The news magazine about the education of girls and women in Afri c a Volume 8 Number 3 July - September 2000 About FAWE The Forum for African Women Educationalists is a non-government organization registered in Kenya in 1993. The Forum has 27 full members who are African women ministers of education and women vice chancellors of universities, 36 associate members comprising male ministers of education and permanent secretaries and former full members of the Forum, as well as National Chapters in 31 African countries. FAWEвЂ™s Vision It is FAWEвЂ™s vision that by the year 2004 gender disparities in education will be significantly reduced, and more girls will have access to schooling, complete their studies and perform well at all levels. FAWEвЂ™s Mission Statement FAWE will work at continental, national and local levels, together with its partners, to create positive societal attitudes to reinforce policies and practices that promote equity for girls in terms of access, retention, per formance and quality, through influencing the transformation of educational systems in Africa. FAWEвЂ™s Goals Overall Goal вЂў To increase access and retention as well as improve the quality of education for all girls within the school system, and women in universities. Strategic Objectives FAWE will undertake the following strategic objectives for the years 20002004: вЂў To influence the formulation and adoption of educational policies on girlsвЂ™ education in order to increase access and improve retention and performance. вЂў To build public awareness and concensus on the social and economic advantages of girlsвЂ™ education through advocacy. вЂў To undertake and support experimental and innovative demonstration programmes to increase girlsвЂ™ participation in education. вЂў To empower girls through education for effective participation in the creation of an equitable society. вЂў To create and sustain partnerships with governments, donors, universities, NGOs, communities and other partners in education for effective implementation of programmes to improve girlsвЂ™ education. вЂў To strengthen its own organizational capacity to effectively implement programmes that promote girlsвЂ™ education. 2 Volume 8 Number 3 July-Sept. 2000 5 The Gender Gap in Education in Sub-Saharan Africa - Status and Trends 7 What are the Issues behind the Increasing Rates of Dropping out of School by Young People in Sub-Saharan Africa? 8 Focus on Poverty 11 What can we do to Fight Poverty and therefore curb Dropout among Girls 16 Adolescent Sexuality and Pregnancy 21 Sexual Harassment - A Major Hinderance to Learning 27 The Way Forward Departments 3 Editorial 4 Letters 28 Calendar of Events FAWE News is published quarterly by the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) to report on the education of girls and women across Africa. The Crew Editorial Committee Penina Mlama Lornah Murage Makau Ngola Margaret Crouch Rose Washika Art and Design Director Joab Owiro вЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂў FORUM FOR AFRICAN WOMEN EDUCATIONALISTS (FAWE) 12th Floor, International House Mama Ngina Street P.O. Box 53168, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: (254) 2 226590 Fax: (254) 2 210709 Email: [email protected] Website: http//:www.fawe.org вЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂў Missing out on FAWE News ?... Got anything to say..? FAWE News welcomes letters and contributions from readers. вЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂў ISSN 1026-1990 here is great concern in Africa today that gains made in improving girlsвЂ™ participation in education in the last two decades are being eroded by large numbers of girls who are dropping out of schools. Many are dropping out even before completion of the primary cycle. Those who leave school before mastering basic writing and reading skills frequently relapse into illiteracy and as future adults add to an already high percentage of illiterate women. Following the World Education Forum in Dakar in April 2000, most countries in sub-Saharan Africa renewed their commitment to fight causes responsible for girls leaving school prematurely. This issue of FAWE News looks at the problem of wastage in education under the theme Closing the Gender Gap in GirlsвЂ™ Education: Curbing Prof. Penina Mlama FAWE Executive Director Dropout. It reviews strategies and promising interventions that various governments and organizations like FAWE and other agencies are putting in place to combat dropout. There is special focus on poverty, the major underlying cause for large numbers of young people, particularly girls, dropping out of school in sub-Saharan Africa, and also the reason for the widening rural-urban education gap. We revisit progress made by countries in formulating and implementing policies on teenage pregnancy, and in particular, re-entry policies for girls who had been forced to leave school due to pregnancy. Finally, this issue of FAWE News looks at the efforts of a few courageous institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, who are starting to do something about sexual harassment in their midst, even as this insidious monster continues to spread its tentacles across the whole educational setup, from lower primary schools to universities. We hope that this issue will spark action on your part to start doing something about this problem of girls dropping out of school prematurely. вЂњIt has to be acknowledged indeed that we are still a far cry from basic Education for All, that it is still but a distant dream for hundreds of millions of children, women and menвЂќ KoГЇchiro Matsura Director General, UNESCO, at the World Education Forum, April 2000, Dakar Senegal 3 *************************** My Teacher There was a teacher whom I may say that he was not a good teacher. One day this teacher called me and told me to go and mop the office. I didnвЂ™t refuse to do what he told me. I went, collected water and started mopping. When I was still doing the work he arrived and asked me a question that was very difficult to answer. I went and told my friends about the question he asked me and my friend advised me not to listen to him any more. One day when I looked back and saw him I ran away and reached a group of women and we walked together. When he saw that I was in a group of old people he went back. When I reached home I told my mother about what the teacher had told me and my mother told me to report the teacher to the senior woman. I did so and the senior woman reported the man to the headmaster. The headmaster sent the teacher out of the school. I am now settled. Angela Nakintu Grade 6 *************************** 4 Dear FAWE, I humbly submit this letter through your Chapter in Uganda. First I would like FAWE to prevent further pregnancies in school completely by sending some representatives from your offices to schools in Uganda to teach them the side effects of early pregnancies. Secondly, I would like you to give advice to male teachers and boys to stop raping, defiling and befriending girls in school with an aim of ruining their future. Further more I would like you to stop teachers giving girls corporal punishment and hard tasks and let them give appropriate punishment. To add on that, I would like you to make sure that both sexes get equal education. Lastly I would like you to give solutions to problems affecting girlsвЂ™ education in Uganda not only that but also to give guidance and counselling. I will be grateful if my information is put into consideration. Nuku Hawa Uganda Dear FAWE, I am dissatisfied with the way our education system is countrywide as regards to the education of the girl child. The traditional gender roles which expects the girl child to perform most domestic chores e.g. cooking, washing and fetching firewood. I am interested in writing articles for your newsletters, books and other materials. I wish you all the best in the work you are doing to help girls and women further their education. Joyce Okawro Chakol Girls High School Busia, Kenya Dear FAWE, I am a girl aged 15 from a family of four girls and one boy. While at school, I met a girl who after a short time became my friend. We used to share our experiences and she once told me that she is a member of an organization which sends her magazines that help her to know much about her rights as a girl. I got very much interested and asked her if I could read the magazine myself and know more about it. I got more interested that I felt that it would be good if I could join the organization. I asked the girl what I can do to get in contact with you and she, Magdeline Wambui Waweru, advised me to write this letter. In our area, Molo, there is great discrimination of girls. Most parents educate their sons more than they educate their daughters. Boys are educated to the highest possible level while most girls are only educated upto standard eight. With help from you, I think I can be able to approach such parents to make them know that even girls have equal rights as boys. I also want them to know that educating a girl is like educating a whole community. I will be happy to see my area improving and stoping to despise girls because many of them end up being prostitutes or being married at a very early age and living bad and unpleasant lives. I will be sharing with you how our area is improving and how I have helped other girls, especially school leavers. Wanjugu C. Margaret Jomo Kenyatta High School Nakuru, Kenya Millions Are Missing! ccess to a good quality education is acknowledged as a basic human right. Nevertheless, while enrolment rates have increased globally over the last three decades, in the developing world today: вЂў More than 130 million 6вЂ“11year-olds are out of school. Some 81 million (60 percent) of them are girls! вЂў More than 273 million 12вЂ“17year-olds are out of school, 148 million (54 percent) of whom are girls! вЂў Of the 100 million children who drop out of school before completing four years, twothirds are girls. The gender gap is widest in the poorest countries, the majority of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. Explanations for this human tragedy abound: Tuition and other In many Sub-Saharan schools are inadequately equipped, and curricula biased and irrelevant. fees are beyond the means of the majority of families. Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing, which take girls out of school, are on the rise. Traditional beliefs about girlsвЂ™ and womenвЂ™s roles discourage investment in their education. Moreover, teachers are often poorFigure 1 ly trained, schools inadequately equipped, and curricula biased and irrelevant. And in some cultures, the lack of separate facilities, the вЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂў Tuition and other fees are beyond the means of the majority of families. Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing, which take girls out of school, are on the rise. вЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂўвЂў long distances to school and the predominantly male teaching staff constitute major barriers to girls participation in education. 5 Poverty a major obstacle to keeping children in school. Dropping Out: Wasted Opportunities Compared with other regions of the world, sub-Saharan Africa is doing poorly in retention of children in schools. Except in a few countries like SeychellesвЂ”with Mauritius following very closelyвЂ” dropout and repetition rates are high especially among girls beginning at the primary level and continuing through secondary schools to universities and colleges. Only 67 percent of the children who enter the first grade of primary school eventually reach grade five, which means that a full third drop out along the way! Dropping out and repeating grades exact a terrible personal toll on the pupils involved and absorb a large share of the limited resources available for education. It is estimated that countries in subSaharan Africa spend US Dollars 18,800 million per year on education and US Dollars 16,167 million (32.8 per cent) is spent on wastage before grade five. (1995 6 in rural and urban areas in almost all countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Figure 2). Urban institutions enjoy better teachers and more resources and facilities than do rural institutions. These in turn give rise to disparities in rates of pupilsвЂ™ enrolment, participation and performance. In countries like Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, where bold initiatives have been used to improve schooling throughout the country, attendance in primary schools in rural EFA Forum Secretariat, UNESCO). This is the highest wastage in all less developing regions of the world. The UrbanвЂ“Rural Gap There is a distinct disparity between the quality of education Figure 2 areas is lower than urban areas by about 19 percent or less. In countries like Niger and Burkina Faso, attendance is lower by nearly 50 percent. WomenвЂ™s Illiteracy The combined effects of continuing low enrolment, high repetition and dropout among girls in subSaharan Africa have undermined and frustrated efforts to eradicate adult literacy, particularly among women. According to UNICEF's State of the World Children вЂ“ 2000, some 16 of the 22 countries with 70 percent or more illiterate women are found in sub-Saharan Africa. In two of these, over 90 Paralyzing Effects of Poverty he average person in nearly every sub-Saharan African country is poorer today than they were a decade ago. Most countries are in deep financial crises manifested in: mass retrenchments, collapse of businesses, unprecedented unemployment, rising costs of food, education, health services, power, waterвЂ”the list is endless. According to World Bank reports, the rates of economic growth in most countries in subSaharan Africa are stagnant or declining. The annual per capita gross national product (GNP) growth in the region up to the early 1980s was 2.8 percent. By mid 1990s, it had plummeted to вЂ“0.1 percent. For many countries the capacity to manage the education sector is increasingly under threat. Rising levels of poverty have reduced familiesвЂ™ abilities to provide for the basic needs of their children. This is reflected in growing rates of school dropout particularly among girls. AIDS вЂ“ The Aggressive Invader oday in sub-Saharan Africa, home to the 21 countries with the highest HIV prevalence, HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects the young, the poor and the powerlessвЂ”girls and women in particular. In this region alone we find: вЂў More than 80 percent of the world's HIV/AIDS-infected women вЂў вЂў 87 percent of the world's HIV/AIDS-infected children 95 percent of the worldвЂ™s AIDS orphans Figure 3 The majority of the orphans are left with no hope for education. Resources that could have been used for their education go to caring for the sick. Girls, more than boys, are likely to drop out of school to care for the sick or to bring up orphaned siblings. Or they end up as prostitutes out of despair. HIV/AIDS threaten to undo much of what has been accomplished in education in the last several decades. (Fig. 3 AIDS orphans) alone, mostly within countries. These created more than 8 million refugees or displaced persons. In 1998 alone, an estimated 200,000 Africans, most of them women and children, died as a result of war and conflict. Thousands of others were maimed and remain psychologically scarred by what they endured or witnessed. Like the ravages of poverty, todayвЂ™s conflicts threaten many of the achievements in education that people have laboured long decades to attain. Insecurity, destruction of infrastructure, displacement of people, among others, cut short the education careers of many pupils, particularly girls. Do We Give Up? o! Poverty, conflict, disease, pregnancy or gender discrimination are all challenges that can be confronted and conquered, no matter how entrenched they may appear. The important thing is to direct efforts towards those points with the greatest potential for change and impact. Several efforts are underway in various countries aimed at confronting these challenges. FAWE, as a panAfrican NGO, is at the forefront of these efforts contributing to designing and formulating strategies to reduce the effects of these factors on girlsвЂ™ participation in education. TodayвЂ™s Conflicts вЂ“ Arenas of Flagrant Atrocities n the last three decades, over 30 wars have gone on in Africa 7 A Major Obstacle to GirlsвЂ™ Education overty, in the new millennium, continues to be the single biggest obstacle to education for both boys and girls in sub-Saharan Africa. Demand for education continues to be lowest in areas where poverty is deepest and most widespreadвЂ”rural areas and urban slums. The relatively new concept of cost-sharing, fuelled by the unrelenting economic crisis in Africa and structural adjustment programmes (SAPs), and now compounded by challenges and threats such as HIV/AIDS and widespread conflicts and war, mean that already impoverished households have to dig deeper into their pockets to pay more for their childrenвЂ™s education. Even where tuition fees are not charged, other levies and expenses such as registration and examination fees, building funds, book costs, uniforms, etc., push schooling out of reach for a significant number of children. In some countries it is estimated that parents are responsible for over 70 percent of the cost of their childrenвЂ™s education in government schools. The result, depending on the economic abilities of different communities, is wide variation in schoolsвЂ™ resources and facilities, which in turn gives rise to disparities in student participation and performance. Where poverty is especially wrenching, as in rural areas, the disparities are great. Furthermore, the economic 8 pressures facing African governments are having a negative impact on other components of the education sector, including the inspec- WHY IS THERE SO MUCH CONCERN ABOUT KEEPING GIRLS IN SCHOOL? Young people who drop out of school before acquiring the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy may lapse back into illiteracy. In urban areas, these young people are likely to end up in the streets, adding to the problems of delinquency and crime. Street girls are at risk of getting sexually molested, contracting diseases and bearing children they are unequipped to look after. Their potential contribution to national development is severely undermined. However, for those who persist in acquiring an education, research has shown that there are important payoffs: вЂў Basic education is critical for economic growth and poverty reduction. вЂў Educating girls reduces the number of mothers who die during childbirth. In South Africa, where female enrolment rates are low, maternal mortality rates are about 10 times greater than in East Asia, where many more girls go to school. вЂў Educating girls reduces the number of children who die. Evidence from 13 developing countries shows that a 10 percent increase in female literacy helps lead to a 10 percent reduction in child mortality. вЂў Educating girls reduces fertility rates. Studies show that an additional year of womenвЂ™s schooling can reduce female fertility rates by 5вЂ“10 percent. вЂў Educating girls improves family health. Recent research shows that there is a strong correlation between low school enrolment rates for girls and high rates of HIV/AIDS. вЂў Educating girls increases the education of their children and their childrenвЂ™s children. The benefits of girlsвЂ™ education pass from generation to generation. вЂў Educated mothers are better able to prepare their children to be successful in school and in the labour market. вЂў Educating girls has important environmental benefits. Several World Development Reports conclude that investment in female education is one of the highest return investments in environmental protection that a developing country can make. вЂў Educating girls help growth. Girls' primary school enrolment rates have strong positive effects on GNP per capita. вЂў Educating girls increases productivity. A study of maize farming in Kenya found that an additional year of education for women increased production by over 20 percent. Source: GirlsвЂ™ Education (1999), World Bank torate, curriculum development, examination, teacher training and in-service programmes and salaries. There is a deterioration of education quality particularly in rural areas due to non-inspection of schools and services, low teacher morale, and rampant cheating in examinations and grading. All these have negative effects on student participation and performance, especially for girls. Why do girls continue to bear the brunt of householdвЂ™s eco nomic difficulties even where there has been a dramatic increase in awareness of the benefits of girlsвЂ™ education? With the crippling poverty, the rural poor and urban slum dwellers find it increasingly difficult to wait for the long-term benefits of investing in their childrenвЂ™s education. They say they need help and need it now and therefore see the contributions of everyone in the family