Gender Disparities in Educational Enrollment and Attainment in Sierra Leone

Abstract

Sierra Leone endured social, economic, and political changes that impacted its educational system. Stymied development contributed to a persistent gender gap in schooling. Given changes over the decades, the chapter explores gender differences in educational enrollment and attainment at all levels—primary, secondary, and tertiary—using a 2017 Sierra Leone census cluster sample. The authors found that although educational disparities exist between girls and boys across the districts, there was no statistical difference in schooling between the groups in this sample. This suggests that Sierra Leone closed the educational parity gender gap. With political advancements, the authors situate findings within the context of a modernizing country that aims to reach primary and secondary education for all.