Women's empowerment is a concept that has acquired substantial recognition in the past decade. However, it is better known among international development organisations, NGOs, and grassroots groups than in academic circles. This article examines the concept of women's empowerment as a foundational element in a theory of social change in which the…

Under the research radar, and yet highly influential in transformation of practices concerning the social understanding and enactment of gender, are women-led non-governmental organizations (WNGOs). Their continued efforts to reconfigure gender identities and their impact on public policy formation have expanded notions of citizenship and…

Women immigrants are an increasing population in the U.S. and in the Adult Basic Education (ABE) system, particularly in English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programmes. The authors argue that their numerical predominance and comprehensive needs are not factored into U.S. ABE policies by reformers who are anxious about the system being…

Many of the programs established for women often perpetuate stereotypical roles. The most useful nonformal education programs for women should provide them with skills and knowledge related to reproductive tasks, productive work, emancipation, and empowerment. Nongovernmental voluntary organizations, especially those run by women, play a critical…

A study examined the extent and significance of organizational learning in international development agencies (IDAs) concerning gender and education; the manner in which IDAs learn; and the factors that create obstacles to learning. Research was divided into four steps: (1) tracing the relevant academic literature on organizational change; (2)…

This essay examines poverty in Latin America and its effect on education. It focuses on sexual bias and emphasizes that poverty is inherent in the social and economic structure of the region. The text examines how states in Latin America view the role of education, and it describes the growing chasm between the poor and the gentrified in various…

This study examined the choice of nonconventional fields of study by international women students at the undergraduate and graduate level. Using as subjects 150 graduate students (100 female and 50 male) and 100 undergraduate students (75 female and 25 male) from 10 universities in the United States, a field tested questionnaire was sent to 2500…

This article is an attempt to apply a systematic use of theory to gender inequalities in education. It expands on the tenets of liberal, radical, and socialist feminist perspectives to account for differential gender outcomes in terms of educational access, attainment, and field of study choices. The State emerges as a key actor regulating and…

Survey of 48 multisectoral women-in-development (WID) units in governmental bureaucracies of developing nations indicates that most have educational activities but tend to focus on nonformal education for adult women (literacy, health, vocational education). Their limited contestation of the ideological function of schooling makes these WID units…

Literacy for women is a frequently voiced need that most governments recognize officially as a high priority. Despite the expansion of public education, women (particularly poor and rural women) continue to show adult literacy rates lower than those of men. Five key challenges to the attainment of literacy emerge for women. The first challenge is…

Discusses poverty and its implications for education in Latin America. Focuses on gender as a social construct that differentiates the impact of poverty. Analyzes interaction of gender, class, and public policy. Examines aspects of national and global policy processes and educational disparities in society related to the education of girls. (CAJ)

This literature review discusses factors affecting women's participation and achievement in formal education systems in the Third World and factors contributing to gender inequalities in education. Cultural, social, and economic factors are identified; and recommendations for the expansion and improvement research are made. (TJH)

Examines relationships among gender, subordination, politics, poverty, and illiteracy in developing nations. Links women's illiteracy with uneven power distribution. Suggests that patriarchal ideologies shaping the sexual division of labor affect women's access to education and attainment of literacy. Recommends literacy programs be more relevant…

Inspired by idealistic beliefs in the state's benign, just nature, women seeking to influence public policies on gender issues have tended to rely on gentle persuasion. Similarly, feminists have failed to realize the true importance of schools as the state's ideological agents supporting the status quo and requiring major transformation of power…

A theory, anchored in a socialist feminist perspective, is presented about the state and the education of women. Propositions of the theory are compared with data from a study of 31 international development agencies about the behavior of the state regarding the education of women. The study focused on basic education, defined as the first 4 or 5…