Sarcouncil Journal of Public Administration and Management

Abstract: Despite global efforts to achieve universal primary education, girls in rural, patriarchal societies remain disproportionately excluded from schooling. While macro-structural barriers are well-documented, the micro-level intra-household power dynamics that finalize girls' educational exclusion remain underexplored. Utilizing a mixed-methods design (N = 420 households; 15 key informant interviews) in rural Mardan, Pakistan, this study investigates how child gender and maternal education moderate family decision-making regarding school dropout. Drawing on Amartya Sen’s Intra-Household Bargaining Theory, the study employs Hayes’ PROCESS macro for moderated regression analysis. Results reveal a profound gendered asymmetry in household governance: Patriarchal Authority exerts a 32% stronger effect on the dropout of daughters than sons (Interaction B = 0.51, p = .009). Furthermore, the study identifies a "Structural Override" effect, wherein pro-education family values protect boys three times more effectively than girls (Interaction B = -0.954, p < .001), as external structural barriers neutralize positive family intentions for daughters. Crucially, while a mother's education fails to moderate final patriarchal authority (p = .489), it significantly moderates household rules (p = .005) and family discussions (p = .035). We conceptualize this as "bounded agency" educated mothers cannot veto the patriarch's decision, but they strategically negotiate harm-reduction at the margins. We conclude that interventions targeting maternal awareness are fundamentally insufficient without dismantling the patriarchal veto power and structural barriers that render girls' educational aspirations unviable.