including the children as indispensable to the survival of the household. The opportunity cost of educating girls in sub-Saharan Africa remains higher than that of educating boys. Poverty Disillusions Parents As poverty continues to bite, unemployment, mass retrenchments, young people dying of AIDS, increasing crime among Some organization reduce the number of drop-outs by taking some form of education to the homes of those who cannot get themselves to schools. adolescents have all become common features in poor rural and urban communities alike. At the same time, parents see hordes of school dropouts, both male and female, engaged in all manners of low paying jobsвЂ”hawkers, factory labourers, domestic servants, market porters, car wash boys, drivers and conductors of public service vehicles, garbage collectorsвЂ”and all are at least able to feed themselves and send something to their rural folk. Such parents start to wonder whether it does not make more economic sense for their children to be engaged in one of these low-paying jobs than to continue with an education they can hardly afford and whose lauded benefits have become so elusive? For these people, it is crucial to rekindle their faith in the importance of education. This can only happen if measures to reduce poverty are seriously considered. This will call for concerted government efforts to foster economic growth that benefits the poor. Poverty Puts a Price Tag on Girls Although research in the last three decades has established the value of educating girls, in most of rural sub-Saharan Africa, girls are still viewed as an important source of family income. Institutions like bride price, polygamy, motherhood and fines for adultery make the economic value of girls, particularly in rural areas, remain high. As poverty increases, this value takes on a significant meaning, particularly as girls' approach puberty. In such an environment, expected additional household income often takes priority over education of the girl (Figure 4). Poverty Widens the RuralUrban Education Gap Demand for education in subSaharan Africa continues to be lowest in rural areas where poverty is more endemic and widespread 9 most countries. because of inconsistency in their Their school performance as a result of haphazattendance is freard attendance or starting school quently interlate. At the level of technical colrupted by temleges and tertiary institutions, porary suspenmany students from poor homes sion for non-payare responsible for their own edument of fees or cational costs. For girls, this opens punishment for them to threats of sexual exploitaarriving to school tion with risks of pregnancy and late or being in diseases. tattered uniform. These hardships Poverty Saps Teachers' discourage the Morale students, who lag TeachersвЂ™ qualifications, experibehind in their ence, competence and attitudes academic work play a critical role in shaping the and are made to process of teaching and learning. repeat or drop Findings from various studies have Keeping girls, and boys, in school remains a complex out of school. shown that schools in rural areas process because the reasons for dropout are many and More pupils in lack the full complement of qualiinvolve both the demand for and supply of school places. rural schools fied teaching staff. Inadequacy in than urban and where opportunities for schools are made to repeat grades Continued on page 12 income generation are limited. Extra Coaching Students in rural areas, have a FEMSA studies in Uganda, Tanzania, Cameroon and Ghana have great deal to contend with. Often found a high correlation between high scores in subjects like maths and they must travel long distances to science and going for extra tuition after school. Children in rural areas school. They may lack essential hardly ever go for extra coaching because of the expense involved and textbooks and basic learning household chores that do not allow time for the extra coaching. There is equipment. They cannot afford to also parents' fear for the safety of their children, especially daughters, participate in costly extra-curricubecause coaching is normally conducted in teachersвЂ™ homes in the lar activities including extra coachevening and on weekends and the majority of the tutors are male. ing that has become so popular in Source: FEMSA Dissemination Report No. 13. Students Attitudes to Learning SMT Figure 4. Differences by mean score between urban and rural areas in 10 African countries Life skills Botswana Madagascar Malawi Mali Morocco Mauritius Niger Senegal Tunisia Uganda 0 4 2 11 5 4 0 0 7 1 Writing/reading 4 13 2 7 3 6 5 2 6 7 Mathematics 11 2 2 5 7 2 5 9 4 2 Source: EFA, Status and Trends 2000, Assessing Learning Achievements 10 actors shown to be responsible for girls dropping out of schools are complex and interrelated and stem from the home, the school, the community and from governmental levels. Therefore, strategies or interventions designed to fight poverty will only be of benefit if all these levels of stakeholders are sufficiently sensitized to appreciate the advantages of keeping girls in school and are therefore ready to exercise their respective roles. For example, giving bursaries to girls from poor homes will be of little benefit, if the only schools available are far from home and there are therefore fears of insecurity; or if the girls are expected to remain at home to look after their siblings; or if the practices in their community call for early marriage and motherhood; or if the girls themselves are not sufficiently assertive to insist on their rights to continue with an education of their choice. To be able to curb dropping out of girls from schools therefore, it is important to involve policy makers, NGOs, schools, community, parents and the young people themselves. As National Governments, we must: вЂў Foster economic growth that benefits the poor (see extract from World Development Report-2000 Attacking Poverty) вЂў Lower the direct cost of schooling by establishing bur- вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў sary schemes, waiving or reducing fees for girls and supplying textbooks (see Tanzania case study on page 13) Lower the opportunity cost of schooling by establishing flexible school hours, having childcare facilities near the schools, development of time and energy saving devices Strive to eliminate all forms of gender discrimination from all learning situations, including curriculum, textbooks, classroom interactions, use of space and use of all resources (see ABC of Gender Analysis on page 13) Expand access and bring schools closer to communities. Establishment of satellite schools and use of multigrade and double shift classes has improved access in rural areas. Increase and improve boarding facilities for girls especially at post primary levels (see advan tages of boarding schools page 15) Increase the proportion of government public expenditure allocated to education. This, however, must be accompanied by a serious commitment on the part of government and all other stakeholders to promote and support girls education, otherwise it will not produce the desired impact on access and retention. For instance, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Ethiopia by 1998 were spending over 50 percent of their public current expenditure on primary education. Whereas Zimbabwe and Malawi registered close to 100 percent enrolment in primary schools, in Ethiopia, only a third of its primary school age children were in school, with the ratio of girls being even lower (EFA Status and Trends: Wasted Opportunities, UNESCO 1998) вЂў Provide culturally appropriate facilities. Schools must conform to the communitiesвЂ™ cultural standards. For example, in parts of North Africa and AfricaвЂ™s Sahelian Region, girlsвЂ™ performance improve if they can attend single-sex schools. вЂў Increase the pool of female teachers especially in those rural and traditional communities where girls, after puberty, are prohibited to be in contact with males until after marriage. Recruitment procedures that give priority to females in a community, offer incentives such as housing, training, transport allowance and other stipends can be used to increase the pool of female teachers in girlsвЂ™ schools. As Schools, we must: вЂў Encourage girls to participate fully in classroom and school activities. Prevent any form of sexual harassment or use of words, gestures or actions that demean their dignity. Girls are more motivated to learn and to persist in education if they are treated well, given leadership 11 Continued from page 11 roles and responsibilities and if the teaching methods are of high quality and of relevance to them вЂў Look after the welfare of teachers by paying attention to their needs such as professional development programmes, job advancement, proper working hours, provision of health programmes, regularity in paying salaries, etc. These go a long way in boosting teacher morale and improving interaction with pupils and therefore their retention in school. вЂў Institute empowerment programmes for girls to help them build up confidence, enhance their self-esteem and assertiveContinued from page 10 numbers and training is compounded by rampant absenteeism and lack of motivation by those around. Some teachers leave their classrooms to engage in other income-generating activities to supplement their poor and irregularly paid salaries. Ill health and eventual death from HIV/AIDS is decimating the teaching force in many areas. In one study in Ghana, pupils revealed that their teachers regularly used them as farmhands or labourers for small pay or as punishment during class hours. Clearly, significant improvement is necessary in the overall status and welfare of teachers in rural schools in order to boost their morale and 12 ness. FAWE has instituted a number of empowerment programmes for girls in collaboration with her national chapters in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Chad, The Gambia, Rwanda and Burkina Faso, which among other activities, invite African women achievers to address them on issues of self development. As Community, we must: вЂў Understand and recognize the rights of the girl child, in particular the right to an education and the right to be protected from threats to her well being such as early marriage, sexual molestation and circumcision reinvigorate their enthusiasm and commitment toward their work. Poverty Runs Down Facilities The physical state of government schools in a country is a reliable indicator of the economic wellbeing