private, that determine how much families invest in educating their daughters and their sons. The volume illustrates the importance of economic and cultural differences among developing countries in explaining variations in the manner in which these costs and benefits influence schooling choices. The book brings together information on women's education and development, reviews research results for each developing region, identifies gaps in current knowledge, and discusses problems of methodology. The contributors assess the strategies that have been used to improve schooling for girls and women and point the way to an agenda for research, policy, and programs. The study concludes with a challenge to researchers, policymakers, and development specialists to ensure that during the next century women in the developing world do not remain educationally disadvantaged.. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Women's Studies - Business & Economics | Development - Economic Development - Education | Philosophy, Theory & Social Aspects |
| Dewey: 371 |
| Physical Information: 0.99" H x 6.06" W x 9.2" (1.19 lbs) 354 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Developing World - Sex & Gender - Feminine |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Why do women in most developing countries lag behind men in literacy? Why do women get less schooling than men? This anthology examines the educational decisions that deprive women of an equal education. It assembles the most up-to-date data, organized by region. Each paper links the data with other measures of economic and social development. This approach helps explain the effects different levels of education have on womens' fertility, mortality rates, life expectancy, and income. Also described are the effects of women's education on family welfare. The authors look at family size and women's labor status and earnings. They examine child and maternal health, as well as investments in children's education. Their investigation demonstrates that women with a better education enjoy greater economic growth and provide a more nurturing family life. It suggests that when a country denies women an equal education, the nation's welfare suffers. Current strategies used to improve schooling for girls and women are examined in detail. The authors suggest an ambitious agenda for educating women. It seeks to close the gender gap by the next century. Published for The World Bank by The Johns Hopkins University Press. |
