archives@tulane.edu / In recent years, Rwanda has placed considerable emphasis on ensuring children achieve their right to development through investments in the critical period of early childhood. Additionally, development priorities in Rwanda include a commitment to gender equality through policies aimed at advancing opportunities for women. However, gender inequality in Rwanda persists, and children risk realizing their developmental potential. This study asks what role fathers play in achieving Rwanda’s priorities related to early childhood development within the context of gender equality by utilizing the gender as a social structure theoretical framework. Does adherence to cultural expectations of gender in Rwanda affect children’s outcomes? Specifically, the study asks three main questions. Does greater paternal engagement increase the odds that children will be developmentally on track? Does more equitable decision making between parents increase the odds that children will be developmentally on track? Does acceptance of violence against women by both parents lower the odds that children will be developmentally on track? To explore the research questions, logistic regression models were estimated using data from the 2014-2015 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey. This study found that children had lower odds of on-track social-emotional development when fathers held greater power and authority over mothers. It also found that when fathers engaged in activities not normally considered the domain of men, children had greater odds of on-track literacy-numeracy development, but that when women acted in ways seen as more masculine, children had lower odds of on-track social-emotional development, underscoring both the opportunities and complexities of working to dismantle gender inequality. The findings suggest that adherence to the cultural expectations of gender in Rwanda are not in the best interest of children, and that the role of men in society must be reconsidered in ways that challenge their power and privilege, but also free them of the constraints of their own gender. / 1 / Megha Patel
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TULANE/oai:http://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/:tulane_121835 |
| Date | January 2021 |
| Contributors | Patel, Megha (author), Adams, Michele (Thesis advisor), School of Liberal Arts School of Social Work (Degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Tulane University |
| Source Sets | Tulane University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | electronic, pages: 175 |
| Rights | No embargo, Copyright is in accordance with U.S. Copyright law. |
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