Factors Affecting Female Participation in Post- Secondary Education: A Cross-Sectional Study from Khulna District of Bangladesh
Main Article Content
Abstract
Participation of women in higher level of education is essential for the socioeconomic
advancement of developing countries. This cross-sectional study makes an attempt to identify
potential factors that affect the women’s participation in post-secondary level of education in
Bangladesh through an empirical research. A total of 756 respondents from Khulna District of
Bangladesh was selected through systematic random sampling and surveyed with semi-structured
interview schedules in this study. The ordinal dependent variable, educational attainment
categorised as below secondary (grade 10 or below) and post-secondary (above grade 10), was
measured by the years of schooling received by the respondents. The bivariate analyses were
performed using chi-square test to explore possible associations between educational status
and selected covariates while logistic regression was considered to know the marginal effects of
independent variables. Both in bivariate and multivariate setup, respondents’ age, type of family,
parental education, number of siblings, birth order and household income level were found
highly significant (P< 0.01) factors affecting female participation in post-secondary education’
at the end of the sentence.
Article Details
How to Cite
1.
Razu S. Factors Affecting Female Participation in Post- Secondary Education: A Cross-Sectional Study from Khulna District of Bangladesh. JTER [Internet]. 24Nov.2019 [cited 24Aug.2025];13(02):107-1. Available from: https://jter.in/index.php/JTER/article/view/33
Section
Research Article
References
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SJ Aiston and MM Meikle (eds.), Women, Education, and Agency, 1600–2000 (pp. 1-8). New
York, NY: Routledge.
Aleman AMM and Renn KA (eds.), 2002. Women in Higher Education: An Encyclopedia. Santa
Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO.
Ame KR, 2013. Overcoming the Curse of Early Marriage in Bangladesh. Asian Journal of Wonen’s
Studies, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 150-163.
Baden S, Green C, Goetz AM and Guhathakurta M, 1994. Background Report on Gender Issues in
Bangladesh. Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.
Bandyopadhyay M and Subrahmanian R, 2008. Gender Equity in Education: A Review of Trends
and Factors. CREATE Pathways to Access, Research Monograph No. 18, National University
of Educational Planning and Administration, NUEPA.
Bank BJ and Yelon HM, 2003. Contradictions in Women’s Education: Traditionalism, Careerism,
and Community at a Single-Sex College. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
BBS, 2015. Population and Housing Census 2015. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Ministry
of Planning, Dhaka.
Bower BL and Wolverton M, 2009. The Realities of African American Women in Higher Education
Leadership. In: Answering The Call: African American Women in Higher Education Leadership
(pp. 1-6). Sterling, Virginia, VA: Stylus Publishing LLC.
Brock C and Cammish N, 1997. Factors Affecting Female Participation in Education in Seven
Developing Countries. Department for International Development, London.
Chudgar A, 2008. Looking beyond the Household: The Importance of Community-Level Factors in
Understanding Underrepresentation of Girls in Indian Education. In: MA Maslak (ed.), The
Structure and Agency of Women’s Education (pp. 201-215). New York, NY: State University of
New York Press.
Colclough C, Rose P and Tembon M, 2000. Gender Inequalities in Primary Schooling: The Roles of
Poverty and Adverse Cultural practices. International Journal of Educational Development,
Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 5-27.
Cotterill P, Jackson S and Letherby G, 2007. Introduction: Conceptualizing Challenges and Negotiations
for Women in Higher Education. In: Challenges and Negotiations for Women in Higher
Education (pp. 1-12). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
Egenti MN and Omoruyi FEO, 2011. Challenges of Women Participation in Continuing Higher
Education Programme: Implications for Adult Women Counselling and Education. Edo Journal
of Counselling, Vol. 4, No. 1-2, pp. 130-143.
Eisenmann L, 2006. Higher Education for Women in Postwar America, 1945–1965. Baltimore,
Maryland, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Ferdousi N, 2014. Child marriage in Bangladesh: Socio-Legal Analysis. International Journal of
Sociology and Anthropology, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 1-7.
Hashmi T, 2000. Women and Islam in Bangladesh: Beyond Subjection and Tyranny. London, UK:
Palgrave Macmillan.
