<![CDATA[This study analyses the vulnerability of girls’ access to formal education in poor female-headed households within the Kalak Pakpak community of Paggan Julu VIII, North Sumatra. Previous studies on educational inequality have generally focused on economic deprivation or gender discrimination separately, rarely explaining how patriarchal cultural structures, religious legitimacy, and poverty interact simultaneously in shaping educational exclusion among girls in indigenous female-headed families. This study uses a qualitative approach and a socio-legal perspective by synthesising Max Weber’s theory of social legitimacy and power relations with Amina Wadud’s Islamic feminist framework to analyse how patriarchal authority is socially reproduced and religiously justified within family and community life. Data were collected through life-story interviews with seven young female dropouts who entered marginalised labour sectors at an early age and were analysed using thematic narrative analysis. The analysis results reveal that the deprivation of girls’ educational rights stems not merely from economic hardship; the intersection of poverty, patriarchal authority, and gender-biased religious interpretations also contributes to such a hurdle. This study conceptualises this condition as “patriarchal poverty,” referring to a socio-cultural mechanism in which economic vulnerability and patriarchal norms mutually reinforce the exclusion of girls from formal education. From Weber’s perspective, unequal educational access reflects socially legitimised domination embedded in family and community structures, while Wadud’s perspecotive demonstrates how patriarchal interpretations of Islamic teachings obscure the Qur’anic principles of justice and gender equality. Consequently, being both economic actors and subjects of gendered exclusion is a burden for girls. Therefore, this study highlights the importance of integrating socio-economic empowerment, gender-sensitive educational policies, and inclusive religious reinterpretation to strengthen girls’ educational rights in marginalised communities. Future research is recommended to explore comparative studies across different indigenous and Muslim communities to examine the broader patterns of patriarchal poverty and educational exclusion. Keywords: Gendered Poverty; Educational Exclusion; Widow-Headed Households; Islamic Feminism; Right to Education]]>
