The Impact of Traditional Gender Role Socialization On Gender Inequality in Primary Education: A Case Study in Bati Woreda/Oromia Special Zone, Amhara Region
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Date
2008-03
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The general objective is to create understanding on how the existing traditional gender role
socialization is the cause for the existing gender inequality in primary education in research Woreda.
A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods employed, basically the qualitative one.
Children, in their primary school age, have learnt/nurtured their personal gender behaviour and
practices in their locality by different gender socialization institutions (family, community, religion,
schools) or actors that act simultaneously, function in different forms and mutually reinforcing
through different means. Consequently, the primary education system that has been established with
the responsibility of cultivating the new generation with modern way of thinking is actually working
its part in reinforcing and perpetuating the existing traditional gender socialization through the
education policy and the primary school environment means. Hence, children learnt their gender
identities by observing their role model experiences, studying behaviours and practices in the form
of stories, jokes, playing together, music, drama, art, pictures. Subsequently, children learning and
practising their socially assigned gender specific gender roles makes a gender difference in boys’
and girls’ education performances. For instance, commonly girls migrate to Jeddah to be domestic
servant; and boys to Afar Region and Djibouti for generating additional income for their family; that
was one of the major causes for students school drop out in the research Woreda.
The common educational indicators trends in research Woreda showed an increase in enrolment
rate, decrease in drop out and in repetition rates. Whereas, the qualitative finding asserted that those
nominal educational statistical progresses do not mean an increase in qualitative of education.
Besides, when these trends analysed and interpreted from gender perspective, the five years trends
in school enrolment and repetition for girls’ and boys’ showed almost a proportional result. While,
the schools’ drop out trend showed boys were the most affected than girls’. This signifies that in the
existing traditional gender role socialization, though girls are the most affected, boys are also
affected in their primary education. Furthermore, equality in quantity (in enrolment) is not enough
for achieving gender equality in education, unless the quality of education is maintained
In general, gender equality is an important aspect of ‘quality of education’. But, gender equality in primary education cannot be assumed without engendering the gender socializing agents primarily.
Hence, to mainstream gender in the primary education system, all socializing agents need to be first gender friendly; and holistic, strategic approaches are imperatives in a given locality
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Gender Studies