Heward C, 1996. Women and Careers in Higher Education: What Is the Problem? In: L Morley and V
Walsh (eds.), Breaking Boundaries: Women in Higher Education (pp. 9-22). London, UK:
Taylor and Francis.
Hopper G, 2015. Art, Education and Gender: The Shaping of Female Ambition. London, UK: Palgrave
Macmillan.
Hill MA and King E, 1995. Women’s Education and Economic Well-Being. Feminist Economics, Vol.
1, No. 2, pp. 21-46.
Hossain A, 2010. Age in Grade Congruence and Progression in Basic Education in Bangladesh.
CREATE Pathways to Access, Research Monograph, No. 48. Brighton: University of Sussex.
Hussain A, Salfi NA and Khan TM, 2011. Causes of Students’ Dropout at Primary Level in Pakistan:
An Empirical Study. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Vol. 1, No. 12,
pp. 143-151.
Jones RB, 2011. Postcolonial Representations of Women: Critical Issues for Education. Dordrecht:
Springer Netherlands.
Karim KMR, 2006. Gendered Social Institutions and the Management of Underground Irrigation
Water Resources in a Bangladeshi Village. Gender, Technology and Development, Vol. 10,
No.1, pp. 13-36.
Kearney ML, 2017. Whither Women Graduates in the Knowledge Economy? Observations on the
Advancement of Women in Politics, Higher Education and Business. In: H Eggins (ed.), The
Changing Role of Women in Higher Education: Academic and Leadership Issues (pp. 3-30).
Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.
Kelly GP and Slaughter S (eds.), 1991. Women’s Higher Education in Comparative Perspective.
Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
Kipkulei BC, Chepchieng MC, Chepchieng MJ, and Boitt LM, 2012. Selected Factors Affecting Girls’
Participation in Primary School Education in Kenya. Problems of Education in the 21st Century,
Vol. 48, pp. 52-61.
Lenskyj HJ, 2005. A Lot to Learn: Girls, Women, and Education in the 20th Century. Toronto:
Women’s Press.
Lee J, 2006. Asian American Gender Gap in Science and Technology: Tracking Male versus Female
College Students’ Paths toward Academic Careers. In: G Li & GH Beckett (eds.), Strangers of
the Academy: Asian Women Scholars in Higher Education (pp. 37-55). Sterling, Virginia, VA:
Stylus Publishing LLC.
Nash MA, 2017. Thoughts on the History of Women’s Education, Theories of Power, and This
Volume: An Introduction. In: Women’s Higher Education in the United States: New Historical
Perspectives (pp. 1-21). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Nekatibeb T, 2002. Lower Participation of Female students in Primary Education: A Case Study of
Dropouts from the Amhara and Oromia Regional States in Ethiopia. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:
UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa.
Okafor GO, 2010. Socio-Cultural Factors Affecting Girl-Child Education in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Nigerian Journal of Research and Production, Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 1-12.
Oladeji D, 2010. Sociocultural Factors Influencing Girl-Child Education in the Context of Marriage in
Ilorin Environs, Nigeria. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, Vol. 51, No. 6, pp. 339-347.
doi:10.1080/10502551003652074
Prümmer CV, 2000. Women and Distance Education: Challenges and Opportunities. London, UK:
Routledge Falmer.
Pufall E, Eaton JW, Nyamukapa C, Schur N, Takaruza A, and Gregson S, 2016. The Relationship
between Parental Education and Children’s Schooling in a Time of Economic Turmoil: The
Case of East Zimbabwe, 2001 to 2011. International Journal of Educational Development, Vol.
51, pp. 125- 134.
Sabates R, Akyeampong K, Westbrook J and Hunt F, 2010a. School Drop Out: Patterns, Causes,
Changes and Policies. Background Paper for the UNESCO Global Monitoring Report 2011.
Paris: UNESCO.
Sabates R, Hossain A and Lewin KM, 2010b. School Drop Out in Bangladesh: New Insights from
Longitudinal Evidence. CREATE Pathways to Access, Research Monograph, No, 49. Brighton:
University of Sussex.
Sagaria MAD, 2007. Reframing Gender Equality Initiatives as University Adaptation. In: Women,
Universities, and Change: Gender Equality in the European Union and the United States
(pp. 1-6). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Sarkar RK, Hossain E and Reza M, 2014. Socio Cultural Barriers of Girls’ Educational Attainment
Experiences from Rural Bangladesh. Antrocom Online Journal of Anthropology, Vol. 10, No. 2,
pp. 349-358.
