The SACMEQ Gender Research Programme
Education is a fundamental human right which shall be made available equally to everyone (United Nations, 1948). Many governments have attempted to ensure the provision of this basic human right. However, still some disadvantaged groups have been falling behind, including girls and women. Both Goal 5 of the Dakar Final Framework of Action in the Education for All (EFA) Goals (UNESCO, 2000) and Goal 3 of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) (United Nations, 2006) emphasized the importance of gender equality in education within the process of international goal setting.
Senior decision makers of the SACMEQ Ministries of Education also considered the gender equality issue as one of the most important priority policy issues since the beginning of the SACMEQ studies.
The latest SACMEQ publication on gender discusses the trends in the magnitude and direction of gender differences in learning outcomes in the 15 SACMEQ school systems (click on title to download document).
- National Policy Briefs on Gender Equality in Education (SACMEQ III)
- SACMEQ Research Activities related to gender
- SACMEQ Co-operation with UNESCO/IIEP in gender research
- Other Gender related SACMEQ Publications
National Policy Briefs on Gender Equality in Education (SACMEQ III)
SACMEQ Research Activities related to gender
While there has been much improvement in gender parity with respect to school participation rates since 1999, the gender equality issue in education needs to go far beyond parity (UNECO, 2003; USAID, 2008) to include issues such as the need for: (i) a safe and non-discriminatory school environment; (ii) the presence of enough teachers to act as gender role models; (iii) un-biased teacher-based dynamics in the classroom combined with teacher training in gender issues; (iv) un-biased curriculum content; (v) the absence of significant gender differences in learning outcomes; and (vi) a reduction in gendered choice of subject areas in tertiary education.
During SACMEQ III, several issues related to gender equality have been addressed in various ways, for example:
- Trends in differences in Grade 6 boys and girls
- Participation
- School process
- Family background
- Achievement in Reading & Mathematics
- HIV & AIDS knowledge and attitude
- Trends in differences in male and female teachers & school heads
- Proportion
- Working conditions
- Teaching practices & approaches
- Performance in Reading & Mathematics
- HIV & AIDS knowledge and attitude
- Impact of teacher gender on pupil’s achievement
- Gender sensitivity in tests, textbooks, classrooms, school environment, family
SACMEQ Co-operation with UNESCO/IIEP in Gender Research
SACMEQ was one of the major partners during the IIEP’s Evidence-Based Policy Forum on Gender Equality in Education: Looking beyond Parity, which was organized in Paris, on 3-4 October 2011. Five presentations used SACMEQ II and III data:
- Trends in Gender Equality in Learning Achievement in Southern and Eastern Africa: Exploration of Characteristics of Educational Environment and Curriculum Areas by Dr Mioko Saito
- Are there any disparities between girls and boys in the response of the education sector of HIV and AIDS? Assessment of Educational HIV/AIDS prevention programmes applied by SACMEQ III countries by Ms Stephanie Dolata
- Is there gender equity in school managerial positions? By Dr Njora Hungi
- Progress in Gender Equality in Uganda Primary Education by Mr Albert Byamugisha
- School Resources and the Gender Literacy Gap in South African Schools by Dr Linda Zuze and Dr Vijay Reddy
SACMEQ data have been used in presentations and/or papers in collaboration with different units of UNESCO:
- Division of Gender Equality
- How are Grade 6 girls in Southern and Eastern African countries using ICT? By Mr Frank van Cappelle and Dr Mioko Saito (September 2010)
- Sexual harassment and violence at schools: Evidence from Southern and Eastern Africa. By Dr Mioko Saito (November 2011)
- UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS):
- Global Education Digest 2010: Comparing Education Statistics Across the World – Special Focus on Gender, has featured SACMEQ results on gender differences in learning achievement.
- UNESCO Global Monitoring Report (GMR)
- Since 2003/2004, GMR has extensively used SACMEQ results.
Co-operation with FAWE
A team of FAWE female researchers guided by Dr Linda Zuze has completed two research papers using SACMEQ Data:
“Gender gaps in academic achievement in 14 African countries: Evidence from SACMEQ”
“The relationship between teacher quality and girls’ performance in African primary schools: Evidence from SACMEQ II”.
The papers have been published under the theme “Strengthening gender research to improve girls’ and women’s education in Africa” of the FAWE Research Series Vol.1 – 2010.
Other Gender Related SACMEQ Publications
- Policy Issue Series nr. 4: Saito, M. (2010) Has gender equality in reading and mathematics achievement improved?
- Policy Issue Series nr. 8: Hungi, N. (2010) Is there gender equity in school managerial positions?
- Poster: Changes in Gender differences in reading scores (2000-2007)
- Ross, K.N., & Makuwa, D.K. (2009). Towards a visual comparison of education system performance. Paper presented at World Social Sciences Forum (Bergen, May 2009).
- Saito, M. (1998a). Gender vs. socio-economic status and school location differences in Grade 6 Reading Literacy in five African countries. Studies in educational evaluation, 24 (3), pp. 249-261.
- Saito, M. (1998b). The impact of gender, social background, and school location on reading levels in Southern Africa. IIEP Newsletter 16 (4).
- Saito, M., & Kuroda, K. (2000). Afurika 7kakoku niokeru shoto kyoiku shugaku jido no dokkairyoku no danjo kakusa ni kansuru tokeiteki kosatsu: Kyoiku no shitsu chosa no tameno minami Afurika shokoku rengo (SACMEQ) no chosa kekka kara. Journal of International Cooperation in Education, 3(1), pp. 25-39.
- Saito, M. (2004a). Gender equality and education for all: Message from SACMEQ countries. Paper presented at the SACMEQ Data Archive Dissemination Workshop (Nairobi, June 2004; Pretoria, July 2004).
- Saito, M. (2004b). Gender equality in reading and mathematics achievement: Reflecting on EFA goal 5. IIEP Newsletter 22 (2).
- Saito, M. (2008). Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis of test items from the SACMEQ-II pupil Mathematics test across gender. Paper presented at the Third International Conference in Rasch Measurement (Perth, January, 2008).
- Saito, M. (2010b). The gender gap in learning – Back to square one. IIEP Newsletter 28 (3).
- Saito, M. (2011a). Trends in gender equality in learning achievement Southern and Eastern Africa: Exploration of characteristics of educational environment and curriculum areas. Paper presented at IIEP Policy Forum on Gender Equality in Education (Paris, October 2011).
- Saito, M. (2011b). Trends in the magnitude and direction of gender differences in learning outcomes. SACMEQ Working Paper #4.
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