Changing Norms about Gender Inequality in Education: Evidence from Bangladesh

Niels-Hugo Blunch, Washington and Lee University

Using a recent household survey for two cohorts of married women we examine the changing gender education norms in Bangladesh. We find that education is a main determinant of gender education gap norms in Bangladesh overall for the case of child education outcomes but, perhaps surprisingly, not for adult ones. The education effect is a complex one, however, spanning both own and spousal education, as well as that of other females in the household. In turn, this indicates sharing of the education norms effects or, similarly, spillover effects or externalities arising from spousal education vis-à-vis gender education gap norms within marriage as well as from the presence of (other) educated females in the household. Lastly, we also find strong effects from gender education norms in the community, as well as effects from poverty, information processing and religion on education gender norms of married females in Bangladesh.