of that particular country. With the ongoing economic crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, many schools particularly those in rural areas are in pathetic state. Buildings are run down, there is shortage of furniture, equipment and learning materials, basic amenities like water, electricity and sanitation are lacking. Under these circumstances, quality of teaching and learning drops and the gap in academic performance between urban and rural schools continues to widen. вЂў Ensure the safety of our daughters by collaborating with the civic and political establishments to provide schools near homes. As Parents, we must: вЂў Support our daughters in their studies by not placing too much demand on the time they are required to be in school or doing their homework. Failure to keep up with other children in class leads to frustrations and may lead to dropping out of school. вЂў Abandon gender discrimination and outdated traditions such as circumcision and other initiation rites that may be viewed as now giving a girl the Poverty Keeps Out Role Models In rural areas, where transport and communication are poor, the school provides the only setting in which children can meet authority figures other than their parents and learn about the world that lies beyond their local community. For girls, this is usually the only place where they see educated women at work and the only opportunity they have to learn that the gender roles existing in their village can actually be challenged and changed through a good education. This suggests the importance of increasing the number of female teachers in schools in rural areas. right to start participating in activities that will lure her from school. вЂў Actively take an interest in the participation and performance of our daughters in school which motivates them to work hard and allow no room for thoughts of ever wanting to abandon school. ****************************** Attacking poverty World Development Report 2000 argues that each country must devise its own poverty reduction strategy focusing on three sets of issues: Opportunity: Expanding economic opportunity for poor people by stimulating economic growth, making markets work better for them, and allowing them to acquire assets such as land and education. Empowerment: Strengthening the participation of poor people in local decision making that affects their lives and removing social barriers that result from distinctions of gender, race, ethnicity and social status. Security: Reducing poor peopleвЂ™s vulnerability to sickness, economic shocks, crop failure, natural disasters and violence, and promoting ways for them to cope with misfortune when it occurs. Extracted from Commentary on World Development Report 2000, by Nicholas Stern, Chief Econo mist, Development Economics, World Bank ****************************** STRATEGY: ABC OF GENDER ANALYSIS The ABC of gender analysis is simply a gender screen that teachers, researchers, artists, illustrators and all those in the education sector to review and analyse text books and other educational materials and resources for gender responsiveness. It is a module that provides a reliable and simple tool whose application opens the eyes of the user to gender disparities and discrimination. The module is the result of an exercise commissioned by FAWE in 1995 which involved analysis of a cross section of textbooks, curricula, extra curricular activities and school resources from various African countries by a team of gender specialists. The ABC of gender analysis operates on the premise that learning material and activities have of necessity to appeal to male and female learners alike in order to make knowledge equally accessible to both sexes. This means that resources like textbooks have to be women- and men-friendly by representing and presenting their worlds in such a way that both can identify closely with the subject matter. COMPONENTS OF THE FRAMEWORK The framework has two interrelated parts: Part 1 deals with presentation, use of framework and analysis and strategies. The first has to do with the composition of the text, while the second deals with the identification of gender gaps through the use of both qualitative and quantitative data, leading to the identification of appropriate strategies for bridging the gender gaps. Part 2 focuses on the school environment. This asks questions about the physical and human interactions, such as between teachers and pupils of both sexes and also among themselves. As efforts continue worldwide to achieve equality of participation in education, the ABC of gender analysis framework has indeed proven a useful tool for understanding the degree of gender responsiveness of textbooks and other learning material, as well as what one may need to change or raise awareness about in order that learning materials address the interests of both learners. For more information on this framework, please contact the FAWE secretariat. As FAWE and agencies interested in education, we must: вЂў Continue to sensitize the public on the social and economic benefits of educating girls вЂў Undertake and support innovative programmes that increase girlsвЂ™ participation in education вЂў Create and sustain environments that encourage different stakeholders in education to effectively implement programmes that promote girlsвЂ™ education вЂў Develop and sustain mechanisms of monitoring policies, practices and programmes that influence girlsвЂ™ education вЂў Develop and support educational programmes for the empowerment of girls for effective participation in the social and economic development of their nations. 13 CASE STUDY - TANZANIA Addressing Poverty through Bursary Schemes Background During the early 1990s findings from a social sector review conducted in Tanzania revealed that the level of achievement in the social sector as a whole had deteriorated. For example, the gross primary school enrolment rate, which should have been well over 100 percent by now if previous improvements had been sustained, dropped from 93 percent in 1980 to 77.8 percent in 1991вЂ™s and to 76.4 percent in 1998. (MOEC, 2000). This review concluded that increasing enrolment and improving the quality of schooling at both the primary and secondary levels, coupled with increasing opportunities for girls, are the highest priority areas for investment to reverse this stagnation in human capital. Intervention To address this problem, the Girls Secondary Education Support (GSES) programme was initiated in 1996. The goal of this programme is: 1. To expand educational opportunities for girls from poor families and to improve quality at the lower secondary level. 2. To help develop capacity to implement the GSES programme at all levels. 3. To assist the Ministry of Education and Culture formulate and implement innovative solutions to problems in secondary education. 14 The programme provides for the following: a) Selection of one poor girl per primary school annually (which will usually translate into one girl from each village) who is academically capable but will not be able to attend secondary school without a bursary. b) Payment of the bursary to the secondary school in which the girl enrolls. increasing enrolment and improving the qual ity of schooling at both the primary and sec ondary levels, coupled with increasing opportu nities for girls, are the highest priority areas for investment to reverse this stagnation in human capital. c) Monitoring of the girl and the secondary school to make sure that agreement is kept and the girl is doing well. d) The GSES girls are eligible for support during all four years of lower secondary school but they may interrupt their schooling for up to one year for any reasons or repeat a year of school and retain eligibility. e) GSES provide bursaries to 20 percent of the recipients who will qualify for admission to Alevel studies. Programme Impact The GSES pilot programme is currently operating in 16 out of 113 districts of Tanzania. By June, 2000, 2994 girls had received GSES bursaries at a cost of Tsh 722,136,526. The average unit cost per head was Tshs 241,194.56. There has been greater motivation to learn and to persist in school for GSES girls. Their attitude towards education is higher with high levels of decreased. Currently it stands at 2.8 percent, which is far less than the national average of 8.8 percent. (BEST, 1999) A particular feature of the GSES program has been its contribution to improving knowledge of the secondary school system in some villages that had not sent a child to secondary school in many years. The selection process of bursary recipients is done effectively by community members. Through village, government and school committees, the progress of GSES girls is monitored. At family and community levels, this has challenged parents to review their confidence in the education system, and to begin to contemplate strategies to support the other children not covered by the GSES bursaries. Heads of schools have realized the importance of providing accommodation to girls. Almost all schools have designated a female teacher as a matron. All GSES schools are encouraged to contest for the award provided through preparation of Gender Action Plans. Lessons Learnt The emphasis in selection of girls from poor backgrounds but who are academically able, addresses the issues of poverty as well as equity by expanding access, and improving educational opportunities for girls. The community participation in GSES programme brings out the issue of mobilization, ownership, and control which, taken together, lays the foundation for, and guarantees sustainability. Community participation also draws attention to the various dimensions of culture, and enables the transparent re-appraisal of cultural norms and practices in terms of the negative and the positive aspects as they relate to girlвЂ™s participation in education. The GSES is a good test of the way key areas of TanzaniaвЂ™s national education and training policy are being put into operation, such as decentralization, quality, access and equity, management and administration and financing of education. Boarding School: Panacea for GirlsвЂ™ Education? Boarding schools provide answers to many of the reasons girls drop out of school. This is the rationale for the estblishment of FAWE Centres of Excellence in a number of countries in Africa today . These are institutions that bring together under one roof most of the interventions proven to work in improving girlsвЂ™ education, including boarding facilities. What do Boarding