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Challenges Facing The Egyptian Education System: Access, Quality, And Inequality, Caroline Krafft Jan 2012

Challenges Facing The Egyptian Education System: Access, Quality, And Inequality, Caroline Krafft

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief analyzes and summarizes young people's responses to the 2009 Survey of Young People in Egypt (SYPE) to identify the greatest challenges facing the Egyptian educational system, focusing specifically on primary through secondary schooling. Results show that access to school has improved, but some youth, especially females in rural Upper Egypt, remain outside the school system and are increasingly marginalized. The Egyptian school system is delivering low-quality education that is irrelevant to the labor market and has problems with repetition, absenteeism, and drop out which reduce the efficiency of the education system. Unequal distribution of resources in the education …


Challenges Facing The Egyptian Education System: Access, Quality, And Inequality [Arabic], Caroline Krafft Jan 2012

Challenges Facing The Egyptian Education System: Access, Quality, And Inequality [Arabic], Caroline Krafft

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief analyzes and summarizes young people's responses to the 2009 Survey of Young People in Egypt (SYPE) to identify the greatest challenges facing the Egyptian educational system, focusing specifically on primary through secondary schooling. Results show that access to school has improved, but some youth, especially females in rural Upper Egypt, remain outside the school system and are increasingly marginalized. The Egyptian school system is delivering low-quality education that is irrelevant to the labor market and has problems with repetition, absenteeism, and drop out which reduce the efficiency of the education system. Unequal distribution of resources in the education …


Assessing Equity Of Access In Programs For Young People, Adam Weiner Jan 2011

Assessing Equity Of Access In Programs For Young People, Adam Weiner

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Young people aged 10–19 make up almost 20 percent of the population in less developed regions. This vast, highly diverse population faces a variety of threats that could disrupt their healthy transition to adulthood, including early marriage and childbearing, school leaving, violence, exploitation, unemployment, and HIV/AIDS. The majority of youth programs fail to reach the most vulnerable; most programs are only accessible to those with greater levels of social and human capital, such as an education or friendship networks. Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief No. 28 describes how the Population Council, recognizing the need for generating …


On Trade Policies And Wage Disparity In Egypt: Evidence From Microeconomic Data, Chahir Zaki Jan 2011

On Trade Policies And Wage Disparity In Egypt: Evidence From Microeconomic Data, Chahir Zaki

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This working paper assesses the extent to which trade barriers, including traditional tariff barriers, non-tariff measures, and red tape, affect wage disparity and employment in Egypt. Using a microeconomic dataset, the author assesses to what extent different trade barriers affected wage disparity and employment in Egypt. This disparity is studied in three dimensions: on gender (males vs. females), qualification (blue vs. white collar workers), and regional (urban vs. rural workers). Findings show that both non-tariff measures and red tape barriers have a higher impact than traditional tariffs on wage disparity and that women, urban workers, and blue collar workers are …


Decrease Of Youth Participation In The Labor Market In The Palestinian Territories: Reasons And Determinants From Gender Prospects [Arabic], Ayman Abdul Majeed Jan 2011

Decrease Of Youth Participation In The Labor Market In The Palestinian Territories: Reasons And Determinants From Gender Prospects [Arabic], Ayman Abdul Majeed

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

It is widely acknowledged that Palestinian youths between the ages of 15–29 have a low participation rate in the labor force. Population Council research has shown that this age group faces many barriers and challenges that make it difficult to pursue work. The prevailing political, economic, social, cultural, and educational conditions are major contributors to the low work participation, in addition to a decreased sense of self-confidence and low self-esteem. The conclusions from the research were to propose practical solutions to help this generation to regain self-confidence and self-esteem and become more active participants in the labor force. There is …


Rethinking The Time Allocation Of Egyptian Females: A Matching Analysis, Rana Hardy Jan 2011

Rethinking The Time Allocation Of Egyptian Females: A Matching Analysis, Rana Hardy

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This study explores the extremely biased division of labor within Egyptian households. The effects of marriage on women’s market and domestic labor supplies are important aspects of this study conducted by the Population Council for its working paper series on gender and work in the Mideast-North Africa region. New explanations for married women’s low participation rates are proposed. A matching model is estimated to determine how selection into marriage alters the time allocation of women. The empirical results show that marriage significantly affects both types of work with married women spending about eight hours less on market work weekly relative …


Women's Job Search Behavior In The Egyptian Labor Market, Somaya Abdel Mowla Jan 2011

