School as sanctuary: The role of gender in post-secondary education transition in Cameroon

This paper considers the extent to which social and family-based gender stereotypes influence educational choices by exploring the educational aspirations of upper secondary school students in Cameroon. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 25 secondary school students in Yaoundé, Cameroon, the findings suggest that while gender stereotyped views shaped students’ perceptions of the family and wider society, their experiences and aspirations for education were formed differently and gendered expectations were less evident. Their views were structured around issues of equality of opportunity and the hope that the benefits and opportunities afforded by education would be shared. The role of the school and its teachers in shaping and nurturing these beliefs is also important and affords students, particularly female students, a form of sanctuary where they are freer to develop their own aspirations for education, away from the gendered norms in which they live their day to day lives.