Schools Offer? Better Performance There is evidence from several studies that girls in boarding schools perform better than those in day schools. This is widely acknowledged in countries like Kenya and Sudan, where each year newspapers carry results of national examinations. Invariably the top 20 best performing schools, for either boys or girls, are boarding schools. It is evident that a well-run boarding school provides a safe haven for students, especially girls. These schools shut out many factors within the households and the community that have a negative influence on girlsвЂ™ participation and performance in education. Conducive Environment Boarding schools provide more time and a more conducive environment for study, in great contrast to the situation of girls from rural homes and slum dwellings who are day scholars. Such girls face multiple constraints when it comes to studying at home. They study late in the night only after completing their evening chores. Their study is done under poor lighting, provided by a kerosene lamp or candle. They most likely have to improvise seating arrangements for lack of proper furniture. Those in slum dwellings have to put up with noisy neighborhoods not to mention crowded sleeping arrangements that are likely to trigger sexual abuse. The misery is endless. Boarding schools not only provide scheduled times for private studying, they encourage all students to participate in extra-curricular activities, such as sports, music and club activities of various kinds. Girls from poor homes in boarding schools enjoy amenities ordinarily absent from their homes such as water, sanitary facilities and regular meals. Boarding facilities also limit the truancy and negative peer influence commonly associated with day scholars. 15 review of the many studies undertaken in sub-Saharan Africa in 1990s relating to sexual behaviour and reproductive health of adolescents is revealing. Across the continent, sexual relations start early, and by age 15 a majority of young people are sexually active. Many of these relations are with multiple partners and the majority involve sexual intercourse that is both unplanned and unprotected. As a consequence of these relations, sub-Saharan African countries are witnessing an alarming increase in education wastage, particularly among girls through childbearing, abortion complications and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. On average, 20 percent of the female adolescents in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa give birth every year. Studies in Kenya have shown that by age 20, about 21 percent of Kenyan adolescents have had at least one child and that 8,000 to 13,000 girls drop out of school each year due to pregnancy. In Ghana, during the period 1990вЂ“1994, out of a student population of 5,576, some 1,068 dropped out. Of these 638 were girls and 172 (27 percent) dropped out due to pregnancy, making pregnancy the highest cause of dropout among girls in Ghana. Sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS are ravaging African adolescents. It is estimated that women aged 15вЂ“24 comprise the fastest growing group with 16 Girls who drop out of school due to pregnancy normally go to the rural areas to bring up their babies there of just abandon them with their parents. AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and account for nearly 30 percent of all female AIDS cases. This means girls who should be in school or colleges are missing because they are ailing or dying. Abortion: Cases of abortion are on the increase. Each year worldwide an estimated half-million women die from pregnancy related causes, with 99 percent of the deaths in developing countries and a quarter to a third of the deaths linked to unsafe abortion. Data from 27 studies in developing countries (Hirch and Baker, 1992) found that adolescent admissions accounted for 60 percent of females admitted with abortion related complications. Methods of inducing abortion used by adolescents are generally crude and dangerous and are sometimes carried out by non-medical service providers leading to many complications (See Box on page 19). A study in Uganda revealed that girls under 20 years old constituted 60 percent of patients who died as a result of abortion complications. Management of abortion and associated complications is a major burden to health care facilities. Adolescent Pregnancy: the Mauritius Consultation Back in 1994, recognition of schoolgirl pregnancy as an increasingly important factor in school dropout prompted FAWE to convene the Ministerial Consultation on Adolescent Pregnancy and Dropout in Mauritius. At this meeting, the ministers recommended detailed studies of this problem in countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Completed studies in seven countriesвЂ”Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Zanzibar, and Sao Tome and PrincipeвЂ” have yielded the following common observations regarding the existing problem and recommendations on what should be done. *************************** The United Nations new global initiative for girlsвЂ™ education To demonstrably narrow the gender gap in primary and secondary education by 2005. To ensure that by 2015, all children everywhereвЂ”boys and girls alikeвЂ”will be able to complete primary schooling education. To ensure that, by then, boys and girls will have equal access to all levels of education. Implementing these goals will require all our sensitivity, imagination, and determination. It will, indeed, be a test of our entire international community. Koffi Annan, United Nations Secretary General Address to the World Education Forum Dakar, Senegal, April 2000 *************************** Studies have shown that on average pupils in urban areas perform better than their counterparts in rural schools. The Existing Problem Poverty remains an important factor in causing dropout, with the lack of resources still keeping out a significant proportion of young people, either by not allowing them to enroll in the first place or by forcing them to leave before they have completed. Advocacy still needs to be done with respect to truly recognizing the right of all children to education. This means not only providing school places, but actively encouraging the poorest, most disadvantaged to attend and to make strenuous efforts to keep all the children in school, even those who become pregnant. Much greater emphasis needs to be placed on effective prevention of both dropout and pregnancy by counselling and extra support for those at risk of dropping out. Extensive advocacy work is needed to encourage communities to think about dropout and schoolgirl pregnancy in a more affirming way. Ministry of Education officials are themselves highly conservative and reluctant to sponsor alternative education programmes or outreach or to facilitate re-entry of girls who have become pregnant in school. Also communities remain reluctant to prosecute or act against boys and men who make young girls pregnant. Sexuality education is important for the future and institutionalizing it is a challenge for responsible leadership. 17 Recommended Strategies for Reducing Pregnancyrelated Dropout Partly as a result of the Mauritius Ministerial Consultation, and its follow up meeting in Dakar, Senegal, in 1997, there are now a wide variety of activities and strategies in operation in different countries in Africa aimed at reducing pregnancy related school dropout. In one extreme, girls continue to be penalized for their pregnancies because they are thought to be a corrupting influence on Studies in Kenya have shown that by age 20, their peers, but in generabout 21 percent of Kenyan adolescents have had at least one child and that 8,000 to 13,000 girls al, there are more progressive policies being instidrop out of school each year due to pregnancy. tuted for rehabilitating and reintegrating the girls. Pregnancy prevention strategies *************************** It has to be acknowledged indeed that we are still a far cry from basic Education for All, that it is still but a distant dream for hundreds of millions of children, women and men. KoГЇchiro Matsuura, Director General, UNESCO at the World Education Forum Dakar, Senegal, April 2000 *************************** Figure 5 18 are mostly school based. They include guidance and counseling services in schools; clubs of various types including Christian Union Clubs whose role is to instill good morals in young people and to teach them about reproductive health, and peer education groups, which have been very effective in counseling youth in many countries in Africa. One approach to prevention that remains controversial, despite positive benefits, is family life education (FLE) that incorporates reproductive health and sexuality. (Figure 5 вЂ“ Pregnan cy Related Drop-out as Percentage of Total Female Enrolment 1990/1995 pg. 45 of The Adoles cent AIDS Epidemic of Pathfinder) Many countries are only teaching components of this subject within other main subjects. A second category of strategies consists of policy interventions: expulsion, re-entry and uninter- Complications from Unsafe Abortion rupted schooling. Expulsion was used as a deterrent against schoolgirl pregnancy in many countries during colonial days. Even unmarried teachers who became pregnant were forced to take a two-year unpaid leave. Today, countries like Togo, Mali and Zambia are among those who still expel pregnant girls and do not allow them re-entry. Under a re-entry policy girls are temporarily suspended from school during pregnancy and after a specified time are allowed to re-enter. Kenya, Botswana, GuineaConakry and Malawi are among the countries that have instituted re-entry programmes. Re-entry Programmes: For a variety of reasons, however, many expregnant girls never return to school. For some, the re-entry policy is unknown or not clear. For others, the lack of support systems including difficulties in finding child-care prevent re-entry. Often, where it may be possible to get help, the socio-cultural set-up may not encourage re-entry. In Botswana, a recent survey indicates that only 10 percent of the girls re-enter school after the one-year mandatory maternity leave (see box on page 20). In Kenya, the re-entry policy is yet to be elaborated and it is at the discretion of the school administration whether to accept girls back into the same school. Namibia in 1997 formulated one of the most progressive pregnancy policies on the continentвЂ” Seventeen-year old Loise Mulenga writhes in pain on the cold concrete