Gender parity still a dream in Uganda
Jan 02, 2005
WHEN she noticed a huge brownish blood patch on her only school uniform, 12-year-old Anna (not real names) got scared. She immediately ran out of class with a crowd of boys following her, hounding and making fun of her.
By Stephen Ssenkaaba
WHEN she noticed a huge brownish blood patch on her only school uniform, 12-year-old Anna (not real names) got scared. She immediately ran out of class with a crowd of boys following her, hounding and making fun of her. Confused and embarrassed, she found her way home and for the next five days, she did not attend school until the completion of her monthly menstrual cycle. She has since dreaded to go back to school.
Anna is a typical example of the frustrating struggle the Ugandan girl child goes through to attain education. All too often she is left out of a system that favours boys.
So, as the world takes stock of progress towards one of the Education for All (EFA) goals of attaining gender parity in both primary and secondary education by 2005, Uganda is off the mark. Several factors, including unfriendly school environment is blamed for holding back the girl child from the education system.
At the launch of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) at the International Conference Centre recently, it was reported that despite basic education being free, only 49% of girls of school going age were in primary schools.
While this figure looks impressive, the reality is that many more girls still either do not attend or skip school due to gender related causes.
The coordinator of the Commonwealth Education Fund (CEF), Nickson Ogwal, says the figure of 49% could be too ambitious.
He said the Ugandan girl child still faced a number of barriers to education including bad cultural practices, civil strife, child labour, HIV/AIDS, inappropriate learning environment and unclear policies that still keep them out of school.
An information brief from CEF says the completion rate in Uganda was still very low with the drop out rates for girls being 77.9 % between primary one and seven, 62.1 % between senior one and senior four, and 69.1 % for Advanced level.
“Combined secondary level dropout rate for girls is 93.9 % while drop out between primary one and senior six is 98.7 %,†added the CEF document.
Statistics from the ministry of education and sports indicates that although 3,872,589 boys and 3,760,725 girls are enrolled in primary schools, the transition rate to primary seven stands at 20.9% for girls compared to 24.1% for boys.
Studies show that gender disparity patterns vary according to districts with the districts of Moroto, Lira, Nebbi, Kotido, Katakwi, Kyenjojo, Masindi, Gulu and Kitgum having the lowest enrolment for girls.
But the above scenario does not mean Uganda has not made tremendous progress towards attaining gender parity. The education sector annual performance report 2003/2004, shows that the percentage of girls in primary which stood at 46.3 % in 1996 had improved to 49.4% in 2004.
“This parity is already tending towards a 1:1 ratio,†the Permanent Secretary, Francis Lubanga said at the sector’s review workshop recently.
In the secondary sub sector, the ratio of girls to boys has also improved from 40 to 45.2% over the same period.
Like Ogwal, Margaret Nsereko, the assistant commissioner for primary education also doubts whether the paper figures reflect the true picture in our education system.
“If you take gender parity to mean numbers, then we are not doing very badly, but it is not just about numbers. It is about access, retention, achievements and completion. While enrolment figures are high, our major challenge remains how to get and keep the students in school,†Nsereko says.
In many areas poverty and unfriendly school environment for the girl child have been identified as the major causes of gender disparities in the education system.
“Many families cannot afford school requirements for their children. In cases where any extra expenditure on education has to be made, parents are likely to favour boys,†argues Rita Kyeyune, the ministry’s gender focal officer.
Kyeyune also said many girls drop out due to inadequate sanitation and hygiene facilities to cater for their privacy during menstruation.
But the ministry is not just sitting back. A gender task force has been formed to address the issue of gender parity. It a report, the task cited domestic chores, sexual harassment by teachers and boys, violence, gender discrimination in the classroom and poor enforcement of policies regarding child labour and girls’ re-entry to school after pregnancy as some of the factors still holding back the girl child.
Through the Education Sector Investment Plan, there are now several interventions to address gender disparity in schools. These include the recently launched sexual maturation project, meant to provide incinerators for safe disposal of sanitary materials and the Girl’s Education Movement (GEM), a child-cenred grouping aimed at empowering girls on issues affecting their education.
