Education Inequality: How Patriarchy and Policy Collide in Ghana
George Prince Atta

Abstract
Being born as a girl into this world seems to be a curse. Women have and continue to suffer various degrees of injustices and inequalities spanning from cultural, social, economic, religious, and political matters. These negative attitudes have affected their educational opportunities. But globally, education is recognized as the fundamental human rights—where every child has the right to receive quality basic education; it is a critical resource to reduce poverty, inequality, and the foundation for a successful life (Fast Track Report, 2011). Studies document the enormous benefits of girls’ education. This paper conceptualizes as well as theorizes the beliefs of traditional Ghanaian society on girls’ education and reviews certain factors such as socio-cultural, schoolrelated, and macro-level that impede the education of girls’ and argues for a shift in attitudes and policies to minimize the gender gap and improve the quality of lives of girls.

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