GIRLCHILD EDUCATION IN UGANDA.

ADOPT EMFORCEMENT OF EDUCATION FOR THE GIRLCHILD IN UGANDA.

Young ladies around the world are undervalued, undermined and underestimated. It is most definitely time to call on inequality worldwide most especially in Uganda, Africa. A girl who is married during her infancy faces lifelong consequences. Girls married young are far less likely to stay in school.

According to the latest data, a staggering 87% of married adolescent girls are out of school. While keeping girls in school is widely acknowledged as one of the best protections against child marriage, new data reveal just how impactful education can be in the efforts to eliminate this harmful practice.

The girls with little or education are most likely to be at a risk of becoming child brides. Every year of schooling matters, but advancing through secondary school is especially highly protective. If most girls were to complete secondary school, the level of child marriage would likely fall by 66%. If most girls continued on to higher education, the level would drop by more than 80%.

CAUSES OF UNDER EDUCATION FOR THE GIRL CHILD;

Millions of girls aren’t at school today. They are shut out of education because of discrimination, poverty, emergencies and culture. The girls have the same hopes and dreams as boys since they want to learn, fulfill their potential, work and help their families and communities yet due to these problems, they are not able to do so.

But too often they are treated as second-class. They are exploited, abused and simply disregarded in many third world countries.

UNICEF has reflected that about 32 million girls of primary school age and 29 million of lower secondary school age are not getting an education. But a new index published recently by the ONE Campaign put the number of girls not in school in any age group at 130 million.

Unwanted Pregnancy

Many vulnerable girls under the age of 15 give birth each year. In many parts of Africa, vulnerable girls who get pregnant regardless of their circumstances will be excluded from school.

Many do not return after giving birth due to those rules, stigma, fees, lack of childcare and the unavailability of flexible school programs.

18 million girls aged 15 – 19 are victims of sexual violence – often leading to school dropout and reinforcing cultural practices such as early marriage.

 Limited funds

Many vulnerable girls are being left behind because funding is targeted to boys’ education. Finances are a vital issue when looking at reasons why girls aren’t in school. Education for girls is often the lowest budget priority in Uganda.

Daughters are perceived to be less valuable once educated, and less likely to abide by the will of the father, brother or husband. Often male siblings will be given the chance to attend school instead.

But educating girls and young women increases a country’s productivity and contributes to economic growth.

Early marriage

Too often marriage is seen as a higher priority for young girls than education. The low value attached to girls’ schooling means few other options are available to them.

Most parents from impoverished families marry off their young daughters because they are certain that the girls are more beneficial to them when married.

In this way, the parents can attain wealth quickly and ensure that their daughters do not misbehave and are concentrated in their marriages.

Child labor

Millions of girls spend every day working to help feed themselves and their families. Girls often stay home to take care of younger siblings and bear the main burden of housework. While educating a boy is considered a sound investment, it is sometimes considered to be a waste of time for girls.

Many girls begin working as early as five years old – mainly in agriculture or in homes as domestic servants. Child domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to trafficking, forced labor, sexual violence and many health issues.

There are more than 168 million child laborers – 11% of all children in the world – who are working instead of learning. There are significantly more girls than boys working in service industries.

Tedious journeys

The walk to school can be dangerous or intimidating, most parents are unwilling to allow their daughters to walk long distances to school or take routes that could be dangerous.

During violent conflicts, girls are deliberately targeted by armed groups and government forces. They often suffer sexual violence, abduction, intimidation and harassment.

A study in India in 2016 found that half of all girls were sexually harassed on the way to school – including being leered at, pinched or groped.

Very unhygienic sanitation

Too many schools don’t have separate toilets and washrooms for girls. In many parts of the world, it’s not as easy as raising your hand and asking to go to the toilet.

Many girls – particularly adolescents who are menstruating – don’t go to school because of a lack of privacy, unavailability of sanitary disposal facilities and water shortages.

In parts of sub-Saharan Africa and other regions, girls can miss out on up to five days of school per month or stop going to school entirely because of insufficient access to water and hygiene facilities, no separate toilets for girls and a lack of sanitary supplies. Many girls also worry about sexual advances from boys in mixed toilets.

Very few female teachers

The lack of female teachers in some countries can make school a daunting experience for girls. The presence of more women would provide a girl-friendly environment that would put young girls at ease.

In the United States, about three-quarters of school teachers are female. But in African countries such as Liberia and the Central Africa only about one in five primary teachers are women.

Part of the reason for that is the lower number of girls completing primary school, let alone secondary, leaving a small pool of female candidates.

Location in war zones

The long-term effects of growing up in a conflict-zones are devastating and UNICEF estimates that 48.5 million children worldwide are missing school because of wars and conflicts.

Girls living in conflict-affected areas such as Northern Uganda, are 90% more likely to be out of secondary school than those living in peace.

Attacks on girls’ schools also mean many parents are afraid to send their daughters to school.

Physical or Mental Disabilities

Vulnerable girls with disabilities face discrimination because of their gender and their disability, making them among the most marginalized groups of children.

Respondents to the World Health Survey 2002-2004 indicated that 41.7% of girls with a disability completed primary school compared to 52.9% for those without a disability.

Disabled vulnerable girls are almost “invisible” in existing education programs in many parts of the world, according to the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability.

Natural disasters

Unforeseen events such as earthquakes, floods and disease can derail education for millions of girls.

In humanitarian emergencies, including natural disasters, increased poverty for families and lack of employment opportunities means that vulnerable girls are at higher risk of early marriage or ending up in prostitution.

Even if schools are still standing, families whose livelihoods have been destroyed may no longer be able to afford to send their daughters to school.

Gender biasness

Often, vulnerable girls are marginalized and are out of school simply because they are girls which has become a cultural norm. Their chances of getting a quality education are even smaller if they come from a poor family, live in a rural area or have a disability.

Girls are four times more likely to be out of school than boys from the same background. The poorest girls also have the least likelihood of completing primary school.

There are often lawful, religious and cultural practices that segregate against vulnerable girls having the right to an education.

 

Kayden Foundation Uganda urges everyone, with high stature, or low social standing to join  hands with us in support of our dear lovely vulnerable girls so as they can attain a good quality education and develop/ better our vulnerable communities in Uganda