ADB Regional Seminar: Gender Equality in Secondary Education, TVET and Skills for Employment

11 13 September 2013, Beijing, PRC

Gender Equality in TVET

Dr. Helga Foster Global Education and Training Berlin, Germany
The views expressed in this paper are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this paper do not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.

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Economic Growth, Incomes and TVET in

Asian Countries
Asian countries annual Economic Growth (GDP) is between + 3% - + 11% (2012/2013) Incomes did not grow simultaneously:

Low income countries: Lower Middle income countries:

Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kyrgystan, Nepal. India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste , Vietnam

Upper Middle income country:

PR China

Data source: World DataBank, World Deveopment Indicators. 2013. . http://databank.worldbank.org/data/download/WDI-2013-ebook.pdf

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Economic Growth and Workforce Qualifications

Asian countries have recognized the value of qualifications of the workforce for sustainable economic growth and higher incomes.

With high efforts to Modernize legislature for TVET, Expand the outreach of TVET regionally, professionally and socially.

Intensify the quality of TVET,

Cooperate with Industry and other stakeholders, Establish international TVET- collaboration , Initiate Gender Equality in TVET
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TVET - Systems

Formal TVET
Secondary Schools

Informal TVET
Industry

Technical/Vocational Schools

NGO

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Experiences in providing necessary skills for employment for girls and women
- TVET in Secondary Schools TVET -Programs at secondary schools do not yet benefit girls as expected, but

formal TVET offers the greatest and definitely most sustainable chances for girls and women to engage in
further training , life-long learning and to start and remain economically active.

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Secondary education - age 25 and older

in % widest gap

Country Cambodia Nepal Pakistan LaoPDR India China

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Female 11.6 17.9e 18.3 22.9e 26.6e 54.8e

Male 20.6 39.9e 43.1 36.8e 50.4e 70.4e

e

Gap 9.0 22.0 24.8 13.9 23.8 15.6

= estimated for 2010

Own calculations Data Source:UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2012)

3a

Experiences in providing necessary skills for employment for girls and women
-TVET in Secondary Schools Visible progress in countries with:

Low gender gap in secondary education;

Political engagement and regulatory frameworks for TVET and;
additional gender mainstreaming policies or action plans for TVET.

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Secondary education - age 25 and older

in % lowest gap

Country Mongolia Kyrgyzstan Sri Lanka Viet Nam

Own calculations

Female 83.0e 81.0e 72.6 24.7e

Male 81.8e 81.2e 75.5 28.0e

Gap 1.2 0.2 2.9 3.3

e = estimated
for 2010

Data source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2012)

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Experiences in providing necessary skills for employment for girls and women
- Informal/private sector TVET
Informal TVET is an option, not yet a solution to provide necessary skills for employment for girls and women, because Informal TVET often offers minor workplace exposure over a comparatively short time, merely augmenting the coursework in formal TVET, without contracts with TVET- schools , a narrow range of skills , skills not marketable on a wider labor market.

Good chances when guaranteed in-depth and systematic ways of training within an integrated and gender inclusive training program, capacity building of TVET and collaboration with different TVET providers and users.

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Experiences in providing necessary skills for employment for girls and women
- NGOs NGOs deserve the highest credit for initiating new and inclusive paths for womens skill development,
especially for women in rural areas or from disadvantages communities.

They cater to immediate education demands of girls and women,

tying in with the existing potentials of the target group and the region.

Work of national and international NGOs for girls and women are essential
discovery of the social needs and capacities of women, promote womens basic skills development and womens chances to earn a living or to become entrepreneurs.

