Lost Potential: Girls' Secondary-School Retention and Future Workforce Participation in Semi-Urban Ahmedabad, India
Abstract: This study examines factors associated with secondary-school discontinuation among adolescent girls in semi-urban areas surrounding Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and considers their implications for later workforce participation. The study draws on semi-structured interviews with approximately 15 girls aged 12 to 16 years, conducted in Hindi or Gujarati and subsequently translated into English. Participants described barriers including household responsibilities, financial pressures, expectations of early marriage, inadequate sanitation facilities, bullying, limited teacher support, and family attitudes toward girls' education. The findings are illustrative rather than statistically representative because of the small and non-random sample. Nevertheless, the interview accounts broadly correspond with previous research on gendered barriers to school retention in India. The paper argues that improved school infrastructure, teacher support, parental and community engagement, and access to skills training may help girls complete secondary education and strengthen their opportunities for formal employment. The study highlights the relationship between educational continuity, gender equity, and longer-term economic participation.
Keywords: girls' education; secondary-school dropout; workforce participation; gender inequality; semi-urban India; Ahmedabad; skills training
How to Cite?: Nami Makwana, "Lost Potential: Girls' Secondary-School Retention and Future Workforce Participation in Semi-Urban Ahmedabad, India", Volume 15 Issue 9, September 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1581-1586, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26919112635, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26919112635