Context-informed programming needs qualitative information on the drivers of exclusion

Diggingdeeper: context-informed programmingneeds qualitative informationonthe driversofexclusion

Driversofexclusionfor girlsinKasaiand

Kinshasa:adeepdive

Context:informingGirlsEducationpilots

2urbanareasinKinshasa,over1year(2021-22)in10 schools

Socio-anthropologist,Educationspecialistandcommunity andschoolmentors,usingFrenchandLingala

Informingplanningandadaptationalongtheproject.

RuralareaofKamonia,intheprovinceofKasaï,10daysof datacollectiononthefield(June2022).

Socio-anthropologistandlocaleducationspecialist,using FrenchandTshiluba

Informingadjustmentofinterventionstrategyofthepilotand designoffuturelonger-termprojectinthearea.

Context:informingGirlsEducationpilots

InDRC,halfofgirls aged5to17donotgo toschool

Significantgendergapat secondaryeducation level,worseinruralareas

26.7%womengavebirth beforetheageof18. Higherinruralareas

76%ofwomenand girlsaged15to24 thinkthatwifebeating isjustified

29%ofwomen “married”beforethey were18yearsold. Upto40%inruralareas

Directlinkbetween teenagepregnancyand schooldrop-out Althoughnotlegal, exclusionofyoung mothersfromschoolisa commonpractice.

27%ofwomenaged1549declaredthatthey experiencedsexual violenceacts, 24%ofthembeforeage 15

Addedvalueofqualitativeresearch

Questioningassumptionsandre-interpretatingthemwiththebeneficiariesandlocal stakeholders

Giving“foreign concept”local reality

Understanding gender-specific waysof addressingthe economic constraintsin theirecosystem

Understanding thesocial normsand power

relationshipsof theecosystem

Giving“foreignconcepts”alocalreality

Conceptonly expressedin French

Seenas importedfrom distinctcontext

Doesnothave consequences inthiscontext

Doesnot requireany action

Onlymarginal changeto address “imported issue”

Examples:

inTshiluba(Kamonia): “Adolescent”isnota word.Gender-based violence,gender discrimination,Sexual healthalways mentionedinFrench

Norealityinthe community

Nounderstandingof:

Adolescentspecific needs

Connectionbetween sexualityandhealth.

Noconnection betweenobserved phenomenonand broaderconcept

Actorsmentioning experiencesorissues directlyconnectedto theseconceptsbutas anecdotalandnotpart ofawiderissue.

Limited engagementinto responsestrategies

Stakeholders attendingtrainings/ workshopsbutvery fewwouldadapttheir behavior.

Changeintheorynot translatedinto behaviorand practice

Abilitytoprovide“the rightanswers”but actualunderstanding andtherefore adaptationofbehavior israre.

InLingala(Kinshasa): Nowordfor“rape”,no translationfor“sex”

CambridgeEducation

Connectionbetween sexualityandconsent.

UnderstandingGender-specificwaysofaddressingtheeconomic constraintsofaccesstoqualityeducation

Kamonia

Economicallydepressedenvironment.

Rarefinancialtransaction.

•Teacherabsenteeism

•Basicneeds(food,hygiene)remainbarriersto accessorremaininschool

•Girlsmoreatriskofdroppingouttoassume domesticchores.

Incomegeneratingactivitiesatschoollevel, supportingparentsandteachers

Distributionofhygienekits/schoolkits

Collectivesupportonsomedomesticconstraint

Kinshasa

Economicalactivitiesandchildrenexpectedto contributetolivelihoodofhouseholds.

•Income-generatingactivitiescompetingwith schooling,especiallyforboys.

•Transactionalsexoftenactionedbygirlsasa waytoremaininschool.

•Greaterpredationforschoolfees

Workingondemandside,showingthevalueof investingineducation

Workingonaccountabilityandgovernanceto reducepredationinschool

CambridgeEducation

Understandingthesocialnormsand powerrelationshipsofthe ecosystem

Understandingthesocialnormswithintheircultural context:occidentalcultureandlocaltraditionalculture

Takingintoconsiderationpowerdynamics:

Withinthefamily

Withinthecommunity

Betweenthecommunityandprovincial/central authoritiesandrepresentationoftheState.

Le«Mukishi»

PhotoGaëllaneBourges

Understandingthesocialnormsandpowerrelationshipsofthe ecosystem

Example1:

Conflictofinterpretationofthe“minor”status

“Occidental”(law2006):under18yearsold

“Traditional”:untilfirstsignsofpuberty

“Earlymarriage”

Losedefinitionofmarriage:defacto conjugalrelationship,officialisedbypayment ofadowry

Kinshasa:

-Commonlyaccepted

classificationofrelationship

basedontheexpectation

-Financialautonomystrategy

Kamonia:

-Conformingtouniquerolemodel

-Accessingrespectability

-Emancipationstrategy

-Reparation/compensationfor boy’s“fault”

Both: Maintainingsocialorderavoiding pregnancyoutsideofsocially recognisedunion.

Workingongirls’capacitytomakeinformeddecisionandmakingpossibleandvaluabletogotoschool evenafterengaginginmartiallife

Understandingthesocialnormsandpowerrelationshipsofthe ecosystem

Example2:Sexualviolencereportingmechanisms.

Kamonia:

Veryrecentintra-communityconflicts.

Highlevelofmistrustandlittlecontactwithrepresentativesofcentralpower

Ledto:

Useofreferralmechanismasmeanofpressure

Somerepresentativestakingbenefitsfromthispositionofpowertogainmoney/services.

Overallincreaseofmistrustinthecommunity

Communityreducingasmuchaspossibleanyboysandgirlsinteraction

Boysandgirlslackingcommonexperiencesformutualunderstanding

Communicatingpositivelyonboysandgirlsinteraction,fosteringcommunityaccountabilityandrebuildingtrust.

Thankyou