This thesis examines the position of girls within the Gambian education system. Although their position has improved over recent decades, gender inequalities in education in The Gambia persist and manifest themselves at different levels.
The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how the complex interplay of economic, social, cultural, educational, and religious factors affects girls’ educational opportunities in The Gambia and to examine classroom interactions with regard to the possible presence of elements of gender discrimination.
In the theoretical part, I first focused on gender and the key concepts for understanding gender inequalities and the social position of women, and then examined the relationship between gender and education. Furthermore, I presented globalization processes in education and analyzed them from a gender perspective. In the final section of the theoretical part, I focused on the broader context of The Gambia, its education system, and the factors shaping the position of girls.
The empirical part of the study was based on two complementary methods: semi-structured interviews and structured non-participant classroom observation. Nine female participants took part in the semi-structured interviews, which provided insight into their subjective understanding of their educational experiences. The structured non-participant observation of 20 lessons in a selected sixth-grade primary school class provided insight into classroom dynamics and interactions between teachers and pupils.
The findings of the study indicate that the educational position of girls in The Gambia is gradually improving but remains complex, as it is shaped not by a single factor but by an interplay of economic barriers, family and cultural expectations, religious interpretations, and conditions within the school environment.
As part of the structured non-participant observation, I recorded the frequency of predetermined forms of interaction and took field notes. The frequency data showed a relatively balanced pattern of teachers directly calling on girls and boys to participate. Boys volunteered to speak more frequently, while girls were more frequently praised and reprimanded. An analysis of the field notes revealed individual gendered statements, expectations, and practices that primarily point to gender stereotyping and may contribute to the reproduction of gender norms. Gendered expectations were most evident in notions of appropriate behaviour, roles, and presumed characteristics of both girls and boys, with more such instances associated with girls. These expectations were most frequently linked to propriety, physical restraint, morality, neatness, and traditionally prescribed roles. A combined analysis of the frequency data and field notes did not reveal a clear pattern of gender discrimination in the observed class.
The interviews revealed that poverty is one of the most significant barriers to girls’ education. Their educational trajectories were further shaped by family expectations and household and caregiving responsibilities. Poverty was also frequently intertwined with child marriage and early motherhood. A comparison of educational trajectories showed that the consequences of these barriers varied among the interviewees depending on the support they received. All interviewees perceived education as extremely important and associated it with improving their living conditions and the possibility of breaking the intergenerational cycle of deprivation.
The findings of the study thus indicate that the position of girls in the Gambian education system is in a state of transition, with changes already visible but full equality not yet achieved, as the interplay of material barriers, social and cultural norms, and gendered expectations continues to limit girls’ educational opportunities.
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