floor of the gynecological ward of the Lusaka Teaching Hospital (LTH). Her only garments, a blood-soaked school tunic and sweater, must keep her warm from a fever she has had for the last 48 hours. The cause? An abortion turned awry. Four days ago when Loise missed her periods for the third consecutive month, she became desperate and headed for the all too familiar surroundings of a clinic of a backstreet practitioner, determined that this would be the last time she would come back here lest she failed to complete her much valued secondary school education. This high school candidate is the first-born of six children of a Lusaka vegetable hawker. Once the procedure was complete, Loise returned home confident that within two days she would be able to go back to school. That night, however, she began to bleed profusely, and had excruciating pain in her lower abdomen. By the morning, she had such a terrible fever that the two blankets that ordinarily served as her bedding could not keep her warm enough. Obviously worried about her daughterвЂ™s condition. LoiseвЂ™s mother begged to take Loise to the hospital but she refused, hanging onto the words of her вЂ�doctorвЂ™ that she would be well again in no time to resume school. But on the second day LoiseвЂ™s pain was unbearable. This time with the help of her younger sister and mother, she was helped to the LTH where she took her position on the bench to see the doctor. Nine hours later, a weak and hungry Loise murmured her history to the nurse who was asking quick and successive questions. " IвЂ™m eighteen," she whispered, "No, I donвЂ™t have a child." "I was here six months ago with the same problem," she added, face down, ashamed that the nurse might embarrass her before the older women like she had done the first time. Half an hour later, Loise was wheeled to the operating theatre where the doctor performed an abdominal surgery for removal of her extensively perforated uterus. Lying on her hospital bed two days after her operation, Loise pondered her future. How would she face her parents with the news that she would never be able to have children? Source: Addressing Complications of Unsafe Abortion in sub-Saharan Africa, 1997 Programme and Policy Actions CommonWealth Regional Health Community Secretariat, Arusha uninterrupted schooling. The policy is democratic, takes into account the academic, physical and psychological needs of the girl and her baby, and provides for action against men responsible for the pregnancy, particularly teachers. Madagascar and Cameroon also allow a girl to continue with her education at the school until the time of her confinement. After 19 THE BOTSWANA RE-ENTRY POLICY Summary of findings of an investigation of the adequacy, impact and implementation of the policy Overall, the study found many constraints that hindered effective implementation of the policy and resulted in gender discrimination in its application at school level. Affected girls found it very restrictive and punitive because of difficulties of meeting the conditions stipulated in it. Rule: After delivery the girl should stay for a year before seeking readmission. This plus the period of pregnancy spent out of class is too long and may kill academic interest. Also, some heads of schools only admit students in the first semester, insisting that thereafter no student would be able to catch up with the subject. Rule: A testimonial and school report from previous school are required before readmission. If the girl left the previous school without informing the administration, it will be difficult for the school head to agree to give any testimonials. Rule: The age of the applicant should meet admission age criteria. With almost 24 months out of school, a girl may be almost two years older than the age requirement of the class. Rule: Boys involved in the pregnancy should also be discontinued from school for a specified period. This is rarely enforced and where it is tried, there are many ways boys can continue in other schools without being detected. Rule: A girl cannot write an examination in any school while pregnant. Girls find this very unfair particularly if they have prepared for the exams. After all, even teenage criminals, for instance, are allowed to write their exams from prison cells. Rule: The girl must produce the birth certificate of her baby before readmission. The process of getting a birth certificate can take so long as to make the effort of going back to school worthless. Rule: The applicant must produce her own identity certificate. For those who do not have identity cards, the process is known to take very long. The policy is silent on disciplinary measures to be applied to male adults, other than teachers, who impregnate school girls. Yet these are the majority. The lack of academic continuity during pregnancy and the year of waiting, leave the girl unprepared for the placement exams that she has to sit in competing for the few vacant places that may be there in the normally overcrowded classes. The readmission policy is not well known. Only 37 percent of students interviewed in Botswana knew something about it. Head teachers in primary schools seemed to know less about it than those in secondary in schools. Source: B. Chilisa, 1998 вЂ“ An Analysis and Evaluation of the Botswana Re-entry Policy, FAWE 20 birth and recuperation, the girl has the right of readmission to the same school within 12 months of the date of her leaving. Alternative Education for Expregnant Girls A number of alternative education programmes targeting pregnant and breastfeeding adolescents are run by NGOs. Unfortunately, many are not of very high quality owing to instability of their funding and not much is known about them, their structure, strengths and limitations. Some of the better known ones are: вЂў UMATI Centre in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, established in 1986, offers basic primary education to teenage mothers. вЂў The Education Centre for Adolescent Women (ECAW), established in 1988 in Botswana, caters for 20 teenage mothers per year. It prepares them to sit for examinations to enter secondary school. вЂў The Teenage MothersвЂ™ Centre in Ghana, established in 1992, teaches teenage mothers employable skills and safe motherhood. вЂў Jamaa Home in Nairobi, Kenya, which is part of a maternity home, rehabilitates adolescent pregnant girls through skills training and seeks opportunities to re-route the girls back into formal education. exual harassment in the work place, in institutions of learning, at home and in the wider community has been the focus of intensive research and legislation in the western world. By contrast, there is little documentation of the nature, extent or handling of this insidious phenomenon in most countries in subSaharan Africa. Yet the increased incidence of sex crimes in the region, as reported in the media, is unprecedented. What constitutes sexual harassment? With heightened awareness of sexual harassment now picking up in various institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, there is growing consenPUNCH"- Sexual Terror at the University of Dar es Salaam "PUNCH" is a secret group of members of the University of Dar es Salaam believed to be males only. The group researches the sexual history of a female student and prints it on a big poster. Most of the accounts are lies. This poster is then posted very high at a point conspicuous to all on campus. All around the University, the insignia of PUNCH, a red skull, is posted to alert the students that a "new punch" has come out. This process is used to threaten female students who are unwilling to have sexual relations with male students especially from the Faculty of Engineering, believed to be where the susвЂ”at least among womenвЂ” about the behaviours that constitute sexual harassment. The majority of females agree that rape, sexual assault, intimidation and sexual pressure, unsolicited and unwelcome touching or fondling, sexual- The majority of females agree that rape, sexual assault, intimidation and sexual pressure, unsolicit ed and unwelcome touch ing or fondling, sexuallyloaded comments and ges tures, staring, and streak ing are all forms of sexual harassment. ly-loaded comments and gestures, staring, and streaking are all forms of sexual harassment. A good number of males, however, insist that behaviour like "unsolicited and unwelcome touching or fondling" or staring, are not harassments. In fact, they consider this behavior to be "complimentary"вЂ”and some 24 percent of females in a study on sexual harassment at the University of Natal, South Africa, agreed with this "complimentary" excuse. That nearly a quarter of women students accept this rationale is alarming because it demonstrates the extent to which some forms of sexual harassment have been normalized either through socialization or as a defense strategy. majority of the secret group that form the "punch" are. The poster is sometimes sent to the student concerned as a warning to her to stop resisting the demands of the group. The process is also used to threaten female students vying for leadership positions in the University student council. Many times, the picture of the face of the female student to be punched is juxtaposed with a nude picture scanned out of a magazine like Playboy and then the photograph is reproduced and posted all around the campus. PUNCH has been the cause of many tragic incidents at the University. In February 1990, Levina Mukasa, a first-year education student, ended her life, it is believed, because of harassment from PUNCH. In 1997, another female student was raped on campus and because of fear of how PUNCH might handle her ordeal, also committed suicide. She had confided her fears to her roommate. Many female students do not dare to vie for any seats in the student council or be heard speaking out publicly in opposition of a male candidate, particularly from the engineering department. Because of fear, some women perform badly in their examinations and others have dropped out of University unable to handle the harassment of PUNCH. Why has the University administration allowed this form of sexual terrorism to continue? Source: Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Institutions - University of Dar es Salaam 21 Studies undertaken at a number of other universities in South Africa, Kenyatta University in Nairobi, the University of Dar es Salaam and selected tertiary institutions in Malawi all indicated that all these forms of sexual harassment were prevalent on their *************************** My Uncle I was studying in a boarding school far away from home. One day, I ran short of soap. Then I thought of going to aunt who was staying in the town. I left school to my auntвЂ™s place to get the assistance. When my aunt saw me she said Oh! my daughter itвЂ™s a pleasure to see you. Since you have come attend my children, so that I hurry to the village to collect some food. She went and I remained with her children. After that came my auntвЂ™s husband, who came and laid on my bed and started forcing me to sex. I struggled but the man was too heavy. Good enough he was drunk, then I ran out when he fell down. That night I slept outside till morning. My aunt came the next day. I thought of telling her but I thought if she knew she would leave the man and the children will suffer. So what I did I just went back to school without any assistance. From that time, I never come back to my auntвЂ™s place. The time came my aunt died of AIDS and after two years the man died. Imagine! If I was cheap to accept that man I would have died with my aunt. Dorothy Nabbada 13 years, Grade 6 Kichwa Primary School *************************** *************************** DonвЂ™t Neglect Us! The pregnant schoolgirl should not be neglected by the community. They should help her join the benefiting projects in their community. They should show love and care for her by assisting her in education. And most especially the family members should show her a lot of care and support at that moment. They should console her by assisting her so that she doesnвЂ™t feel isolated. Ruth Tino Form 2 Mpoma Girls Secondary School *************************** 22 campuses. For example, at Rhodes University, South Africa, 63 percent of the females had experienced some form of sexual harassment. At Chancellor College, The single most repeated reason women and girls give for not reporting sexual harassment or rape remains "fear of being accused of provoking it." Malawi, 12.6 percent of the females reported that they had been raped on campus and 67 percent said they had been sexually harassed. Why is action against sexual harassment not taken? Rampant as sexual harassment is, very few cases are reported. In South Africa, it is estimated that only one out of every 20 rape victims report to the police. The single most repeated reason women and girls give for not reporting sexual harassment or rape remains "fear of being accused of provoking it." Closely following this is "lack of faith in disciplinary procedures". Other commonly cited reasons for not reporting are fear of: вЂў Intimidation вЂў Retaliation вЂў Not being believed by authorities вЂў Being embarrassed вЂў Disciplinary consequences for the perpetrators and guilt вЂў Media publicity вЂў Court ordeal вЂў Financial and time involvement Abiriw Teenage MothersвЂ™ Centre, Ghana This Centre was established in 1992 by Elizabeth Appiah, a Public Health Nurse. The project had to first overcome the disapproval of the community and the Presbyterian Church, the main church denomination in the small rural community at Abiriw, who traditionally frowned on unmarried pregnant girls. Today, through the centreвЂ™s Management Committee, Mrs Appiah has managed to involve the Presbyterian Church, government, community leaders, educational and medical professionals, as well as the parents of the girls. The aims of the Centre are two-fold, one is to ensure safe motherhood, child survival and continuous breast feeding, and the other is to equip the young mothers with employable skills while making them receptive to family planning. The project has, to date, changed community attitudes to the issues of sex, adolescent pregnancy, contraception and family planning. It has also succeeded in integrating pregnant teenage mothers in the rural community, thereby providing a realistic solution to the problem of unwanted pregnancies among adolescents. Group discussions help to create a more relaxed atmosphere in the course of edu cation. Many women and girls, faced with interrogation, suddenly start seeing themselves as having low credibility in the eyes of the authorities and feel they have to prove their innocence, yet they are there because they have been wronged. How do victims and their families respond to rape? For the victim, contrary to what is sometime the conventional wisdom, rape is never a pleasant experience. Rape is unexpected, frightening and painful. Victims are normally highly stressed and fearful both during and after the crime. The stress of rape produces heavy psychological responses, such as: вЂў Shock, disbelief, denial вЂў Anxiety вЂў Fear and guarded behaviour вЂў Self blame and guilt вЂў Anger, resentment вЂў Emotional numbness вЂў Depression through feelings of loss of self-respect, self-esteem вЂў Nightmares, hysteria, phobias. *************************** Pregnancy - A Curse? You are the only people I thought would understand and stand by me. I thought you would wipe my tears and tell me that it is not the end of the world. Instead you deserted me in silence. You rejected me. The love I always thought unconditional wasnвЂ™t after all. As long as I brought you pride, you were ready to love me. When I inadvertently brought you shame your love wasnвЂ™t strong enough to stand the test. You are not even interested in knowing whose baby IвЂ™m carrying! You condemned me without granting me a hearing. Suppose it was rape would you condemn me all the same! Did it occur to you that it takes an instant for one to get pregnant? But donвЂ™t worry, your unsympathetic attitude has given me the courage I needed. Though I am stranded and hopeless at the moment I will find a way out! Anonymous, Uganda *************************** 23 вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў It is no wonder that being raped can be the end of academic life for some students, or for others the end of life. (See box on page 21) The impact of a rape experience strongly affects the family and close friends of the victim. The immediate reactions of the family can be supportive or destructive. More than anyone else, it is those close to the victim, who will influence how she will deal with the situation and how soon (or if) she will be able to set24 tle back to academic work. Destructive responses by the family include: вЂў Visibly showing strong concern about what the public/community/neighbours will think of the family. вЂў Showing guilt feelings for not having protected the victim. вЂў Viewing rape as a sexually motivated act and therefore the victim "as damaged goods" or "of diminished value." вЂў Patronizing and overprotecting the victim. Harbouring direct anger and resentment to a point of inability to communicate. Directing blame at the victim or family member. Planning revenge against the rapist or his family. Failing to seek or facilitate professional counseling when needed. Failing to seek or facilitate medical care and follow up. Exhibiting unwillingness or inability to cooperate with legal systems. Pressuring the victim to go along with plans against her wishes, e.g., urging her not to report the case. What should be done to eliminate sexual harassment? Recommendations from the surveys undertaken in institutions of higher learning in South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya place the responsibility for reducing sexual harassment squarely on the institutions themselves. The studies agree on the following: вЂў Every institution must establish a policy on sexual harassment. There should be a body, preferably within the student counselling organization, to deal with sexual harassment. вЂў Institutions must improve the safety of their environment through provision of better lighting, female security personnel and female janitors in womenвЂ™s halls of residence. вЂў Information campaigns must be mounted to highlight the injustices of sexual harassment and the need to respect individual rights. вЂў Programmes to challenge sexist stereotypes and to empower women to respond assertively to sexual harassment must be established. вЂў Institutions must examine their strategies to assess the extent of their institutional promotion of sexist norms, for example, in job selection and in provision of affirmative action for women. вЂў Support groups must be established or facilitated. The universities in South Africa are way ahead of others in Africa in implementing these recommendations. Elsewhere, unfortunately, there are many universities in Africa that have not initiated any programmes on this issue. FAWE has helped form girls clubs through its National Chapters which help girls discuss the problem they encounter. SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN KENYA The Kenyatta University Experience Kenya today is home to over 10 universities both public and private and a host of other diploma Avoid Taking Risks According to surveys done on university campuses, there are places and times that increase the risk of sexual assault. Nights, weekends and orientation weeks are considered the high risk periods. Vulnerability is associated with being alone, dressing provocatively, walking seductively, or being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. For girls and women on and off university campuses, including schoolgirls, a number of personal safety rules should be observed: Do not let the "whole world" know you live alone. Avoid deserted areas. Do not accept lifts from strangers. Always look around you and be alert to your surroundings. Do not show open contempt towards young men in the streets who try to get your attention. Avoid deserted public vehicles and if you suspect people in it are intent on molesting you, get off at the next stop and alert those around. Be cautious of taxi drivers. Source: ACCD Factsheets on Adolescent Problems, 1995 and certificate awarding professional colleges and institutions. All these institutions are co-educational and although hardly any information is published or available in relation to the problem of sexual harassment in these institutions, the problem is known to exist. Kenyatta University, the second oldest university in the country, is a step ahead of most of these institutions. It has documented reports of studies and action taken towards fighting this menace. Kenyatta University constituted its first committee on sexual harassment as early as 1993, following complaints of harassment of female students by male students and lecturers and another in 1998 following a brutal attack and rape of 2 of its female students. Investigations by these committees revealed that sexual