Africa-Asia University Dialogue for Educational Development-Final Report of Phase Ⅱ Research Results（1）Gender and Equity AFRICA-Asia University Dialogue for Educational Development -Final Report of Phase Ⅱ Research Results（1）Gender and Equity Foreword Declining Boys’ Participation and Performance in Kenyan Schools: Are Girls’ Education Projects Infl uencing New Forms of Masculinities? Efforts to Address Cultural Constraints to Girls’ Access to Education Among the Maasai in Tanzania: A Case Study of Monduli District Rethinking literacy: A case study exploring women’s informal learning in coastal Kenya Gender and Education in Niger: Access and Retention of Women in Higher Education Institutions Factors Affecting Female Students’ Academic Achievement at Bahir Dar University Gender Issues in Basic Education: A Study on Access and Retention in the North-West Zone, Nigeria Analysis on Equity Issues in Lower Secondary Education in East Uganda Diversifi cation of Madrasa Education in Rural Bangladesh: Comparative Study of Four Villages