Remove barriers to girls’ education
Jun 11, 2007
Gender inequality in education remains a challenge for Uganda.<br>Only 57.7% of female adults can read and write, compared to 76.8% of male adults. Though more girls are now going to school than ever before, thanks to Universal Primary and Secondary Education, the drop-out rate among girls is still
Gender inequality in education remains a challenge for Uganda.
Only 57.7% of female adults can read and write, compared to 76.8% of male adults. Though more girls are now going to school than ever before, thanks to Universal Primary and Secondary Education, the drop-out rate among girls is still much higher than among boys.
One explanation is the widely held view that a woman’s place is in the kitchen and there is, therefore, no need to educate girls. But there are other factors which contribute to the high number of girls leaving school prematurely.
Research has found that many girls drop out because of the time burden of collecting water. Women in eastern Uganda, many of them school girls, spend on average 15 to 17 hours a week collecting water. That is two full days of labour!
The distance to the well also plays a role. In Tanzania, school attendance levels are 12% higher for girls in homes 15 minutes or less from a water source than in homes an hour or more away.
Another reason is the lack of suitable hygiene facilities at school. Parents often withdraw girls from a school that does not offer adequate and separate toilets for girls because of concerns over security and privacy.
One study estimates that about half the girls in Sub-Saharan Africa who drop out of primary school, do so because of poor water and sanitation facilities. In Uganda, according to UN statistics, only 8% of all schools have sufficient latrines and just one-third have separate latrines for girls.
Girls’ education is key to development. Educated girls are more likely to have smaller, healthier and better educated families.
The Government has done a lot in trying to encourage girls to go to school, by providing free primary and secondary education.
But bringing piped water to the rural areas and providing better sanitation facilities in schools might be the other bit that is needed to not only get the girls onto the school benches but also keep them there.
Only 57.7% of female adults can read and write, compared to 76.8% of male adults. Though more girls are now going to school than ever before, thanks to Universal Primary and Secondary Education, the drop-out rate among girls is still much higher than among boys.
One explanation is the widely held view that a woman’s place is in the kitchen and there is, therefore, no need to educate girls. But there are other factors which contribute to the high number of girls leaving school prematurely.
Research has found that many girls drop out because of the time burden of collecting water. Women in eastern Uganda, many of them school girls, spend on average 15 to 17 hours a week collecting water. That is two full days of labour!
The distance to the well also plays a role. In Tanzania, school attendance levels are 12% higher for girls in homes 15 minutes or less from a water source than in homes an hour or more away.
Another reason is the lack of suitable hygiene facilities at school. Parents often withdraw girls from a school that does not offer adequate and separate toilets for girls because of concerns over security and privacy.
One study estimates that about half the girls in Sub-Saharan Africa who drop out of primary school, do so because of poor water and sanitation facilities. In Uganda, according to UN statistics, only 8% of all schools have sufficient latrines and just one-third have separate latrines for girls.
Girls’ education is key to development. Educated girls are more likely to have smaller, healthier and better educated families.
The Government has done a lot in trying to encourage girls to go to school, by providing free primary and secondary education.
But bringing piped water to the rural areas and providing better sanitation facilities in schools might be the other bit that is needed to not only get the girls onto the school benches but also keep them there.