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This thesis focuses on the inadvertent consequences, and thus the effectiveness, of sanctions.The purpose is to examine the impact of sanctions on girls’ education, and thereby on genderequality, in targeted states. The employed theoretical framework, based on previous researchin the concerned academic field, step by step connects how the implementation of sanctions isexpected to negatively affect girls’ education in targeted states. By deriving hypotheses fromthe theoretical framework, which are then tested through a quantitative methodology, thevalidity and effectiveness of the theoretical framework in explaining the scientific problemare evaluated. Thus, the thesis aims to complement previous predominantly qualitative workin the field by reaching more generalizable conclusions.

Among the generated results, very few are statistically significant and should therefore beinterpreted with caution. However, nearly all of the regression coefficients exhibit a directioncontrary to the expected outcomes. Consequently, this thesis does not find support for thenotion that sanctions necessarily have a negative impact on girls’ education, and thereby ongender equality, in targeted states. These findings are inconsistent with the applied theoreticalframework and previous research in the field. This call for further research to enhance theunderstanding of the scientific problem specifically, and the hidden cost of sanctionsgenerally.