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This study focuses on the socio-cultural and institutional factors that affect female teacher deployment in rural primary schools in Nigeria. In Kwara State, there are extreme imbalances in teacher distribution between rural and urban areas due to female teachers’ active avoidance and/or attrition from rural posts. Given these problems, this article discusses an innovative use of the Capability Approach that informed a rural teacher deployment policy that addressed a number of issues that were specifically identified through female teachers’ values and lived experiences. This research not only had the positive analytical and political effects of prioritising the knowledge, participation and empowerment of female teachers; but it also provided a more fine-grained and holistic understanding of issues hindering effective deployment and retention of female Nigerian teachers, which informed the development of comprehensive and relevant strategies to address these.