Attitudes on gender norms in the school and home in Uganda- CIES 2018 Presentation

CIES 2018 Presentation, given by Elizabeth Randolph. The different expectations that are held for boys and girls related to obtaining an education and performing in school can differentially impact access and learning outcomes for both boys and girls. Yet there is a much larger set of cultural norms that either directly or indirectly impact equity in education, including: gender norms and power relations that produce violence against children in schools; exposure to models of inequality and domestic violence in the home; and differential competing demands of school and work for boys and girls, among others. These attitudinal factors are exacerbated by individual risks associated with poverty, disability, orphan status, and being in a minority. In order to unpack these norms and identify entry points for shifting norms toward more equality, it is important to understand in which sub-populations these attitudes are strongest and where the ‘cracks’ are that can be leveraged to shift belief systems that are unfavorable for education equity. Findings from Uganda will be presented that demonstrate that the attitudes of primary school students, parents, and school staff are very often different. The implications of these data for programming that supports more egalitarian attitudes and equality in education for all children will be discussed.