describing the barriers

External or Systemic Barriers

Some of the barriers that influence a woman's ability to access or gain an education are external or systemic. That is, they are allowed or even fostered by our society, by norms of behaviour, by institutions.

Some barriers have been raised by governments. While the barriers created by these regulations may be unintentional, and funding rules are an obvious example, the reality is that many women are disadvantaged. Other women face systemic barriers when trying to enter an education program. When a woman lives in a rural area, when adult education in her area is offered only to UI recipients, when it is not in her language or does not offer childcare or transportation, she may be unable to surmount these systemic barriers.

Some external or systemic barriers are created, tolerated or fostered by patriarchal attitudes in our society and in our educational institutions. The "boys will be boys" attitude that ignores degrading graphics or that laughs off simulated gang rape as part of a college initiation is at best degrading and can be so terrifying that a woman drops out of that institution. Such attitudes make educational institutions inhospitable to women. Attitudes of male students or teachers who feel that women exist to serve them also create barriers for individual women and for groups of women.

Systemic barriers include:

concern for physical safety at education centre. "Women have to park some distance from where the evening classes are and at the end of class, walk through a dark path with poor lighting and few people, to get to their cars. There is no lot attendant."

sexual harassment by male instructors or students. For many women, this reinforces their experiences in their homes; for others, it is reminiscent of public school.

psychological harassment by male teachers or students. Many girls are told that "girls can't do math," that "why do you want to go to college, you'll just stay home and have babies?" When a girl is told this for many years, she may begin to believe it. When she is a woman trying to complete her education, she may find it difficult to let go of this belief created by psychological abuse.

pressure to conform to rigid, outdated stereotypes. Many girls and women are made to feel that they should speak softly, defer to men and boys and not excel in sports and other physical activity.

funding requirements that disadvantage part-time students. Many student loan and scholarship programs are designed for full-time students. For many women who are survivors of violence or abuse, a full-time course load is not possible. They are disadvantaged because they are not able to get funding available to other students.