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NGOs
But it is in the nature of NGOs - to operate only temporary, - within a limited geographical range, - with small target groups - accurately defined goals

- tight budgets and

- rare connectivity with formal training

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Experiences in providing necessary skills for employment of girls and women

- Apprenticeships Apprenticeships are work-related and mostly regulated by custom. Many are occupied by boys only, learning a craft from an experienced craftsman. Most apprenticeships for girls provide also applicable skills, but limited in in number and scope of occupations.
The German apprenticeship model Dual System where training runs over longer period of time, based on a specific training program with defined and broadly acknowledged tasks, skill standards and objectives, tests and a final examination , apprenticeships are sometimes offered as new scheme for TVET in Asian countries , mostly in cooperation with German donor agencies or companies.

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Some Key Gender Issues in setting Standards for TVET

Skill qualification standards are neither male nor female issues. It is the way in which subjects (skills) are conceptualized and packaged.
To develop better skills and raise the employability of women, TVET mission and goals on gender equality have to be defined on all levels through legislation, policy, and TVET providers : Gender budgeting; Reliable data basis on gender distribution in TVET sectors; Documentation and regular evaluation of training and employment levels; Measurements, quality standards and accreditation that consider womens pattern of training and skill building and labor force participation; Curricula relevant to womens needs and interests; Increased number of female trainers and teachers; Career Counseling, guidance and job placements Close connectivity to labor market demands.
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Links between formal TVET, industry, labor markets

For better cooperation on gender equality,

stimulate industry with incentives and rewards:

build Skills Councils assist with (local) infrastructure and transportation, offer preferential credits, financial support and tax deductions for investments in in- firm training facilities for girls and women.

For motivating girls and women: provide scholarships for TVET ; involve parents and the community in supporting TVET for girls and women;, provide role models ( through media, advertising) Increase female teachers, trainers and employers.
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Key determinants for womens disadvantages in the labor market

Persistent discriminatory social values, traditions and customs !
Missing legislation for equal pay and against gender discrimination in the private sector, disproportioned employment of women in export- orientated industries with low wages, insecure contracts (if any), lack of occupational safety and of working conditions,

unequal distribution of wages for same skills of men and women,

sometimes hazardous working conditions. Feminization of certain occupations and inferior conditions of womens work and

greater flexibility in terms of hiring and firing .

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Labour force participation rate

in % lowest gap

Country Nepal Cambodia LaoPDR Viet Nam

Female 80.4 79.2 76.5 73.2

Male 87.6 86.7 79.5 81.2

Gap 7.2 7.5 3.0 8.0

own calculations Data source: ILO (2012)

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Labour force participation rate

in % widest gap

Country Pakistan India Sri Lanka Timor- Leste

own calculations Data source: ILO (2012)

Female 22.7 29.0 34.7 38.4

Male 83.3 80.7 76.3 74.1

Gap 60.6 51.7 41.6 35.7

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Gender Issues in Labor Market Analysis and Career Guidance

Enrich traditional Gender Gap Labor Market analysis with additional indicators for gender differences in:

Wages,
Work conditions,

Employment status,
Work experience, Duration of work contracts, Family background and situation

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Conclusions/Recommendations
Policies

Incorporate gender issues in TVET policies and legislation Enhance and upgrade the public image of TVET Convince families, the community and industry about TVET for girls and women Challenge existing practices & stereotypical social understandings of masculinity Provide incentives for male students for typical female fields of training Provide incentives for female students for typical male fields of training.

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Conclusions/Recommendations
Actions
Improve TVET facilities and the material learning environment Guarantee safety for female participants Upgrade teachers competencies on gender issues Motivate TVET staff to set own guidelines and assessment scores for gender equality

Revise schoolbooks and curricula for anti-stereotyping

Engage fellow students and trainers in anti-discriminating and anti- violence topics
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Conclusions/Recommendations
Capacity Building
Develop high quality courses in TVET, also in rural areas; Consider and incorporate labor market data and developments; Involve industry and other stakeholders on regular basis in TVET planning and workplace training; Motivate females for technical priority areas; Hire and train female teachers and trainers for skill qualifications; Collect regularly sex- disaggregated data and report annually.

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When you dont try, you cant succeed

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END