Publication: Gender Dimensions in the Educational Sector in Romania: Background Study for the Romania Gender Assessment
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2023-11-29
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2023-11-29
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Addressing gender inequalities in educational outcomes is crucial from a human rights and development perspective. Building human capital early in life has crucial implications for developmental and labor market outcomes later in life. In this background note, prepared to inform the Romania Gender Assessment 2023, we rely on a variety of data sources to descriptively study gender inequalities in educational outcomes, such as enrollment rates and test scores, in Romania. We analyze these inequalities for the total population as well as for different income groups andregions. Our evidence shows that gender equality in aggregate estimates often masks important inequalities between subgroups. While in some cases, boys outperform girls, there are also cases in which girls outperform boys. These patterns differ across income groups, regions, and educational levels. Based on this evidence, the Romanian government should take a nuanced approach to achieving gender equality in the educational sector. Moreover, we find that—in the case of all indicators—both Romanian girls and boys perform significantly below the European average and thatthere are some negative trends over time, especially with respect to enrollment rates in secondary schools and school performance. Reversing these trends is crucial to ensure the full development of both boys and girls. Moreover, although girls outperform boys in several educational outcomes, these advantages do not translate into the labor market. We identify several constraints that could drive(reversed) gender gaps in educational outcomes: social norms and gender stereotypes (at home and within the schooling system), relatively low public spending on education at nearly all levels, marginalization and discrimination, teenage pregnancy, and school-based violence. We generate evidence on intergenerational educational persistence, which affects girls more. Moreover, we identify a lack of systematic evidence on what works best to close these gaps, and several important data limitations, such as a lack of indicators that clearly identify Roma children. Lastly, we identify ten high-level policy areas and recommend tailored policy interventions to address gender inequalities ineducation in Romania.
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“Robayo-Abril, Monica; Rude, Britta. 2023. Gender Dimensions in the Educational Sector in Romania: Background Study for the Romania Gender Assessment. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/40669 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
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