Moving beyond enrollment numbers: An in- depth look at gender inequality in schools in rural Nepal

This dissertation examines the complexities of gender inequality within schools in Jiri, Nepal. While it has been argued in the literature that equal numbers of girls and boys in schools will remedy many social and economic problems, much of the research and development efforts regarding girls and schools fails to consider access to and participation in schools within the context of gendered institutions. This argument is flawed in that it assumes schools are gender-neutral. I view schools as gendered institutions and contend that failing to recognize gender as an institutionalization of power only perpetuates inequalities, particularly in the context of Nepal's schools. Three objectives served as touchstones for the field research: (1) To examine the processes of gendering within the gendered institutions of family and school, through interviews eliciting attitudes and behavior of community members, parents/guardians, school head teachers (principals), and teachers in Jiri; (2) To investigate gendered behavior and interaction in classroom and school settings through direct observations and interviews; and (3) To examine the consequences of socially constructed gender boundaries through observations and interviews in school and home settings. This study examines how Jiri community members', parents'/guardians', teachers', and head teachers' gendered attitudes and behavior affect students' interactions, attitudes, perceptions, use of time, school attendance and participation. The research illustrates that although social constructions of gender constrain students, especially girl students, gender, as a social construction, is fluid---it can be negotiated and changed. This research is one of the first studies of structured interactions in classrooms in rural Nepal. It is also the most extensive collection of data on the gendered components of the education system in the specific context of Jiri. Lastly, this project also contributes to an understanding of the processes that reinforce and reproduce gender inequality in education.