Gender Inequalities in the Ethiopian Education System: Past Trends and Current Status

Abstract

This article reviews empirical research and theoretical perspectives on
gender inequalities in educational performance and attainment from primary to
higher education. Ethiopia has made enormous strides forward in improving access
of boys and girls to education at all levels, and in promoting gender equality within
the education system. Yet female students continue to lag behind in educational
achievement and access, particularly at the secondary and tertiary levels, where
girls‘ enrolment, completion and achievement rates are lower. Despite an enabling
policy environment, a number of social and institutional barriers continue to prevent
girls and young women from attending schools and universities and from
performing as well as their male classmates. The prioritization of science and
technology within the educational and development policies of the country may
exclude female students unless additional actions are taken to promote their
participation in these fields. Addressing gender equality in the education system,
with a focus on improving girls‘ educational performance and outcomes, is crucial to
meeting Ethiopia‘s development goals and to protecting women‘s rights.