Women's Job Search Behavior In The Egyptian Labor Market, Somaya Abdel Mowla

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This study evaluates the difference between male and female job search behavior in the Egyptian labor market and the changes in this behavior between 1998 and 2006, in order to examine the effect of transition toward a market-oriented economy on job search activity. The paper also investigates the determinants of women’s job search behavior. The results reveal three alarming facts that raise worries about women’s labor force participation and their future labor market outcomes: women were less active job searchers than men, the gender gap in job search has widened, and this gap is even wider when excluding registration in …


Le Travail Des Femmes Dans Le Secteur Agricole: Entre Précarité Et Empowerment—Cas De Trois Régions En Egypte, Au Maroc Et En Tunisie, Zhour Bouzidi, Saker El Nour, Wided Moumen Jan 2011

Le Travail Des Femmes Dans Le Secteur Agricole: Entre Précarité Et Empowerment—Cas De Trois Régions En Egypte, Au Maroc Et En Tunisie, Zhour Bouzidi, Saker El Nour, Wided Moumen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Despite a remarkable decline in the agricultural labor force in general, the number of women employed in the agricultural sector is growing substantially, particularly as a result of the intensification of agricultural activity. This Population Council working paper focuses on the working conditions of women in the agricultural sector based on the analysis of three case studies in three countries: the West of Delta in Egypt, the coastal zone of Gharb in Morocco, and the Nadhour region in Tunisia. The report analyzes to what extent agricultural work could be a means of precariousness or empowerment for women workers. Results show …


Female Wages In The Egyptian Textiles And Clothing Industry: Low Pay Or Discrimination?, Amirah El-Haddad Jan 2011

Female Wages In The Egyptian Textiles And Clothing Industry: Low Pay Or Discrimination?, Amirah El-Haddad

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This Population Council working paper analyzes data collected from a survey of firms and workers in the textiles and clothing sector in Egypt. These data allow for the explanation of the sector’s gender wage gap by poorer endowments, and relegation of women to low-paying firms and occupations; and by within-firm and within-occupation differential in returns. There is a pay gap in this sector, with men receiving an hourly wage 29 percent higher than that of women, partly because women are concentrated in the lower paid occupations, with a clear glass ceiling in effect, and outright discrimination occurs. The largest of …


La Dynamique De La Discrimination Salariale Et De L'Équité Gendorielle Sur Le Marché Du Travail Au Maroc, Sami Zouari Jan 2011

La Dynamique De La Discrimination Salariale Et De L'Équité Gendorielle Sur Le Marché Du Travail Au Maroc, Sami Zouari

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This Population Council working paper investigates the dynamics of the wage gap between men and women in Morocco. Estimates have shown that women earn up to 35 percent less than men in the periods observed. Differences in characteristics between the two sexes, mainly due to the difference in human capital endowments, are explained by only a small proportion of the gap. A negative proportion reported, though, is a kind of breakthrough for women, since it means that in terms of human capital skills, women are better qualified than their male counterparts. These negative differences confirm that women, especially those working …


Transition From Higher Education To The Labor Market: Unemployment Among Graduates From The Gender Perspective In The Palestinian Territory, Saleh Alkafri Jan 2011

Transition From Higher Education To The Labor Market: Unemployment Among Graduates From The Gender Perspective In The Palestinian Territory, Saleh Alkafri

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This research highlights and identifies the factors affecting the low potential of female graduates entering the labor market in the Palestinian Territories, despite their achievements in education. The results show that employers’ attitudes limit the occupations and activities that women can engage in, and delays in obtaining work often lead women out of the labor market. However, the report also shows that the problem of unemployment among graduates is worse in specific areas and disciplines where education and training do not match the requirements of the labor market. Given this general trend, Palestinian decisionmakers face extraordinary challenges to provide opportunities …


Women's Economic Resources And Bargaining In Marriage: Does Egyptian Women's Status Depend On Earnings Or Marriage Payments?, Rania Salem Jan 2011

Women's Economic Resources And Bargaining In Marriage: Does Egyptian Women's Status Depend On Earnings Or Marriage Payments?, Rania Salem

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This working paper reports on a study using Egyptian survey data to determine whether the effect of women's work on their status is mediated by the material transactions that accompany marriage. This perspective posits that marriage payments made to the bride, as well as assets she herself brings to the marriage, enhance her bargaining position. Analysis of the 2006 Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey panel data is used to explore the associations between women’s labor market activity, earnings, absolute and proportional marriage payments, and a measure of women’s status within marriage, namely their decisionmaking power. Consistent with the existing literature, …


Looking Back, Moving Forward: Promoting Gender Equity To Fight Hiv, Horizons Studies 1999 To 2007, Julie Pulerwitz, Annie P. Michaelis, Ellen Weiss Jan 2010

