Women’s education is currently at the center of international development discourse. In the discourse on education and development, “education” has tended to mean primary—and to an extent, secondary—education. The issue of higher education has so far received modest attention. This article examines the global situation of women, higher education, and development; suggests some possible reasons for the modest academic as well as policy-related debate on the issue; and considers some implications of the situation for analyses of women’s higher education achievements in developing contexts. It is argued that cultural context may play a major role in how women’s higher education is perceived, valued, and employed. Seen from an economic growth-related perspective, investment in women’s higher education may therefore appear less cost-effective than investment in men’s. However, seen from either a rights-based or a human development perspective, which considers women’s education and gender parity to be central indicators of development in themselves, women’s higher education stands out as a highly efficient way of shaping more gender-equitable societies and thus as a major vehicle for general development.
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