Feminist Theory

Feminist research is motivated by a desire to value women’s lives and contributions to society and to challenge societal conditions and practices that devalue women and girls. This entry first considers the nature of feminist contributions to the field of out-of-school learning (OSL). It then focuses on research that has taken up feminist perspectives to investigate three aspects of OSL: (1) girls’ home- and community-based learning, (2) gendered communities of practice, and (3) the contribution of women to facilitating OSL. Finally, this entry advances considerations for undertaking feminist research into OSL.

Feminist perspectives have made three major contributions to the field of OSL. First, feminist research is interested in social, cultural, and political pressures that adversely affect girls and women. The UNESCO has found that, globally, ...