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Promoting Gender Equity To Fight Hiv, Horizons Studies 1999 To 2007, Julie Pulerwitz, Annie P. Michaelis, Ellen Weiss

HIV and AIDS

In 1997, the Population Council initiated the Horizons Program—a decade-long USAID-funded collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, PATH, Tulane University, Family Health International, and Johns Hopkins University—designing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding innovative strategies for HIV prevention and care. Horizons developed and tested ways to optimize HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; worked to reduce stigma and improve gender-biased behaviors; and greatly expanded knowledge about the best ways to support, protect, and treat children affected by HIV and AIDS. In all its projects, Horizons strengthened the capacity of local institutions by providing support and …


Gender And Reproductive Health Services: Putting Gender Perspective Into Practice, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2009

Gender And Reproductive Health Services: Putting Gender Perspective Into Practice, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

Promoting gender equity is widely acknowledged as important for improving reproductive health (RH) programs, as gender shapes all aspects of RH service delivery. Thus promoting gender equity—fairness and justice in responsibilities and access to benefits for women, men, girls, and boys—is a major goal for RH programs. But how can programs operationalize the concept of gender perspective when delivering family planning (FP) and other RH services? What impact does this have on use and effectiveness? FRONTIERS projects have improved understanding of the impact of gender issues on RH and have helped identify effective actions for incorporating gender perspective into services. …


Educational Inequalities In The Midst Of Persistent Poverty: Diversity Across Africa In Educational Outcomes, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Paul C. Hewett Jan 2009

Educational Inequalities In The Midst Of Persistent Poverty: Diversity Across Africa In Educational Outcomes, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Paul C. Hewett

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This working paper explores inequalities in education across sub-Saharan Africa, focusing mostly on primary school completion rates, with attention also given to literacy as a more proximate indicator of human capital acquisition. Using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys and UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, we explore cross-country variations in primary school completion rates, gender and wealth gaps in education, and literacy rates in relation to one another and in relation to cross-country variations in national income per capita. While these data paint a picture of overall educational progress, particularly for girls, this general picture is juxtaposed against an …


Looking Beyond Universal Primary Education: Gender Differences In Time Use Among Children In Rural Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin, S. Chandrasekhar Jan 2009

Looking Beyond Universal Primary Education: Gender Differences In Time Use Among Children In Rural Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin, S. Chandrasekhar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This paper addresses gender equity in parents’ educational investments in children in a context of rising school attendance in rural Bangladesh. Using data from the nationally representative 2005 Bangladesh Adolescent Survey, we analyze correlates of time spent in school, studying outside school, and work, using a data set on time-use patterns of schoolgoing children and adolescents. We find that time spent in work varies inversely with the amount of time spent studying at home, while time at school shows no such association. We find support for two hypotheses regarding household influences on education: that time spent in school is insensitive …


And How Will You Remember Me, My Child? Redefining Fatherhood In Turkey, Gary Barker, Deniz Dogruoz, Debbie Rogow Jan 2009

And How Will You Remember Me, My Child? Redefining Fatherhood In Turkey, Gary Barker, Deniz Dogruoz, Debbie Rogow

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This issue of Quality/Calidad/Qualité profiles the AÇEV Father Support Program, a series of 13-week-long support groups for fathers across Turkey. Fatherhood (and men’s roles in the lives of children in general) is an ideal starting point for engaging men in gender equality for two key reasons: most men want to be involved in the lives of children, whether their own biological children or younger siblings, nieces, or nephews; and responsibility for the care of children is at the heart of gender inequality. The program reached nearly 10,000 men, teaching them about their role in the development of their children and …


Reducing The Social Exclusion Of Girls, Kelly Hallman, Eva Roca Jan 2007

Reducing The Social Exclusion Of Girls, Kelly Hallman, Eva Roca

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Across the globe, girls are systematically excluded from participation in social, economic, and political life. The absence of girls in these arenas has implications not only for the young women themselves but also for society as a whole, exacerbating poverty and perpetuating disparities in health, education, and economic achievement. Internationally, this marginalization makes it difficult or impossible for some countries to achieve society-wide goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals identified by the United Nations as benchmarks to reduce poverty. For a number of years, the Population Council has been studying the causes and effects of girls’ social exclusion in …


