A comparison of mainstream and feminist theories to explain women's attainment of education in developed and emerging countries as it relates to individual achievement and life chances is presented. The questions of access to schooling and the years of education attained have become two critical indicators of women's progress. Mainstream theories…

Literacy for women is a frequently voiced need that most governments recognize officially as a high priority. Despite the expansion of public education, women (particularly poor and rural women) continue to show adult literacy rates lower than those of men. Five key challenges to the attainment of literacy emerge for women. The first challenge is…

A theory, anchored in a socialist feminist perspective, is presented about the state and the education of women. Propositions of the theory are compared with data from a study of 31 international development agencies about the behavior of the state regarding the education of women. The study focused on basic education, defined as the first 4 or 5…