CHARLES UNIVERSITY IN PRAGUE FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Institute of Political Studies Master Thesis 2016 Brittney Hrabik CHARLES UNIVERSITY IN PRAGUE FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Institute of Political Studies Brittney Hrabik Evaluating the Effectiveness of Interventions to Promote the Education of Girls in Rural Cambodia A Qualitative Approach Master Thesis Prague 2016 Author: Brittney Hrabik Supervisor: PhDr. Lubomír Cingl Academic Year: 2015/2016 Bibliographic note Hrabik, Brittney. Evaluating the effectiveness of interventions to promote the education of girls in rural Cambodia: a qualitative approach. 53 p. Master thesis. Charles University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Political Studies. Supervisor PhDr. Lubomír Cingl. Abstract The use of educational interventions to increase female educational attainment in developing countries has the potential to both provide women with more advantageous economic opportunities and contribute to economic growth. Achieving gender equality in education is an important first step towards achieving gender equality in the labor market. This thesis examines educational intervention programs that promote female education in rural Cambodia, and focuses in particular on conditional cash transfers. One such conditional cash transfer program in Cambodia is examined in more detail to determine its effectiveness. A qualitative evaluation was conducted in the form of focus groups and interviews with students, parents, and community members in the villages where the program was implemented. While the results of the study confirm the effectiveness of conditional cash transfers in increasing female attendance in school, the evaluation also revealed other factors that influence girls to stay in school. The study concluded that increasing the number of university-educated females in a girl’s life through a mentoring program could have a positive effect on female educational attainment. Though further quantitative study is needed to investigate the effectiveness of such an intervention, this approach could be a useful supplement or alternative to conditional cash transfers. Keywords Cambodia, conditional cash transfers, economic development, education, gender equality, human capital, intervention programs Range of thesis: 116,364 symbols including spaces; 53 pages excluding bibliography and appendices Declaration of Authorship 1. The author hereby declares that she compiled this thesis independently, using only the listed resources and literature. 2. The author hereby declares that all the sources and literature used have been properly cited. 3. The author hereby declares that the thesis has not been used to obtain a different or the same degree. Prague, 13.5.2016 Brittney Hrabik Acknowledgments First, I would like to thank my advisor, PhDr. Lubomír Cingl, for his insightful comments and guidance throughout the research and writing of this thesis. In addition, I would like to extend my thanks to both the Institute of Economic Studies and the Institute of Political Studies, and particularly Doc. Ing. Vladimír Benáček, CSc., for advice and encouragement throughout the entirety of my time at Charles University. Second, this project would not have been possible without the kindness and support of the Cambodian Arts and Scholarship Foundation (CASF). I would especially like to express my sincere gratitude to Julianna Nielsen, for allowing me to join the evaluation team. The staff and participants of the CASF program continuously contributed valuable perspectives and motivation throughout the project. Lastly, thank you to Victor for accompanying me to Cambodia and providing endless patience and encouragement. Master Thesis Proposal Institute of Political Studies Faculty of Social Sciences Charles University in Prague Date: April 30, 2016 Author: Brittney Hrabik Supervisor: PhDr. Lubomír Cingl E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +420 773 668 109 Phone: +420 777 171831 Specialisation: IEPS Defense Planned: June 2016 Proposed Topic: Interventions to Promote Female Education in Rural Cambodia Topic Characteristics: Cambodia’s economy has grown rapidly in recent years, with annual GDP growth rates averaging around 8 percent in the past decade (World Bank 2015). Despite the high growth rates, poverty levels remain high and concentrated in rural areas. In addition, Cambodia has some of the lowest education indicators in Asia. Cambodia’s dropout rates are especially high, including approximately 8.6 percent of primary school students and 22.9 percent of lower secondary school students yearly (Cambodia Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports 2015). When looking at the disparity in enrollment numbers between males and females, those rates become even more concerning. While gender equality can be argued for on moral grounds, it is also economically efficient and can help to promote economic growth (Barro & Lee 2010; Baptist 2010). This thesis will show the positive connection between improving gender equality in education and increasing economic growth, while addressing the research question of how educational organizations should best allocate limited resources in order to increase female educational attainment. Qualitative research will be gathered on one type of educational incentive that has been proven successful in other countries – conditional cash transfers (CCTs). A case study will be completed with a non-profit organization, the Cambodian Arts and Scholarship Foundation, which has implemented a CCT program in several villages in Cambodia. An evaluation of this program will be conducted in order to gather more information on the various components and effectiveness of CCTs, as well as to look at both intended and unintended consequences of the program. Working hypotheses: 1. Many children, especially females, in rural Cambodia do not attend school due to an underestimation of the benefits of receiving an education 2. Female drop out rates decrease when long-term, demand-side incentives are provided 3. Conditional cash transfers are an example of an effective educational intervention to induce females to complete their education, given the limited resources educational organizations in Cambodia hold Methodology: After examining the connection between gender equality in