Gender norms and resistance to change in education in Africa
Cases of Burkina Faso, DRC, Sao Tome and Principe and Chad
Koly FALL
Binta Rassouloulah AW
Pathé DIAKHATE
Binta DIEDHIOU
Mame Diarra Bousso NDIAYE
Rokhaya CISSE
Abdou Salam FALL
Dakar
01/01/2024
https://lartes-ifan.org
https://fawe.org/
Context
The text discusses a study on the challenges of girls' access to and success in education in Africa, specifically in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tomé and Principe, and Chad. The aim of the study is to contribute to finding effective mechanisms for sustainable behaviorial change in favor of girls' education and gender equality.
Method
The data collection methodology included a literature review, participatory diagnostic workshops, and a quantitative and qualitative field survey. On the quantitative side, questionnaires were administered to 404 students and 399 parents in the four countries. On the qualitative side, 180 semi-structured interviews, 24 focus group discussions and 18 life stories were conducted with a variety of target groups, including school and institutional players, technical and financial partners, parents, pupils and non-schooled or out-of-school girls. Data were processed with STATA 17 and NVIVO 14.
Key findings
The findings highlight variations in education systems and specific challenges faced by girls in each country. The impact of gender norms on girls' education, factors influencing access and retention, and the role of gender-sensitive practices in education are discussed. The study examines girls' access to and retention in education in four countries, highlighting various obstacles.
Overall, 89.0% of girls feel that access to school is easy, but there are disparities between countries. Insufficient household financial capacity and the high cost of schooling are the main obstacles. Girls living in single-parent families face even greater difficulties, particularly due to the pressures of early marriage and motherhood. Major challenges to keeping girls in school include early marriage, financial constraints and lack of family support.
gender norms influence girls' career choices, with 22.8% of men and 13.6% of women recognizing this impact. The perception of the influenceofthesenormsis higherin Chad, with 45.7% of men and 46.2% of women. Similarly, domestic chores also affect school performance, according to 11.4% of boys and 14.3% of girls. These effects are much more pronounced in the DRC, with 60% of boys and 44.4% of girls reporting them.
The negative impact of gender norms on girls' access to and retention in school is highlighted, with significant variations between countries. Parents and students recognize the importance of offering girls the same educational opportunities as boys. Teachers are seen as encouraging, but there are disparities between male and female teachers. Finally, a strong majority of parents (92.4% of men and 94.9% of women) maintain that girls should take up leadership roles at school to foster their empowerment and leadership.
Conclusion
The results of the analyses vary from country to country in terms of girls' access, retention and success at school. Sao Tomé& PrincipeandBurkinaFaso showapositivedynamic,whileChad reveals that girls outperform boys at school, despite difficulties in accessing education.
The main obstacles for girls at school are lack of financial means and insufficient family support. The study also establishes a link between social gender norms and girls' education, with students arguing that these norms influence women's career choices. Similar trends are observed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where students feel that domestic chores negatively affect their performance at school.
Finally, the study highlights positive levers for behaviorial change, such as the importance of offering girls the same educational opportunities as boys, the promotion of inclusive pedagogical practices and the need for girls to hold positions of responsibility at school to develop their leadership skills.
Recommendations
These are addressedto political decision-makers,educational authorities andotherstakeholders to address persistent challenges and promote girls' education through awareness-raising campaigns, teacher training, and the creation of gender-sensitive learning environments.
In Burkina Faso
- Strengthen gender-sensitive facilities in schools by equipping them with appropriate learning materials and qualified human resources who are aware of the importance of girls' education.
- Raise awareness among school stakeholders (headmasters, teachers, parents) of their roles and responsibilities in keeping girls in school and ensuring their success, particularly those who are victims of early marriage or pregnancy.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Improve the regulatory framework for girls' education by applying existing laws and regulations, and guarantee the right of access to quality education for all.
-Reinvigorateor set up mechanisms in schools to warnof and managegender-based violence in schools, and to readmit student who are mothers.
- Make school fees free in public schools, and introduce incentives to encourage girls to attend.
In Sao Tome and Principe
- Update school textbooks to take account of the gender dimension, and create mechanisms for managing gender-based violence in public schools in particular.
- Train teachers in gender-sensitive pedagogy, implement a mentoring strategy and promote girls' participation in empowerment clubs such as TUSEME.
In Chad
- Strengthen gender-sensitive facilities in schools by equipping them with appropriate learning materials and qualified human resources who are sensitized to girls' education.
- Improve the legal and regulatory framework for girls' education, strengthen the school map and reduce the cost of schooling, particularly in public schools.