Summary

IMPACTS ON GIRLS’ LEARNING

• School closures and lockdown measures have resulted in significant educational disruptions in East Africa and there is emerging evidence from projects on the negative impact on learning outcomes.

• Across the three countries, projects found that girls’ domestic workloads and childcare burdens have increased and have negatively impacted their ability to engage in learning. This is linked to economic hardship, which COVID-19 has exacerbated.

• The inability to access distance learning was a common issue across all three countries due to the lack of internet and electricity, and a lack of access to radio, television and phones.

• The students and families least likely to have access to remote learning were those from the poorest households, remote or rural areas and refugees.

• Solutions: Projects used a mixed-modality, community-based approach to address the barriers to learning that girls faced. Interventions included the provision of worksheets and printed materials, learning support from teachers and community volunteers, a book borrowing system backed up by local teachers and community volunteers to provide further support via phone, and small learning groups.

IMPACTS ON GIRLS’ SAFETY AND WELLBEING

• There has been a sharp increase in cases of gender-based violence (GBV) reported across the region, which has been corroborated by projects in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

• Projects have reported increased cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Somalia and Kenya.

• Projects also reported increases in child marriage across all three countries and increases in teenage pregnancies in Kenya. In addition, increased economic hardship has worsened protection issues for girls, with families resorting to negative coping mechanisms such as early marriage or child labour.

• The impact of lockdown and social isolation on girls’ mental health has also become apparent. Projects in Ethiopia and Somalia reported an increase in the number of girls feeling worried, anxious or depressed.

• Solutions: Project interventions included life skill sessions (particularly on sexual and reproductive health), counselling, training of community volunteers on psychosocial support, community awareness-raising and outreach, and linking girls to protection services.

IMPACTS ON GIRLS’ RETURN TO SCHOOL

• East Africa has the highest percentage of learners at risk of dropping out or non-enrollment compared to other regions in Africa. Reasons include increases in care, domestic and work burdens, early marriage and early pregnancy.

• In Ethiopia, many schools were not prepared to ensure that COVID-19 transmissions were minimised and that schools were safe when they reopen.

• Projects reported child marriage and increased migration rates for paid work an increasing issue in Ethiopia, negatively impacting return rates to school.

• Kenyan GEC projects noted that reasons for girls’ dropout included early marriage, engaging in activities to supplement income or opting for employment, relocation or migration, pregnancy, and being prevented from attending school by a spouse.

• Solutions: Project interventions included regular contact and outreach to girls by teachers and community workers to ensure learning and reenrolment. They also provided material support and worked with community groups to identify and follow up with any girls at risk of dropping out. Let Our Girls Succeed (Kenya) used thematic learning material that included content on the different barriers to return to school so that children tackled the topic as they learned.