# When Families Choose Sons: Parental Gender Norms and Girls’ Education in Ghana

## TL;DR

This paper examines how parental gender norms in Ghana hinder girls' access to and retention in education, despite global progress toward gender parity.

## Contribution

The study introduces a multi-theoretical framework to analyze how cultural norms and economic reasoning shape gender disparities in education.

## Key findings

- Parents often prioritize sons' education due to economic and cultural norms, disadvantaging girls.
- Educating girls leads to broader societal benefits, but systemic barriers persist.
- Interventions must address cultural and familial ecosystems to promote gender equity in education.

## Abstract

Despite global progress toward gender parity in education, Ghanaian girls continue to face systemic barriers rooted in entrenched parental gender norms. This paper explores how parental gender norm beliefs and attitudes perpetuate disparities among school-aged, particularly disadvantaging girls in access to and retention in education. Using a desk review methodology, we analyzed peer-reviewed social science and development literature, legal documents, and international reports from organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank to explore the structural and cultural dynamics affecting girls’ education in Ghana. Anchored in Social Impact Theory, Parental Ethnotheories, and Expectation States Theory, the study provides a multi-theoretical lens to understand how gender norms, cultural expectations, and parental beliefs converge to influence educational outcomes for girls. Analysis of sociocultural norms, economic trade-offs, and safety concerns reveals how parents—often guided by love and pragmatism—prioritize sons’ education while withdrawing daughters for caregiving, early marriages, or income-generating labor. The study highlights three critical dimensions: (1) the economic reasoning behind gendered investments in children’s schooling, (2) sociocultural gender norms limiting girls’ retention in school, and (3) the transformative potential of educated women as community leaders challenging these patterns. Evidence shows that educating girls yields broad benefits, from improved health outcomes to economic growth, yet systemic inequities remain. Findings underscore the need for interventions to move beyond school access to address the familial and cultural ecosystems shaping parental decisions. By disrupting entrenched gender norms, Ghana can advance SDGs 4 and 5 and promote long-term societal change.