Gender, Schooling, and Aspiration: A Contemporary Analysis of Secondary Education in Mozambique

This original research article investigates the gendered dimensions of educational experience and post-school aspiration within Mozambique’s secondary education system. While gender parity in enrolment has improved, significant disparities in lived experience and future outlook persist, yet remain critically under-analysed in the specific context of Mozambique. Situated within scholarship on gender, schooling, and youth in Sub-Saharan Africa, this study aims to fill a gap by critically examining how entrenched gender norms and institutional practices shape adolescent learners’ daily realities and their subsequent ambitions. Employing a sequential mixed-methods approach, the research collected quantitative survey data from 420 learners and conducted in-depth qualitative focus groups with 60 participants across four provinces in central and northern Mozambique between 2022 and 2023. Findings reveal a persistent, complex gendered landscape. While girls demonstrate strong academic performance, they report significantly higher encounters with sexual harassment and time burdens from domestic duties, negatively impacting school attendance and mental well-being. Conversely, boys face pronounced pressure to enter the labour market early, correlating with higher dropout rates. Crucially, career aspirations remain highly gendered, with girls disproportionately channelled towards traditionally feminine professions. The study concludes that equitable access alone is insufficient; transformative policy must address the socio-cultural barriers within and beyond the school gate. The implications advocate for integrated, national strategies combining curriculum reform, teacher training on gender sensitivity, and community engagement programmes to dismantle restrictive norms and foster genuinely inclusive futures for all Mozambican youth.