Suleman Q, Aslam HD, Habib MB, Yasmeen K, Jalalian M, Akhtar Z and Akhtar B, 2015. Exploring
Factors Affecting Girls’ Education at Secondary Level: A Case of Karak District, Pakistan.
Journal of Education and Practice, Vol. 6, No. 19, pp. 95-109.
How to cite this article: Shaharior Rahman Razu, 2018. Factors Affecting Female Participation in Post-
Secondary Education: A Cross-Sectional Study from Khulna District of Bangladesh. Journal of Teacher
Education and Research, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 107-117.
SJ Aiston and MM Meikle (eds.), Women, Education, and Agency, 1600–2000 (pp. 1-8). New
York, NY: Routledge.
Aleman AMM and Renn KA (eds.), 2002. Women in Higher Education: An Encyclopedia. Santa
Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO.
Ame KR, 2013. Overcoming the Curse of Early Marriage in Bangladesh. Asian Journal of Wonen’s
Studies, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 150-163.
Baden S, Green C, Goetz AM and Guhathakurta M, 1994. Background Report on Gender Issues in
Bangladesh. Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.
Bandyopadhyay M and Subrahmanian R, 2008. Gender Equity in Education: A Review of Trends
and Factors. CREATE Pathways to Access, Research Monograph No. 18, National University
of Educational Planning and Administration, NUEPA.
Bank BJ and Yelon HM, 2003. Contradictions in Women’s Education: Traditionalism, Careerism,
and Community at a Single-Sex College. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
BBS, 2015. Population and Housing Census 2015. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Ministry
of Planning, Dhaka.
Bower BL and Wolverton M, 2009. The Realities of African American Women in Higher Education
Leadership. In: Answering The Call: African American Women in Higher Education Leadership
(pp. 1-6). Sterling, Virginia, VA: Stylus Publishing LLC.
Brock C and Cammish N, 1997. Factors Affecting Female Participation in Education in Seven
Developing Countries. Department for International Development, London.
Chudgar A, 2008. Looking beyond the Household: The Importance of Community-Level Factors in
Understanding Underrepresentation of Girls in Indian Education. In: MA Maslak (ed.), The
Structure and Agency of Women’s Education (pp. 201-215). New York, NY: State University of
New York Press.
Colclough C, Rose P and Tembon M, 2000. Gender Inequalities in Primary Schooling: The Roles of
Poverty and Adverse Cultural practices. International Journal of Educational Development,
Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 5-27.
Cotterill P, Jackson S and Letherby G, 2007. Introduction: Conceptualizing Challenges and Negotiations
for Women in Higher Education. In: Challenges and Negotiations for Women in Higher
Education (pp. 1-12). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
Egenti MN and Omoruyi FEO, 2011. Challenges of Women Participation in Continuing Higher
Education Programme: Implications for Adult Women Counselling and Education. Edo Journal
of Counselling, Vol. 4, No. 1-2, pp. 130-143.
Eisenmann L, 2006. Higher Education for Women in Postwar America, 1945–1965. Baltimore,
Maryland, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Ferdousi N, 2014. Child marriage in Bangladesh: Socio-Legal Analysis. International Journal of
Sociology and Anthropology, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 1-7.
Hashmi T, 2000. Women and Islam in Bangladesh: Beyond Subjection and Tyranny. London, UK:
Palgrave Macmillan.
Heward C, 1996. Women and Careers in Higher Education: What Is the Problem? In: L Morley and V
Walsh (eds.), Breaking Boundaries: Women in Higher Education (pp. 9-22). London, UK:
Taylor and Francis.
Hopper G, 2015. Art, Education and Gender: The Shaping of Female Ambition. London, UK: Palgrave
Macmillan.
Hill MA and King E, 1995. Women’s Education and Economic Well-Being. Feminist Economics, Vol.
1, No. 2, pp. 21-46.
Hossain A, 2010. Age in Grade Congruence and Progression in Basic Education in Bangladesh.
CREATE Pathways to Access, Research Monograph, No. 48. Brighton: University of Sussex.
Hussain A, Salfi NA and Khan TM, 2011. Causes of Students’ Dropout at Primary Level in Pakistan:
An Empirical Study. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Vol. 1, No. 12,
pp. 143-151.
