Disruptions to education are widely experienced in sub-Saharan Africa
Gender parity at primary and secondary level has increased only marginally across sub-Saharan Africa. According to this UNESCO fact sheet on girls education, “for every 100 boys of primary school age out of school, there are 123 girls denied the right to education”. According to the KIX priority report for the Africa 21 hub (available in French only), gender disparities are exacerbated by disruptions to education that are widely experienced in the region, “Years of insecurity and conflict in eight countries represented by the KIX Africa 21 hub have disrupted education, displacing millions and forcing thousands of schools to close either long-term or intermittently”. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the situation globally, but its impact has been felt by some countries more than others, and by some groups more than others. Fewer girls had opportunities for continued learning during the pandemic.
Gender equality, equity and inclusion remains a crucial factor in achieving SDG #4
An in-depth mapping study conducted by the KIX Africa 19 hub, revealed disparities in enrolment in East, West and southern Africa, showing that more girls than boys continue to be disadvantaged. “Girls’ enrolment remains a challenge, with high female-dropout rates, families prioritizing education for boys over girls, early marriage and pregnancy, inadequate facilities for hygiene at schools, gender-based violence, and harmful gender norms and stereotypes”.
Further, according to this report, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted hundreds of thousands of families: mobility was restricted; jobs disappeared; and national economies shrunk.
“During the pandemic, women and girls are doing more unpaid household work, facing increased gender-based violence, and less able to access sexual and reproductive health services”, KIX Africa 19 and 21 hub reports showed.
Many children, especially young girls, were forced into child labour and early marriages.
With school closures and extended periods under lockdown, “the pandemic put many girls at higher risk of sexual violence, exploitation, child labour trafficking, teenage pregnancy and social exclusion”. World Vision International estimates that “as many as one million girls across sub-Saharan Africa may be blocked from returning to school due to pregnancy” in their ‘COVID-19 Aftershocks: Access Denied’ report.
Adolescent pregnancy is cited as a major cause for interruption of girls’ education in developing countries. Restrictive policies prevent pregnant teenagers from continuing with their education. Many African Union member states “have adopted continuation or re-entry policies to ensure that pregnant girls can resume school after giving birth” says Human Rights Watch. In 2020, following protracted efforts by human rights groups such as Equality Now, Tanzania and Sierra Leone lifted their bans on girls attending school while pregnant or continuing with school after giving birth.
Education stakeholders in 70 low and lower medium income countries of KIX highlighted gender equity and inclusion in education as both issues to address head on and to be tackled as cross-cutting topics in all KIX initiatives. “Each region faces unique challenges and opportunities, including the fundamental statistics of whether girls are at a disadvantage overall, or whether boys are”, according to the mapping studies of the KIX Africa 19 hub and KIX Africa 21 hub.
Research from the KIX Observatory on COVID-19 Responses in Educational Systems in Africa, highlighted several positive initiatives addressing gender equality and inclusivity in education in Africa:
1. In Mozambique, the Urban Sanitation Project made significant efforts to address health, water and sanitation, targeting the needs of girls. The government has constructed additional toilets for girls and are providing free sanitary products.
2. Senegal provided digital spaces for girls through the ‘Girls Out Loud’ initiative. Girls are mentored and connected to peers through Facebook groups. “Digital spaces allow girls to privately seek solutions to their personal problems”. COVID-19 information is also disseminated through the social media platform.
3. In Nigeria, the "Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment" (AGILE) project promotes girls secondary education. AGILE combines the use of digital technology, TV and radio to reach girls in remote areas. AGILE has been adapted to enhance distance learning.
4. In Kenya, Mali, Congo, Zimbabwe and Benin teacher training, especially among females, was “prioritised to strengthen capacity to support adolescent girls to cope with menstrual hygiene and to motivate them to continue with home and school learning”.
Addressing gender inequalities in education to achieve quality education is an important part of KIX’s work.
Credits:
The Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) is a joint endeavour between the Global Partnership for Education and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). All photos from https://www.flickr.com/photos/gpforeducation/