The Interaction between Poverty and Gender in Human Capital Accumulation: the Case of the Primary Leaving Examination in Côte d'lvoire

Girls completing primary schooling in Côte d'lvoire are less likely to go to secondary schools because of inferior performance in the examination used to ration access. The gender gap in educational achievement varies with household economic status, with poverty inhibiting girls' performance more than boys'. Female students from poorer households spend less time in school than their male counterparts and allocate more time to housework. Reduced time in school has a negative effect on examination performance and hence time allocation explains much of the gender gap in educational achievement.