Lifting Barriers: Educated Boys for Gender Equality

• In Event: Don't forget about the boys: Educational equity in LMIC Contexts.

Proposal

Recent evidence from low- and middle-income countries, highlights a growing concern: boys are at greater risk than girls of repeating grades, failing to progress, and ultimately dropping out of school (UNESCO, 2022). These trends, coupled with poorer learning outcomes among boys, signal a pressing need to better understand and address the factors contributing to boys' disengagement from education. Despite these alarming patterns, research focusing on effective strategies to keep boys engaged in school and learning has been limited (UNESCO, 2022).

Boys’ disengagement from education is driven by a complex interplay of factors. Poverty and the need to work are significant contributors to boys' dropout rates, as many boys are forced to leave school to support their families (Cunningham, 2008; Jha and Kelleher, 2006). Gendered norms and expectations also play a critical role in shaping boys’ motivation and desire to learn. Societal pressures often push boys toward conforming to traditional masculine roles, which can devalue education and prioritize work or other pursuits perceived as more aligned with masculine ideals. These harmful gender norms not only diminish boys' interest in education but also reinforce behaviors that hinder their academic success (UNESCO, 2022).

In response to these challenges, the Lifting Barriers: Educated Boys for Gender Equality KIX-GPE project by UNESCO, Equimundo and University of East Anglia has been developed to explore and address the roots of boys' disengagement. The project is centered around the development of a gender-transformative intervention model aimed at challenging and changing harmful masculine gender norms. By promoting more inclusive, gender-equitable attitudes, values, and behaviors among boys and young men, the project seeks to foster environments where boys are motivated to stay in school and thrive academically.

The ultimate goal of this project is to create a scalable and inclusive model that not only keeps boys in school but also educates them to become advocates for gender equality. By engaging boys in this way, the project hopes to contribute to broader societal changes that reduce gender inequality and promote positive masculinities. An important aspect of scalability will be the creation of relevant digital materials and resources to support learning objectives and outputs.

Equimundo, one of the key partners in the project’s consortium, will present initial findings from the project’s first phase of research. This research involves a comprehensive scoping study that maps out key approaches to addressing boys' disengagement from education and identifies lessons learned from innovative programs and interventions worldwide. The study employs a combination of methodologies, including a literature review, document analysis, key informant interviews with educators, and stakeholder workshops that encourage interactive, participant-led discussions.

The findings from this research will assess the effectiveness of selected innovations in keeping boys engaged in school and in fostering more positive masculinities. They will also provide recommendations on how these innovations can be improved and scaled in different contexts. The analysis takes a critical approach to scaling, considering how to adapt and expand promising strategies to diverse educational environments.

Authors

• Cody Ragonese, Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice

• Matthias Eck, UNESCO