Reducir La Exclusión Social Des Las Niñas, Kelly Hallman, Eva Roca Jan 2007

Reducir La Exclusión Social Des Las Niñas, Kelly Hallman, Eva Roca

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

En todo el mundo, las niñas son sistemáticamente excluidas de la participación en la vida social, económica y política. La ausencia de niñas en estos terrenos tiene consecuencias, no solo para las mismas jóvenes sino también para la sociedad en su totalidad, ya que se exacerba la pobreza y se perpetúan las disparidades de salud, educación y éxito económico. A nivel internacional, esta marginación dificulta o hace imposible que algunos países logren objetivos en toda la sociedad, como los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio, considerados por las Naciones Unidas como parámetros para reducir la pobreza. Desde hace algunos años, el …


Teacher Absence As A Factor In Gender Inequalities In Access To Primary Schooling In Rural Pakistan, Sharon Ghuman, Cynthia B. Lloyd Jan 2007

Teacher Absence As A Factor In Gender Inequalities In Access To Primary Schooling In Rural Pakistan, Sharon Ghuman, Cynthia B. Lloyd

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This paper examines the case of Pakistan, where primary school enrollment among girls in rural areas is substantially lower than among children in urban areas and boys in rural areas, owing to lack of access to government girls’ schools. The focus is on teacher absence as a further barrier to schooling for girls. Using data from a panel study of primary schooling in rural Punjab and NWFP in 1997 and 2004, the report examines trends in teacher absence, examine the factors correlated with teacher absence in the government and private sector, and assesses the implications of these absence levels for …


Formation Of Partnerships Among Young Women And Men In Pune District, Maharashtra, Mallika Alexander, Laila Garda, Savita Kanade, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Bela Ganatra Jan 2006

Formation Of Partnerships Among Young Women And Men In Pune District, Maharashtra, Mallika Alexander, Laila Garda, Savita Kanade, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Bela Ganatra

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Young people in India face traditional age- and sex-stratified norms that espouse gender double standards. Premarital partnerships are taboo and anecdotal evidence suggests that in many settings in India, the hint of a romantic relationship or even social interaction between young girls and boys is sufficient to damage a family's reputation and/or result in accelerated arranged marriage, particularly for the girl. While there is a prevailing perception at the community level that in these circumstances, premarital partnerships are rare, there is a small body of literature that suggests that such partnerships are indeed formed and sexual relations experienced, among, typically, …


In Our Own Hands: Swaa-Ghana Champions The Female Condom, Kathleen Cravero, Michelle Skaer, Victoria Ebin, Martha Brady Jan 2006

In Our Own Hands: Swaa-Ghana Champions The Female Condom, Kathleen Cravero, Michelle Skaer, Victoria Ebin, Martha Brady

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This issue of Quality/Calidad/Qualité describes the vital role played by the Ghana branch of the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAA) in introducing the female condom, the only female-controlled method for protection from HIV. By addressing issues of gender inequity and communication within relationships, SWAA used the female condom to empower women to regain control of their bodies. Also in this issue are profiles of three other approaches to programming for the female condom from Brazil, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.


Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity, A Training Manual [Hindi], Horizons Program, Coro For Literacy, Mamta, Instituto Promundo Jan 2006

Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity, A Training Manual [Hindi], Horizons Program, Coro For Literacy, Mamta, Instituto Promundo

HIV and AIDS

This training manual, developed by the Population Council in collaboration with Instituto PROMUNDO, CORO for Literacy, MAMTA, and DAUD promotes gender equity and addresses masculinity as a strategy for the prevention of HIV. Adapted from the “Program H: Working with Young Men Series” developed in Brazil by Instituto PROMUNDO, it promotes the positive aspects of masculinity, encourages men’s participation in sexual and reproductive health, promotes respect for sexual diversity, and improves understanding of the body and sexuality. In this manual, HIV prevention is addressed within the larger framework of gender roles and relationships. Gender disparity, widely prevalent in Indian society …


Promoting Gender Equity Among Young Brazilian Men As An Hiv/Aids Prevention Strategy, Julie Pulerwitz, Gary Barker, Marcio Segundo, Marcos Nascimento Jan 2006

Promoting Gender Equity Among Young Brazilian Men As An Hiv/Aids Prevention Strategy, Julie Pulerwitz, Gary Barker, Marcio Segundo, Marcos Nascimento

HIV and AIDS

There is growing evidence that social norms that promote unequal gender roles increase young men and women’s risk of HIV/STIs and partner violence. Thus, changing gender norms is increasingly recognized as an important strategy to prevent the spread of HIV infection. Few interventions to promote gender-equitable norms and behaviors among young men have been systematically implemented or evaluated, and little is known about how best to measure changes in gender norms and their effect on HIV/STI protective and risk behaviors. To address these gaps, the Horizons Program and Instituto Promundo examined the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve young men’s …


Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity, A Training Manual, Horizons Program, Coro For Literacy, Mamta, Instituto Promundo Jan 2006

