Examining the relationship between educational attainment and attitudes towards gender equality in Nigeria

Using novel survey data collected from the states of Kaduna and Edo in Nigeria’s Northern and Southern Regions respectively, this study examined the relationship between educational attainment and attitudes towards gender equality. The measure for attitudes towards gender equality was derived from the question, “A university education is more important for a boy than a girl,” with responses on a 5-point scale ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Educational attainment was measured on a 10-point scale ranging from “no formal schooling” to “master’s degree or higher.” Educational attainment was found to correlate positively with support for gender equality in the two states. Keeping all covariates at their mean levels, the analysis showed that a 1 unit increase in educational attainment increased the likelihood of respondents choosing the “strongly disagree” response category by 7 percent in Kaduna, and by 3 percent in Edo. Being female increased the likelihood of supporting gender equality in both states, while Muslim self-identification reduced the likelihood of supporting gender equality only in Kaduna.