Gender and academic choice in national capacity-building : the case of the Unviersity of The Gambia

Abstract

The primary objective of this thesis is to provide an exploration of the dynamics of women's academic choice within the context of formal education at the tertiary level in The Gambia, West Africa. Using women's decision-making ability as an indication of empowerment, this thesis seeks to assess the impact of the Gambian Government's policy efforts to increase women's access to and retention in formal schooling as an important component of strategies aimed at improving the human capital resource base in the country. Of specific concern is the disproportionately lower engagement of women in science, math and technology training at the higher levels of education in the country. The study broadly addresses issues linked to, (a) women's capacity to make relatively autonomous decisions concerning their education and (b) the manner in which the early educational experiences of women shape and influence their performance and programs of study pursued at the university level. The explicit goals of the Gambian government to cultivate a science and technology culture and to include all citizens in national development processes provide the backdrop to the central discussion. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)