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Doorstep News want to begin Women's History Month by recognising the millions of girls across the world who have been deprived of access to education, and explore the causes of this disparity.
Across the world, female education needs to be a development priority. According to the World Bank, better-educated women tend to be more informed about nutrition and healthcare, have fewer children (and their children are usually healthier, should they choose to become mothers), and, on average, educated women marry at a later age. The Malala Fund states that: “each additional year of school a girl completes cuts both infant mortality and child marriage rates.” Beyond this, educated women are more likely to participate in the formal labour market, and earn higher incomes. Combined, these factors improve livelihoods and help women become more independent, no longer having to rely on parents or husbands. According to UNICEF: “Girls’ education strengthens economies and reduces inequality. It contributes to more stable, resilient societies that give all individuals – including boys and men – the opportunity to fulfil their potential.”
According to some UNICEF estimates, 132 million girls are out of school, including 34.3 million of primary school age, 30 million of lower-secondary school age, and 67.4 million of upper-secondary school age.
However, education for girls goes above and beyond simply getting them into schools. To ensure that girls have a fair, and equal, education, it is necessary that girls are provided with the tools they need to learn effectively, a safe environment in the classroom, and are supported in the subjects/careers they chose to pursue.
Why are girls out of school?
Despite evidence demonstrating how central girls’ education is to development, gender gaps in education - and wider sectors - persist. According to UNICEF statistics, only 66 percent of countries have achieved gender equality in primary education, and at higher levels, the gap just widens. The reasons are numerous. Among countries and communities, the barriers to a girl’s education (such as poverty, child marriage, and gender-based violence) vary. In some places, schools do not meet the safety, hygiene, or sanitation needs of girls. In other places, teaching practices are not ‘gender-responsive’- this results in a gender gap in learning and skills development.
Arguably, the most important factor in determining a girl’s access to education is poverty. Studies constantly reiterate that girls who face multiple disadvantages (e.g. low family income, living in a remote area, have a disability) are the furthest behind in terms of having access to a high level of education. Across the globe, poorer families often favour boys when investing in education. Many girls are forced to drop out during primary education as their parents believe it to be a waste of their money to send a daughter to a secondary school. According to The Malala Fund: “The high cost of education prevents the most marginalised girls from getting an education. Eliminating school fees and offsetting indirect costs of girls' schooling has helped to increase enrolment and keep girls in school all over the world.” In addition, in many areas across the globe with fewer restrictions on child labour, families will often choose to send their daughters to work, instead of school. This obviously impacts the level of education a girl can receive, as everything they are taught is to help them within their job; very few are taught to read or write.
Another factor that massively impacts the access a girl has to education is being surrounded by war and violence. In areas of conflict, girls and women are the most vulnerable and girls are 90% more likely to be out of secondary school than those living in areas without violence. Moreover, in many countries affected by conflict, among the girls who do enter primary school, only a small few will reach (and far fewer will complete) a secondary level of education. Often, in developing countries, girls are forced to walk long distances to school. This places them in a situation of increased risk of violence: something many experience violence while at school. Recent data suggests that approximately sixty million girls are sexually assaulted on their way to, or at, school every year. This leads to lower attendance and higher dropout rates, as this can have serious consequences on the victims’ mental and physical health. Adolescent pregnancies can be a result of sexual violence or sexual exploitation, and young girls who become pregnant often face strong stigma, and even discrimination within their home communities. The burden of stigma, combined with unequal gender norms, can lead more girls to feel forced to drop out of school.
Periods have a huge impact on a girl’s education. It is estimated that one in ten girls in Africa will miss school when they have their period, as they do not have access to a toilet, or to necessary sanitary products at school. Action Aid estimates that, in Rwanda alone, every girl misses up to 50 days of school or work every year because of period poverty. Periods are a natural process and a part of nearly every girl's life, but girls facing period poverty have little choice but to stay at home. They are essentially putting their lives on pause. Missing days of school can lead girls to drop out altogether, putting them at a greater risk of child marriage, and getting pregnant at a younger age. Period poverty is not a tragedy that affects only the poorer parts of the world. According to Plan International UK, one in ten girls in the United Kingdom are unable to afford the hygiene products they need, and are forced to miss school as a result.
In some communities that Action Aid often work withs, “taboos and secrecy surrounding periods means that often girls have never heard of menstruation before their first period, making it a confusing and traumatic experience.”
Child marriage is also a critical challenge that many girls face across the globe; girls who marry young are much more likely to drop out of school and complete fewer years of education than their peers who marry later. Child brides are also more likely to have children at a younger age, and are more likely to be exposed to higher levels of violence perpetrated by their partner. This affects the education and health of their children, as well as their ability to earn a living. The World Bank reports that more than 41,000 girls under the age of 18 marry every day. Putting an end to this practice would increase the female expected educational attainment, and with it, their potential earnings. According to the report’s estimates, ending child marriage could generate more than 500 billion dollars in benefits annually each year.
Recent Barriers
Research groups believe that, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many girls are at risk of not returning to schools once they reopen. Research shows that violence against girls and women has increased during the pandemic; jeopardizing their mental health, their physical health, and overall well-being.
During the 2014-2016 school closures and quarantines due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, women and girls experienced more sexual violence, coercion, and exploitation than previously documented. School closures during this Ebola outbreak were associated with an increase in teenage pregnancies across West Africa. Once schools reopened, many “visibly pregnant girls” were banned from going back to school, further damaging their education.
Soon, with recent schools closing throughout developing countries, the world will most likely see an increase in drop-out rates as teenage girls become pregnant or married. As the World Bank reports: “As girls stay at home because of school closures, their household work burdens might increase, resulting in girls spending more time helping at home instead of studying. This might encourage parents, particularly those putting a lower value on girls' education, to keep their daughters at home even after schools reopen.”
Research proves that girls further risk dropping out of school if a household caregiver is missing, as the girls (typically) must replace the work done by the missing caregiver, who might be away due to work, illness, or death. Therefore, with the current COVID-19 pandemic, across the world, more girls than boys might be helping at home, lagging behind with studying, and dropping out of school.
"Gender-equitable education systems help keep both girls and boys in school, building prosperity for entire countries." - UNICEF
According to UNICEF, an education free of gender norms has direct benefits for boys, too. In many countries, stereotypes surrounding masculinity can fuel disengagement from school, leading to child labour, gang violence or recruitment into armed groups. The need or desire to earn an income can also push boys to drop out of secondary education as many believe the curriculum is not relevant to work opportunities.
Charities that strive to improve girls' education: