Challenging Hidden Hegemonies: Exploring the Links Between Education, Gender Justice, and Sustainable Development Practice

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we unpack the complex drivers of educational exclusion and non-progression of female adolescents in rural Tanzania. Despite targeted government policies, donor funding, and multiple development interventions, this area has witnessed declining rates of academic progression for young girls over the past decade. Based upon empirical research examining the educational patterns and experiences in the community of Milola Ward, Lindi Rural, Tanzania, this contribution provides critical insights into the range of factors that influence educational attainments in a rural, resource poor context, including structural and agent-based, gendered and non-gendered factors. From a theoretical perspective, the case of Lindi Rural sheds light on the interconnection between educational attainment and gender (in)justice. It points to the need for a more expansive account of gender justice that includes consideration of principles of epistemic empowerment. Such an approach highlights both gaps and opportunities for progress towards the 2030 sustainable development goals of transforming lives through education and ensuring no one is left behind.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender justice
• education
• sustainable development
• epistemic inclusion

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Tanzania Partnership Program Research Initiative which supported the fieldwork for this paper and the anonymous referees who provided insightful and constructive comment which enabled us to make significant improvements to this contribution. We also wish to extend our thanks to IDEA (the International Development Ethics Association) and participants at the workshop in Carlton University, Ottawa in July 2016. Feedback from Christine Koggel, Jay Drydyk and Eric Palmer was particularly constructive and helpful. Finally, thanks to the Department of Geography, Trinity College Dublin which supported engagement in fieldwork and workshops.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Emiliana J. Mwita http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7605-7906

Susan P. Murphy http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2270-9198

Notes

1. Tanzania is a low-income developing state with a human development index ranking of 151 (out of 188 countries) placing it amongst the least developed locations globally. See http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/TZA for further details.

 

Additional information

Funding

Site visits and primary data collection was supported y the Tanzania Partnership Program.