Yaari Dosti: Young Men Redefine Masculinity, A Training Manual, Horizons Program, Coro For Literacy, Mamta, Instituto Promundo

HIV and AIDS

This training manual, developed by the Population Council in collaboration with Instituto PROMUNDO, CORO for Literacy, MAMTA, and DAUD promotes gender equity and addresses masculinity as a strategy for the prevention of HIV. Adapted from the “Program H: Working with Young Men Series” developed in Brazil by Instituto PROMUNDO, it promotes the positive aspects of masculinity, encourages men’s participation in sexual and reproductive health, promotes respect for sexual diversity, and improves understanding of the body and sexuality. In this manual, HIV prevention is addressed within the larger framework of gender roles and relationships. Gender disparity, widely prevalent in Indian society …


Growing Up In Pakistan: The Separate Experiences Of Males And Females, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Monica J. Grant Jan 2004

Growing Up In Pakistan: The Separate Experiences Of Males And Females, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Monica J. Grant

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This Population Council working paper examines gender differences in transitions to adulthood in Pakistan. The survey covers key aspects of adolescents’ lives, including the timing of several adult transitions and a detailed accounting of time use over the previous 24 hours. The results of the analysis confirm the fundamental importance of schooling to transitions to adulthood. Those without any schooling, which still includes 15 percent of young men and 46 percent of young women, assume the work burdens of adults prematurely and are deprived of the opportunity for learning in an institutional setting outside the family. Those who do attend …


Primary Schooling In Sub-Saharan Africa: Recent Trends And Current Challenges, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Paul C. Hewett Jan 2003

Primary Schooling In Sub-Saharan Africa: Recent Trends And Current Challenges, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Paul C. Hewett

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

At the dawn of the twenty-first century we estimate that more than 37 million young adolescents aged 10-14 in sub-Saharan Africa will not complete primary school. Our estimates are based on data from nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys from 26 countries, collectively representing 83 percent of the sub-Saharan youth population. This number is nearly twice the entire population of children aged 10-14 in the United States, virtually all of whom will complete primary school. Reducing the number of uneducated African youth is a primary objective of the United Nations as laid out in the Millennium Development Goal for education, …


My Father Didn't Think This Way': Nigerian Boys Contemplate Gender Equality, Françoise Girard Jan 2003

My Father Didn't Think This Way': Nigerian Boys Contemplate Gender Equality, Françoise Girard

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

One of the lessons emerging from adolescent programs around the world is the need to create settings where young men can question things that are often seen as unquestionable, such as what it means to be a man. This issue explores the Conscientizing Male Adolescents (CMA) program in Nigeria which, unlike many programs targeting adolescent boys that emphasize short-term activities aimed at preventing disease and unwanted pregnancy, is a long-term program focusing on sexism and critical-thinking skills. An initial evaluation indicates that such programs affirm that we do know how to engage young men, and that historically reinforced gender attitudes …


« Mon Père Pensait Autrement » : Des Garçons Nigérians Réfléchissent À L'Égalité Entre Les Sexes, Françoise Girard Jan 2003

« Mon Père Pensait Autrement » : Des Garçons Nigérians Réfléchissent À L'Égalité Entre Les Sexes, Françoise Girard

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

L’une des leçons émergeant des programmes pour adolescents dans le monde entier concerne la nécessité de créer des cadres où les jeunes hommes peuvent remettre en question ce qui est souvent considéré comme incontestable, par exemple ce que signifie « être un homme ». Ce numéro décrit le programme nigérian « Conscientiser les adolescents de sexe masculin » (CMA, Conscientizing Male Adolescents). Contrairement à beaucoup de programmes visant les adolescents de sexe masculin, qui mettent l’accent sur des activités à court terme destinées à prévenir la maladie et les grossesses non désirées, le modèle proposé par CMA est un programme …


The Effect Of Gender Differences In Primary School Access, Type, And Quality On The Decision To Enroll In Rural Pakistan, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Cem Mete, Zeba Sathar Jan 2002

The Effect Of Gender Differences In Primary School Access, Type, And Quality On The Decision To Enroll In Rural Pakistan, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Cem Mete, Zeba Sathar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The paper explores the effect of primary school access, type, and quality on the decision to enroll in rural Pakistan using a 1997 survey especially designed for this purpose. A unique contribution of the paper is the construction of gender-specific dimensions of school accessibility and school quality according to school type (i.e., public vs. private). Within the same village, girls and boys often face starkly different options for schooling in terms of distance, type, and quality. Public primary schools are segregated by sex; private schools, whose numbers have grown rapidly in recent years in response to rising demand and the …