Thesis Format
Monograph
Degree
Master of Education
Program
Education
Supervisor
Srivastava, Prachi
2nd Supervisor
Viczko, Melody
Co-Supervisor
Abstract
Despite improved levels of gender parity globally, girls and women from lower socio-economic groups continue to face significant barriers in accessing and continuing education. Framed within the continuously evolving context of privatization, market-making, and network governance of education, this MA thesis considers the financing networks of non-state private (NSP) actors, such as private foundations and impact investors, and other funders active in financing girls’ and women’s education in East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia.
This study contributes a preliminary analysis on a sub-set of data (172 funders and 56 girls’ and women’s education initiatives) from Invest-ED, a larger regional database and research project on NSP actors funding education in Asia. Using basic descriptive statistics and social network analysis methods, the analysis focuses on the main research questions: 1) How is the financing landscape of girls’ and women’s education in East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia organized? 2) What are the key characteristics of the active financing networks in girls’ and women’s education in these regions? Findings indicate that despite being a stated priority area, only 9% of initiatives in the database specifically targeted girls’ and women’s education. Geographically, NSP actors and other funders showed meaningful concentration in South Asia and India where, access to education, advocacy and policy, and skill development emerged as the most preferred areas of programming. Whilst private foundations emerged as the most central NSP actors in this network, such global or regional comparisons may be deceptive due to the hybrid natures and inconsistent definitions of NSP actors, which change from country to country.
Summary for Lay Audience
This study analyzes the engagement of non-state private (NSP) actors such as private foundations and impact investing organizations, and other funders within the education sector in Asia. Outlined within the broader discourses of privatization, market-making, and network governance in globalization of education, my study analyzes the increased activity of NSP actors with a focus on girls’ and women’s education in East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia. Despite improvements in gender parity, girls and women from lower socio-economic groups continue to face social and systemic hurdles in accessing and completing their education.
Based on a preliminary analysis of a subset of data from the larger Invest-ED research project, my analysis shows that despite being an area stated as high priority, girls’ and women’s education suffers from low levels of engagement. With programmatic preference for access to education, advocacy and policy, and skill development areas, NSP actors’ financing activity in girls’ and women’s education is largely concentrated in South Asia region and India. My analysis also shows that whilst private foundations play central and more influential roles in this network, such comparisons are complex due to the inherent hybridity in the NSP actors’ legal and operational definitions, which change from country to country.
Recommended Citation
Jadhav, Yogesh, "Great Hub of Activity: Social Network Analysis of Non-state Private Actors’ Financing Networks in Girls’ and Women’s Education in East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia" (2023). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 9551.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/9551
Creative Commons License
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