GIRLS DESERVE
TO GO TO
SCHOOL
THE PROJECT
the goals:
1. Establish a clear picture of the condition of women’s access to education across the region
2. Clarify the nature of obstacles to women’s education and actors that work to create and sustain these obstacles
3. Identify potential solutions and policy initiatives that can overcome these obstacles to improve women’s access to comprehensive education
My study sought to answer a number of questions:
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What is the current situation with regard to the education of women across the region as a whole?
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On a comparative basis, how many women are being educated at each level (primary, secondary, college, graduate, etc)?
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How is education distributed across age, class, ethnic, religious, and other social variables?
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How has educational access for women changed over the past two decades? How do these statistics compare to education for men?
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What specific obstacles and initiatives exist to explain this data?
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What strategies might improve education opportunities for women in the region?
THE RESULTS
I sought to fulfill these goals by reviewing the Middle East region as a whole, as well as individual case studies of three nations: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
I evaluated women's access to education based on these definitions and criteria.
Finally, in light of the obstacles I found, I provided both long-term and short-term policy recommendations.
Click the link above to download my complete project.
My study ultimately found that the major categories of obstacles that face women's access to schooling in the Middle East are societal roles, resources, and educational structures. These broad categories cover a number of issues, such as social security failures, child marriage, corruption, and biased curricula.
To learn more about my findings, check out the case studies and policy recommendations.
ABOUT ME
CHRISTINE
OSTROSKY:
At the time of this project, I was a junior at Miami University, in Oxford, OH, where I graduated with degrees in International Studies and Political Science. My concentration was the Middle East, and I minored in Arabic language.
This project represents an issue that is very important to me, and one that I hope to devote more research, thought, and work to in my academic and professional future.
Special thanks to my friends and family for supporting and helping me throughout this project.
Learn more about me here.
I received the USS grant for this research in Summer 2015, and completed it from May 15th to August 8th. My faculty advisor was Dr. Mark Peterson. I presented it at Miami's Undergraduate Research Showcase in Spring 2016, as well as the Midwest Political Science Undergraduate Research Conference in March 2016, where it was recognized as Best Paper, Third Place.