There is also the National Strategy for Girls’ Education, a partnership programme that regulates activities by different stakeholders in educating the girl child among others.
Ends
WHEN she noticed a huge brownish blood patch on her only school uniform, 12-year-old Anna (not real names) got scared. She immediately ran out of class with a crowd of boys following her, hounding and making fun of her. Confused and embarrassed, she found her way home and for the next five days, she did not attend school until the completion of her monthly menstrual cycle. She has since dreaded to go back to school.
Anna is a typical example of the frustrating struggle the Ugandan girl child goes through to attain education. All too often she is left out of a system that favours boys.
So, as the world takes stock of progress towards one of the Education for All (EFA) goals of attaining gender parity in both primary and secondary education by 2005, Uganda is off the mark. Several factors, including unfriendly school environment is blamed for holding back the girl child from the education system.
At the launch of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) at the International Conference Centre recently, it was reported that despite basic education being free, only 49% of girls of school going age were in primary schools.
While this figure looks impressive, the reality is that many more girls still either do not attend or skip school due to gender related causes.
The coordinator of the Commonwealth Education Fund (CEF), Nickson Ogwal, says the figure of 49% could be too ambitious.
He said the Ugandan girl child still faced a number of barriers to education including bad cultural practices, civil strife, child labour, HIV/AIDS, inappropriate learning environment and unclear policies that still keep them out of school.
An information brief from CEF says the completion rate in Uganda was still very low with the drop out rates for girls being 77.9 % between primary one and seven, 62.1 % between senior one and senior four, and 69.1 % for Advanced level.
“Combined secondary level dropout rate for girls is 93.9 % while drop out between primary one and senior six is 98.7 %,†added the CEF document.
Statistics from the ministry of education and sports indicates that although 3,872,589 boys and 3,760,725 girls are enrolled in primary schools, the transition rate to primary seven stands at 20.9% for girls compared to 24.1% for boys.
Studies show that gender disparity patterns vary according to districts with the districts of Moroto, Lira, Nebbi, Kotido, Katakwi, Kyenjojo, Masindi, Gulu and Kitgum having the lowest enrolment for girls.
But the above scenario does not mean Uganda has not made tremendous progress towards attaining gender parity. The education sector annual performance report 2003/2004, shows that the percentage of girls in primary which stood at 46.3 % in 1996 had improved to 49.4% in 2004.
“This parity is already tending towards a 1:1 ratio,†the Permanent Secretary, Francis Lubanga said at the sector’s review workshop recently.
In the secondary sub sector, the ratio of girls to boys has also improved from 40 to 45.2% over the same period.
Like Ogwal, Margaret Nsereko, the assistant commissioner for primary education also doubts whether the paper figures reflect the true picture in our education system.
“If you take gender parity to mean numbers, then we are not doing very badly, but it is not just about numbers. It is about access, retention, achievements and completion. While enrolment figures are high, our major challenge remains how to get and keep the students in school,†Nsereko says.
In many areas poverty and unfriendly school environment for the girl child have been identified as the major causes of gender disparities in the education system.
“Many families cannot afford school requirements for their children. In cases where any extra expenditure on education has to be made, parents are likely to favour boys,†argues Rita Kyeyune, the ministry’s gender focal officer.
Kyeyune also said many girls drop out due to inadequate sanitation and hygiene facilities to cater for their privacy during menstruation.
But the ministry is not just sitting back. A gender task force has been formed to address the issue of gender parity. It a report, the task cited domestic chores, sexual harassment by teachers and boys, violence, gender discrimination in the classroom and poor enforcement of policies regarding child labour and girls’ re-entry to school after pregnancy as some of the factors still holding back the girl child.
Through the Education Sector Investment Plan, there are now several interventions to address gender disparity in schools. These include the recently launched sexual maturation project, meant to provide incinerators for safe disposal of sanitary materials and the Girl’s Education Movement (GEM), a child-cenred grouping aimed at empowering girls on issues affecting their education.
There is also the National Strategy for Girls’ Education, a partnership programme that regulates activities by different stakeholders in educating the girl child among others.
Ends