Gender Differentials in Education in India

Sonya Rastogi, University of Maryland

It is well known that Indian girls are less educated than boys. However, the reasons behind these differentials are less well understood. I argue that three sets of factors explain these differences: (1) Economic scarcity and lower returns on girls’ education; (2) Culturally based discriminatory practices; and, (3) Institutional constraints. I test these arguments using data from a national survey, conducted in 1993. Focusing on children aged 10-15 from 16 Indian states, I examine determinants of school enrollment in a multivariate analysis. Economic rationality is evaluated by linking sex-differentials in education to household income and the prevalence of out marriage in the village. Cultural practices are measured by restrictions on womens' physical mobility, geographic location, and caste/religion. The institutional factors include school based mid-day meals, gaps in male-female skilled wages, and the presence of development schemes in villages and household participation in these schemes.