Gender and Education in Bhutan

Abstract

There is a growing body of research on gender and education around the world, but there is little empirical evidence in Bhutan that provides a realistic status of gender circumstances in Bhutan. Following the idea that gender is socially constructed, this chapter seeks to gather gender studies and issues into a more focused perspective by combining previous work into themes focused upon education. This chapter also analyzes existing policies and major outcomes of the education sector in Bhutan. Broadly, gender issues have been largely addressed in primary and lower secondary education in terms of enrollments and achievement, but less so in higher secondary school and in the tertiary sector. However, national policies need to be followed through with the development of congruent institutional policies and practices, together with personal practices focusing on ‘taken-for-granteds’, to address gender inequities.