Female headship in households and children’s educational attainment in Ghana

This study examines the relationship between female household headship and children's educational outcomes in Ghana, contributing to evidence on gender and education in developing countries. Using data on adult children aged 22–30 from the 2012/13 and 2016/17 Ghana Living Standards Surveys, the study finds that children raised in female-headed households are more likely to enter primary school early and attain higher educational qualifications than those from male-headed households. These outcomes do not differ significantly between de jure and de facto female-headed households. The study also finds that late entry into primary school is associated with higher educational attainment among adult children. Household-level evidence suggests that female-headed households allocate and spend more resources on children's education, although this does not establish the mechanism underlying the attainment differences. No significant differences are found in children's time investment in educational activities between female- and male-headed households.