education and economic development, the specific educational policies and strategies used in Cambodia will be discussed. Individual level data will be collected in Cambodia in February 2016 with the Cambodian Arts and Scholarship Foundation. The sample size of the study will be approximately 125 people, including students, family members, education coordinators, teachers, community leaders, and alumni. The goal of the study is to identify factors that affect female education. The study will be held during a week of focus groups and one- on-one interviews. Outline: 1. Introduction 2. The Effects of Economic Development on Inequality 3. Gender Equality and Development 4. The Importance of Education in Economic Development 5. Cambodian Education Systems and Policies 6. Potential Barriers to Education for Girls 7. Strategies for Improving Education in Cambodia 8. Research Design and Background of Case Study 9. Important Findings of Case Study 10. Future Research 11. Conclusion Bibliography Baptist, S. et al., 2010. Evidence for action: gender equality and economic growth. London: The Royal Institute for International Affairs. Barro, R.J. & Lee, J., 2010. A new data set of educational attainment in the world. Journal of Development Economics, 104(April), pp.184–198. Cambodia Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, 2014. Education Statistics & Indicators. Phnom Penh: Kingdom of Cambodia. World Bank, 2015. Cambodia Data. Available at: http://data.worldbank.org/country/cambodia [Accessed December 2015]. Table of Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: The Effects of Economic Development on Inequality .................................... 3 1.1 Traditional Views on Economic Development and Inequality ........................................................... 3 1.2 Cambodian Economic Policies and Increasing Inequality .................................................................... 5 1.3 Inclusive Growth for Excluded Groups ......................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 2: Gender Equality and Development ...................................................................... 8 2.1 Empowering Women and Efficient Economic Growth .......................................................................... 8 2.2 The Path towards Gender Equality in Cambodia’s Labor Market .................................................. 10 Chapter 3: The Importance of Education in Economic Development ........................ 12 3.1 Investing in Human Capital via Education ............................................................................................... 12 3.2 Gender Inequality in Education and Development .............................................................................. 14 Chapter 4: Cambodian Education System and Policies ................................................... 15 4.1 Current Cambodian Education ...................................................................................................................... 15 4.2 Gender Inequality in Education in Cambodia ......................................................................................... 16 Chapter 5: Potential Barriers to Education for Girls ........................................................ 19 5.1 Financial Costs and Barriers .......................................................................................................................... 19 5.2 Social Costs and Other Barriers .................................................................................................................... 21 Chapter 6: Strategies for Improving Education in Cambodia ....................................... 22 6.1 Why NGOs are needed in Education Development .............................................................................. 22 6.2 Supply-Side Education Intervention Programs ..................................................................................... 24 6.3 Demand-Side Education Intervention Programs .................................................................................. 25 6.4 Conditional Cash Transfer Programs Around the World .................................................................. 28 6.5 Conditional Cash Transfer Programs in Cambodia .............................................................................. 30 Chapter 7: Research Design and Background of Case Study ......................................... 33 7.1 Case Study Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 33 7.2 Qualitative Research Methods ....................................................................................................................... 34 7.3 Common Objections toward Qualitative Approaches ......................................................................... 36 7.4 Research Design .................................................................................................................................................. 37 7.5 Research Constraints ......................................................................................................................................... 40 Chapter 8: Important Findings of Case Study ..................................................................... 41 8.1 Recurring Themes .............................................................................................................................................. 41 8.2 Effect of Conditional Cash Transfers on the Community ................................................................... 46 Chapter 9: Future Research ...................................................................................................... 47 9.1 Alternative Interventions ................................................................................................................................ 47 9.2 Suggestions for Future Research .................................................................................................................. 48 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 51 Appendix A: Brief History of Education in Cambodia ...................................................... 58 Appendix B: Svay Rieng Provincial Information ............................................................... 60 Appendix C: Guiding Questions for CASF Evaluation ....................................................... 61