Feminisation of Educational Marginality: Poverty, Early Marriage, and Access to Schooling Among Girls in Rural Bihar
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https://doi.org/10.66871/trf-j.v1i2.032##semicolon##
Feminisation Of Poverty; Educational Marginality; Early Marriage; Girls' Education; Rural Bihar; Gender Inequality; Intersectionalityसार
The concept of the feminisation of poverty highlights the disproportionate impact of poverty on women and girls, resulting from gendered structural inequalities. This study extends the framework to the feminisation of educational marginality, in which girls in impoverished rural contexts encounter systemic barriers to schooling that perpetuate intergenerational disadvantage. The analysis focuses on rural Bihar, a region characterised by high multidimensional poverty, persistent gender disparities, and elevated rates of child marriage. It examines how poverty and early marriage intersect to reinforce girls' educational exclusion. Drawing on secondary data from NFHS-5 (2019-21), UDISE+ reports, and peer-reviewed scholarly literature, the study employs intersectional and capability approaches to identify exclusionary patterns. NFHS-5 data indicate that 40.8% of women aged 20-24 in Bihar married before age 18, with significant disparities: 63% among those with no schooling compared to 12% among those with higher education, 54% in the lowest wealth quintile compared to nine per cent in the highest, and 43% in rural areas compared to 28% in urban areas. These factors contribute to elevated secondary-level dropout rates for girls, which historically exceeded 20% in Bihar between 2018 and 2022, but have improved to an overall secondary dropout rate of 6.9% according to UDISE+ 2024-25, indicating recent progress despite persistent rural vulnerabilities. These mechanisms constrain agency, silence subaltern voices, and reinforce feminised precarity. However, declining child marriage rates and targeted interventions, such as educational incentives, suggest potential for positive change. The study advocates for intersectional policies that prioritise rural Bihar to promote girls' educational inclusion, amplify marginalised voices, and advance gender equality and sustainable development in high-burden contexts.
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