Impacts of Stereotypical Gender Role Expectations on Married Female Students
Evidence from the University of Dhaka
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/ths.2025.010Keywords
marriage, female students, gender role, stereotypes, expectationsAbstract
The topic of women's involvement in development has emerged as a crucial indicator for the successful execution of developmental endeavors in developing nations such as Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh is actively advocating for the mitigation of sociocultural attitudes and practices that hinder women's involvement and competitiveness in economic development and higher education. The education sector has witnessed an influx of women, leading to a significant number of them pursuing college degrees. Consequently, many are married and must balance academic pursuits with household and family responsibilities. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the impact of traditional gender role expectations on married female undergraduate students at the University of Dhaka. A mixed research methodology was employed, involving twenty-two female students and two key informant interviews. The study found that rigid labor divisions based on stereotyped gender roles place excessive strain on women, especially in caregiving and domestic duties, limiting their academic engagement. Unless the patriarchal system of unequal gender role expectations is modified, married female students will continue to face challenges, and their contributions to progress in education will remain constrained.
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