harassment was indeed rampant on campus 25 Public Insensitivity toward Victims of Rape The insensitive attitude towards victims of rape, especially by the male world, is as old as humanity. Except where the rape victim is a minor or a member of one's family, the public tends to show insensitivity towards the whole question of rape. Too many people, without stopping to even think about it, accept many myths about rape: Rape is provoked by the victim through such behaviour as: вЂў Provocative dressing вЂў Seductive walking вЂў Walking alone at night вЂў Accepting lifts from strangers вЂў Allowing herself to be picked up from bars or discos Decent women are never raped, one has to be promiscuous. Any woman should be able to prevent a rape if she really wants. No woman can be raped against her will. Rape is an impulsive, uncontrollable act of sexual gratification. A sexually frustrated man "just cannot control himself" if he sees an attractive girl. Therefore it is considered a legitimate sexual need or urge on the part of the man. A normal man does not commit rape. He has to be abnormal, a pervert, sick or insane. In Africa, there is no such thing as a husband raping his wife. When rape strikes close to home and a loved one is raped, ownership and abuse of property appear often appear to be the driving force behind menвЂ™s anger and rage. Too often it is purely a matter of economics: вЂў If a married woman is raped it is her husband who has been wronged not her. In some communities in Africa settlement between the rapist and husband is based on cash. вЂў If an unmarried girl or woman is raped, it is her father who suffers, since his investment depreciates. Chances of a good catch in marriage and a fat dowry are diminished. вЂў If a prostitute is raped, nobody cares. 2. 3. 4. 5. al harassment have been dealt with instantly and with the sensitivity they deserve. The counseling services for students have been strengthened so as to cater for the needs of sexually harassed students. Also the Vice Chancellor has continued to listen to and assist women of all levels. Since the Vice Chancellor openly and visibly shows concern about the plight of women at Kenyatta University, some men have started showing concern with some degree of support. Provision of better and more efficient lighting on campus especially the major walking paths. Female security officers were recruited. More female janitors were placed in womenвЂ™s halls of residence. Source: ACCD Factsheets on Adolescent Problems, 1995 and majority of cases went unreported. Recommendations submitted to the University management then, ranged from strategies of improving security on campus and halls of residence to issues of training in assertiveness and the need to have a definite University policy on sexual harassment. Today, Kenyatta University has made remarkable efforts to implement most of the recommendations emanating from the work of these two committees: 1. An office of a Deputy Director of student affairs was created and occupied by a senior woman. Reported cases of sexu26 Kenyatta University constituted its first committee on sexual harassment as early as 1993, following complaints of harassment of female students by male students and lecturers and another in 1998 following a brutal attack and rape of 2 of its female students. Other interventions planned and soon to be implemented include: вЂў Formation of support groups for women and students and staff members вЂў Provision of a house where students and voluntary mentors/counselors can meet regularly вЂў Assertiveness training вЂў Production and dissemination of educational materials вЂў Establishment of a monitoring programme вЂў Encouragement and support of academic and professional development of women at the university. A SUMMARY OF PROMISING INTERVENTIONS TO PROMOTE EDUCATION DEMAND-SIDE FACTORS Household and community factors High direct costs of schooling rom work undertaken by FAWE and various other NGOs and agencies in subSaharan Africa, the problems forcing girls out of school are complex and interrelated. Poverty, pregnancy, sexual harassment or HIV/AIDS are only part of a much bigger problem. Because of the inter-relatedness of these issues, they can only be tackled by use of a multi-faceted strategy that matches each set of constraints with corresponding interventions. In Africa, no one government has the capacity to address all these constraints alone. This is a mammoth task that calls for a combination of partnerships including NGOs, funding organizations, researchers, community leaders, teachers and parents. FAWE is working with a host of partners to ensure implementation of a wide range of support that responds in a comprehensive and holistic approach to the multiple problems that have been identified as responsible for high rates of dropping out by girls, particularly in rural areas. The table below presents a summary of promising strategies for improving female participation in education that therefore minimize dropping out. These are among the FAWE supported and commissioned activities for the improvement of girlsвЂ™ education. High opportunity costs of schooling Low private economic returns to girlsвЂ™ education Chastity and sexual safety Low demand for female education SUPPLY-SIDE FACTORS School level factors Enrolment and promotion policy Management: Calendar and safety Curricula Materials Methods Political and institutional factors Policy on schoolgirl pregnancy, promotion of female educators, training of staff Attitude, will and commitment to empowering women and the poor. Legal status of women POSSIBLE INTERVENTIONS вЂў Lower the cost of school materials вЂў Provide transportation and uniforms вЂў Introduce bursary, scholarship and fee waiver program, school lunches, medical and health support. вЂў Adjust the school calendar to accommo date households child requirements. вЂў Reduce the distance between school and home. вЂў Use satellite schools. вЂў Provide childcare and pre-school facilities promote labour-saving technologies. вЂў Improve the legal and regulatory systems to enhance womenвЂ™s status. вЂў Make education curricula more responsive and relevant to livelihood and market demand. вЂў Increase community participation in schools. вЂў Construct culturally appropriate facilities. вЂў Promote more female teachers. вЂў Secularize Koranic schools. вЂў Launch information campaigns that engage community, religious and civic leaders. вЂў Promote adult literacy programs. вЂў Increase enrolment by lowering the enrolment age. вЂў Reduce drop-out rates, review repetition and expulsion policies. вЂў Provide child care facilities. вЂў Institute flexible hours. вЂў Improve achievement: review learning materials for gender bias, improve science and math teaching. вЂў Promote female teachers in the sciences. вЂў Establish science laboratories and school libraries. вЂў Institute tutoring and monitoring programmes. вЂў Promote female teachers in the sciences. вЂў Establish science laboratories and school libraries. вЂў Institute tutoring and monitoring programmes. вЂў Promote gender sensitivity training in all pre and in-service training courses and for educational managers. вЂў Create a favourable environment to support women and the poor through policy review. вЂў Invest in the necessary structures: schools, facilities for girls, toilets, dormitories, walls. вЂў Launch information campaigns вЂў Enhance the status of women through the regulatory process. вЂў Adopt poverty-alleviating strategies that release women and girls from the task of water and fuel collection for more productive activities. вЂў Improve womenвЂ™s access to the formal labour market. Source: Ogada and Heneveld, Girls and Schools in SSA: From Analysis to Action World Bank Technical paper No. 298,1995: 53 27 International House, Mama Ngina Street P.O. Box 53168, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: (254) 2 226590, 330352 Fax: (254) 2 210709 Email: [email protected] Website: http//:www.fawe.org FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR FEMALE STUDENTS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 28 July - 5 August Zimbabwe International Book Fair, Harare, Zimbabwe School Related Factors вЂў Poor quality of the learning environment вЂў Prohibitive costs of schooling вЂў Irrelevant curricula вЂў Long distance to schools вЂў High levels of repetition, dropout and failure вЂў Sexual harassment and/or liaison вЂў Pregnancy 14-18 August Political and Institutional Factors вЂў Fiscal crisis вЂў Inadequate public expenditure in the social sectors вЂў Political instability and civil strife вЂў Unclear strategy for girlsвЂ™ educa tion вЂў Weak research and data collec tion capacity, and use in policy formulation вЂў Low status of women вЂў Limited employment prospects GirlsвЂ™ Education Week, Uganda 17-18 August Preparatory Workshop to initiate the proces of launching the African Network Forum (AKNF), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 29 August - 1 September The African Computing & Telecommunications Sumit, Sun City, South Africa 18-19 September Workshop on Web Development, Carnegie Corporation of New York, USA. 21 October GirlsвЂ™ Education Day, Mali 19-23 October ADEA Steering Committee Meeting Paris, France Outcome for Girls вЂў Non-enrolment вЂў Overage enrolment вЂў Absenteeism вЂў Poor motivation вЂў Low self-esteem вЂў Poor academic performance вЂў High levels of drop-out вЂў High illiteracy levels вЂў Limited labor market opportunities Socio-cultural Factors вЂў Ambivalent parental/familial attitude to female education вЂў Premium placed on apprenticeships вЂў Initiation ceremonies вЂў Early marriage and bride price/wealth systems вЂў Religion вЂў Gender socialization Socioeconomic Factors вЂў Poverty вЂў Direct cost of schooling вЂў Opportunity costs of schooling вЂў Limited employment prospects вЂў Socioeconomic status and social class вЂў Parental/familial investment behaviour вЂў The economic value of girls вЂў Rural/urban residence вЂў Level of parental education Source: Odaga and Heneveld, Girls and Schools in sub-Saharan Africa: from Analysis to Action, World Bank Technical Paper No. 298, 1995: 49 7-8 November Regional Ministerial Consultation Meeting on closing the Gender Gap in Education Nairobi, Kenya 24-25 November FAWE Executive Committee Meeting Nairobi, Kenya 25 November GirlsвЂ™ Education Day, Ethiopia 26 February - 2 March 2001 Africa Region Conference for Adult Learners, Kampala, Uganda FAWE has been awarded the World Bank Group/International Monetary Fund Africa Forum 2000 Award