02.12.07
Rural schools: Gender & Deployment issues
Gender
The deployment patterns also have implications for gender equity. Across sub-Saharan Africa, the enrolment and retention of girls in school is lower than that of boys. The under-representation of girls tends to be greatest in rural areas and among the most disadvantaged communities. While a number of measures can be shown to have an impact on the retention of girls in school, one of the important factors is the presence of female teachers in the school (Bernard, 2002). The presence of female teachers in a school can help to make the school environment a safer place for girls. Many girls in Africa are forced to drop out of schools because school administrators are insensitive to gender issues, including sexual abuse and intimidation (PANA, 2003). In addition, the presence of females in positions of responsibility and leadership in schools is an important factor in creating gender role models.
Female teachers may be even less willing to accept a rural posting than their male counterparts, and rural areas may have fewer female teachers than urban areas (Gottelmann-Duret et al, 1998, p21-22). In some cases posting single women to unfamiliar areas may cause cultural difficulties, and may even be unsafe (Rust and Dalin, 1990; VSO, 2002, p34). For unmarried women, posting to an isolated rural area may also be seen to limit marriage prospects (Hedges, 2000). In some countries, such as Ghana, they are not posted to rural areas as a matter of policy (Hedges, 2002, p358). For married women, a rural posting may mean separation from her family, as the husband may not move for cultural or economic reasons (Gaynor 1998). Where women have been posted to rural areas they may come to see themselves as having been treated unfairly by the system and thus seek early transfers (Hedges, 2002, p358).
