Improving Girls’ Education: A lifeline to development.

Have you ever wondered why there is still a big number of girls who are unable to complete their studies despite the fact that a lot is being done to promote girl-child education?  Well, though many governments and organizations have developed policies targeted towards girl child education, there’s also been a remarkable drop-off in the number of adolescent girls who continue their education. It is also reported that while 87 percent enroll in primary school, only 39 percent graduate from secondary school which means that there are still many changes to make towards the current education system that involves girl child education

Offering girls improved education is one sure way of giving them much greater power -- of enabling them to make genuine choices over the kinds of lives they wish to lead. This is why emphasis should be put on other areas that majorly concern the girls’ education as well as lives, through the following ways explained below;

•  Ensuring that teachers in schools are gender-sensitive. This goes in hand with teachers working towards protecting girls from any form of sexual harassment, discrimination, and violence by fellow students or other teachers in schools. The teachers should also support the girls to do away with the stereotype that considers girls not to be as bright as the boys in schools.

• Giving girls the basic needs first. Often girls are expected to stay in school without paying attention to the basic needs that they require to keep in school. Basic needs such as sanitary pads are one of the things that girls really need to keep in school but are limited to only a small percentage of those who can afford them. Governments and different organizations should come up with policies that will ensure that each and every girl gets sanitary pads and many other basic needs

• Doing away with the belief that girls are always meant to stay at home. This is one of the traditions that has stopped girls from acquiring education especially in rural areas where girls are expected to keep and do the house chores. Even the girls who are in school are given an overload of work to do at home thus not having enough time to concentrate on their books. Girls like boys should be given the privilege to go to school, and minimum work which will allow them to also concentrate on their education.

• Ensuring equity in opportunities for education given to girls regardless of their family background. Many girls end up as victims of early marriages or pregnancies because they do not afford to keep in school. Many schools or universities nowadays can only be afforded by a few living out girls from low income earning families with no access to quality education. Governments and organizations should put in more efforts to keep the disadvantaged girls in schools through scholarships, study grants, bursaries, student loans and thanks to the organizations already doing so.

•  Giving girls emotional support. It may not only be the material things that are needed to keep girls in school but also emotional support. Girls who have been victims of rape, early pregnancies, and gender-based violence need to be supported emotionally to keep in school. These girls can be offered counseling sessions and any form of emotional support that will help these girls to deal with the trauma, and get the courage and confidence to go back to school.

As an individual, you can play a role in promoting and improving girl-child education. Reach out directly to the children living in your locality and surroundings, and recognize those girls who have dropped out of school. Through that, you will get to know why they are not in school which will help you to figure out how best you can help them. By doing this, together we shall bring an end to the high rate of illiteracy among girls and women all over the world.

Are there any other views you have towards promoting and improving girl-child education, feel free to add them in the comments section below.

    YALI (n.d)