Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025)
Gender Dimensions of Education in Tanzania: A Review of Progress and Persistent Challenges in the Early 2020s
Abstract
This systematic review synthesises contemporary evidence (2021–2025) to critically analyse the gender dimensions of education in Tanzania. It assesses progress and persistent barriers towards achieving gender equity, set against national policy goals and Sustainable Development Agenda 4. Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, the methodology entailed systematic searches of academic databases (Scopus, Web of Science), institutional repositories, and grey literature. Pre-defined search strings and explicit inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied, followed by a structured screening and data extraction process. The findings indicate notable progress in girls’ primary school enrolment, attributable to targeted initiatives. However, a concerning reversal of these gains is evident at secondary and tertiary levels, compounded by significant regional disparities. Persistent challenges include entrenched socio-cultural norms, economic constraints, and school-related gender-based violence, which disproportionately affect adolescent girls’ retention and achievement. The analysis further identifies a critical gap in addressing boys’ underperformance in certain contexts and underscores the necessity for more nuanced, intersectional approaches that consider poverty and location. The review concludes that while policy frameworks are robust, implementation and resourcing remain inconsistent. Its significance lies in consolidating recent evidence to inform a more equitable and transformative education strategy, emphasising that genuine progress requires moving beyond access to address quality, safety, and holistic gender dynamics within Tanzania’s development context.
Read the Full Article
The HTML galley is loaded below for inline reading and better discovery.
How to Cite
Keywords
Research Snapshot
Desktop reading viewReferences
- Bataka, H. (2024). Global value chains participation and gender inequalities in Sub-Saharan Africa: Importance of women education. International Economics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inteco.2024.100483
- Bisaso, R. (2023). Exploring the Context for Enhancing Leadership Capacities in Pedagogy, Research and Community Engagement in Higher Education Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st Century. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3212-2_8
- Bobbo, A., Mohammadou, N., & Mohamadou, A. (2024). Effect of the Adoption of Information and Communication Technologies on Gender Inequalities in Access to Education in Sub-Saharan Africa. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4783361
- Boothby, N., Mills, A.L., Sharon, Y., & Salvatory, S. (2024). Rethinking Accelerated Education Programmes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. Education and Resilience in Crisis. https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.9692589.10
- Boothby, N., Mills, A.L., Sharon, Y., & Salvatory, S. (2024). ONE Rethinking Accelerated Education Programmes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. Education and Resilience in Crisis. https://doi.org/10.56687/9781529234718-008
- Bray, M. (2024). Shadow education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Privatization alongside and within public schooling. Education privatisation in sub-Saharan Africa: agendas, policies and trends. https://doi.org/10.21747/978-989-8156-35-8/edua2
- Charani, E., Mendelson, M., Pallett, S.J.C., Ahmad, R., Mpundu, M., Mbamalu, O., Bonaconsa, C., Nampoothiri, V., Singh, S., Peiffer‐Smadja, N., Antón-Vázquez, V., Moore, L., Schouten, J., Kostyanev, T., Vlahović–Palčevski, V., Kofteridis, D.P., Corrêa, J., & Holmes, A. (2023). An analysis of existing national action plans for antimicrobial resistance—gaps and opportunities in strategies optimising antibiotic use in human populations. The Lancet Global Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2214-109x(23)00019-0
- Daniel, B.K., & Bisaso, R. (2023). Trends and Challenges the Higher Education Sector Face in Sub-Saharan Africa: Introduction. Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st Century. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3212-2_1
- Edobor Arimoro, A. (2025). Access to Healthcare and Education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Human Rights and Standard of Living in Sub-Saharan Africa. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032628974-5
- Essien, A.A., & Moleko, M. (2025). Research on Language and Multilingualism in Mathematics Education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa Education Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2025.2455577
- Kibona, B. (2023). Higher Education and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: A General Overview. Human Development and the University in Sub-Saharan Africa. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38366-3_1
- Kibona, B. (2023). Contextualising the Role of Higher Education in Tanzania. Human Development and the University in Sub-Saharan Africa. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38366-3_2
- Kohnert, D. (2024). Expanding Horizons: Iran's Strategic Engagements in Sub-Saharan Africa Insights from South Africa, Nigeria, and Tanzania. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4917860
- Litvinjenko, S., Magwood, O., Wu, S., & Wei, X. (2023). Burden of tuberculosis among vulnerable populations worldwide: an overview of systematic reviews. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1473-3099(23)00372-9
- Mbodji, Y.C. (2023). Effects of public expenditure on education on gender inequality in education in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). Review of Education. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3398
- Nakamanya, F., & Bisaso, R. (2023). Constructing Identities of Females in Higher Education Leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case of Ugandan Universities. Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st Century. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3212-2_9
- Oganetse, D.K., & Phiri, D. (2025). Gender-Sensitive Literacy Policies in Distance Education. Literacy Policies for Equity and Inclusion. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-8427-5.ch010
- Olutola, B., & Nwogwugwu, N. (2024). Intimate Partner Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa. Gender-Based Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa. https://doi.org/10.5040/9798881895204.ch-0007
- Osmančević, L. (2023). The Humanitarian Approach to Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Humanitarian Education as an Essential Part of Higher Education Sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st Century. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3212-2_4
- Phiri, M.A., & Sikombe, S. (2023). Effects of COVID-19 on the Higher Education Online Learning in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Zambia. Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st Century. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3212-2_15
- Quist, I. (2023). Challenges facing education in Sub-Saharan Africa. International Encyclopedia of Education(Fourth Edition). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-818630-5.01087-3
- Silva, R.D., & Adrião, T. (2024). Trends of education privatisation research in sub-Saharan Africa from 1990 to 2020. Education privatisation in sub-Saharan Africa: agendas, policies and trends. https://doi.org/10.21747/978-989-8156-35-8/edua1
- Uetela, P.J. (2023). The Role of Higher Education in Nurturing Labor-Market in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Higher Education and Decolonization in Africa. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38973-3_3
- Walimbwa, M. (2023). Digital Transformation of Higher Education and Twenty-First-Century Skilling in Sub-Saharan Africa: Potentials and Challenges. Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st Century. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3212-2_18