Jones RB, 2011. Postcolonial Representations of Women: Critical Issues for Education. Dordrecht:
Springer Netherlands.
Karim KMR, 2006. Gendered Social Institutions and the Management of Underground Irrigation
Water Resources in a Bangladeshi Village. Gender, Technology and Development, Vol. 10,
No.1, pp. 13-36.
Kearney ML, 2017. Whither Women Graduates in the Knowledge Economy? Observations on the
Advancement of Women in Politics, Higher Education and Business. In: H Eggins (ed.), The
Changing Role of Women in Higher Education: Academic and Leadership Issues (pp. 3-30).
Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.
Kelly GP and Slaughter S (eds.), 1991. Women’s Higher Education in Comparative Perspective.
Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
Kipkulei BC, Chepchieng MC, Chepchieng MJ, and Boitt LM, 2012. Selected Factors Affecting Girls’
Participation in Primary School Education in Kenya. Problems of Education in the 21st Century,
Vol. 48, pp. 52-61.
Lenskyj HJ, 2005. A Lot to Learn: Girls, Women, and Education in the 20th Century. Toronto:
Women’s Press.
Lee J, 2006. Asian American Gender Gap in Science and Technology: Tracking Male versus Female
College Students’ Paths toward Academic Careers. In: G Li & GH Beckett (eds.), Strangers of
the Academy: Asian Women Scholars in Higher Education (pp. 37-55). Sterling, Virginia, VA:
Stylus Publishing LLC.
Nash MA, 2017. Thoughts on the History of Women’s Education, Theories of Power, and This
Volume: An Introduction. In: Women’s Higher Education in the United States: New Historical
Perspectives (pp. 1-21). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Nekatibeb T, 2002. Lower Participation of Female students in Primary Education: A Case Study of
Dropouts from the Amhara and Oromia Regional States in Ethiopia. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:
UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa.
Okafor GO, 2010. Socio-Cultural Factors Affecting Girl-Child Education in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Nigerian Journal of Research and Production, Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 1-12.
Oladeji D, 2010. Sociocultural Factors Influencing Girl-Child Education in the Context of Marriage in
Ilorin Environs, Nigeria. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, Vol. 51, No. 6, pp. 339-347.
doi:10.1080/10502551003652074
Prümmer CV, 2000. Women and Distance Education: Challenges and Opportunities. London, UK:
Routledge Falmer.
Pufall E, Eaton JW, Nyamukapa C, Schur N, Takaruza A, and Gregson S, 2016. The Relationship
between Parental Education and Children’s Schooling in a Time of Economic Turmoil: The
Case of East Zimbabwe, 2001 to 2011. International Journal of Educational Development, Vol.
51, pp. 125- 134.
Sabates R, Akyeampong K, Westbrook J and Hunt F, 2010a. School Drop Out: Patterns, Causes,
Changes and Policies. Background Paper for the UNESCO Global Monitoring Report 2011.
Paris: UNESCO.
Sabates R, Hossain A and Lewin KM, 2010b. School Drop Out in Bangladesh: New Insights from
Longitudinal Evidence. CREATE Pathways to Access, Research Monograph, No, 49. Brighton:
University of Sussex.
Sagaria MAD, 2007. Reframing Gender Equality Initiatives as University Adaptation. In: Women,
Universities, and Change: Gender Equality in the European Union and the United States
(pp. 1-6). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Sarkar RK, Hossain E and Reza M, 2014. Socio Cultural Barriers of Girls’ Educational Attainment
Experiences from Rural Bangladesh. Antrocom Online Journal of Anthropology, Vol. 10, No. 2,
pp. 349-358.
Suleman Q, Aslam HD, Habib MB, Yasmeen K, Jalalian M, Akhtar Z and Akhtar B, 2015. Exploring
Factors Affecting Girls’ Education at Secondary Level: A Case of Karak District, Pakistan.
Journal of Education and Practice, Vol. 6, No. 19, pp. 95-109.
How to cite this article: Shaharior Rahman Razu, 2018. Factors Affecting Female Participation in Post-
Secondary Education: A Cross-Sectional Study from Khulna District of Bangladesh. Journal of Teacher
Education and Research, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 107-117.