Gender and education: Secondary school influences on the development of girls’ careers in science at university in Rwanda

Abstract

In Rwanda, young women lag behind men in terms of accessing opportunities in science. Gender stereotyping and the nature of the curriculum are among the many factors that discourage them from choosing to study science subjects in secondary school and subsequently, at university. This paper aims to explain why girls in Rwandan secondary schools are less likely to choose science subjects than their male counterparts. Using an interdisciplinary qualitative methodology and drawing on both feminist theory and a case-study approach, this paper casts light on women‟s experiences in their quests to study science subjects in secondary schools and later at university. The study reveals several factors behind female students‟ subject selection in secondary school, including the influences of male students and the impact of sexist comments from teachers and in the curriculum itself. These findings fill important research gaps on the intersection between gender and science-related subjects in Rwandan secondary schools and other similar contexts.