Situation analysis of girls’ education in Somalia

In times of conflict and crisis, when resources are scarce and families are intent on survival, educational discrimination in favour of boys tends to be even stronger. Girls who are further marginalized by factors such as disability, ethnicity and location, are

even more likely to miss out on education. Girls are disproportionately represented within the numbers of out of school children in conflict and post-conflict situations in Somalia, understanding the linkages between gender, education and conflict is important. It is also a human rights issue, and more specifically a women’s and girls’ rights issue.

Somalia is one of the hardest places in the world to be a child. Conflict, drought and poverty has had a profound psychological impact on the country’s young. With so many children out of school, Universal education seems like a piped dream for Somalia, where over 3 million school aged children are out of school and majority of them are girls. The future is bleak for this millions of out-of-school children, who will not be able to compete or be at par with their peers globally. Especially the girls who will most likely become victims of early marriages, domestic violence or targets for human traffickers. This is on top of being the worst victims of the protracted conflict in Somalia, where like in many

other conflicts globally, sexual violence has been weaponized. Many families also depend on girls to supplement low incomes. It is necessary to support these families to allow their girls the opportunity to attend schools.

 

Gender sensitive policies and interventions must take centre-stage in order to redeem the prospects of the Somalia Girl-Child and reduce suffering and associated risks.

Especially in education which is the back-bone of all modern aspects of life. Barriers to female education in the midst of conflicts may take many years to address once peace has been re-established, and a post-conflict phase can also bring with it new and different issues. It is important to acknowledge that women and girls experience conflict differently from men and boys. Conflict impacts in particular ways on the

educational opportunities of girls and women; school-going girls are forced to drop out, and those excluded in pre-conflict times, may have even less chance of access.

 

In conflict and crisis situations, traditional concepts and values are challenged, and divisions between adulthood and childhood often become much more blurred, thus making the linkages between education for women and education for girls especially important. Early marriage and early pregnancy are features of many conflict situations, and this has a significant impact on girls’ education, causing early drop out. Unless given specific attention, adolescent girls are often ignored, and their particular needs unacknowledged.

 

The impact of conflict on education for women and girls can in many contexts be described as both exacerbating inequities and increasing vulnerabilities. War lays bare the gender dynamics of societies, and of education systems, and the particular vulnerabilities of girls. As conflict makes living conditions more difficult, dangerous and uncertain, tentative educational and other rights-based gains made by women may be

reversed In addition to poverty, long distances to school, safety concerns, social norms favouring boys’ education, and lack of teachers, particularly female teachers, and the low availability of sanitation facilities, stop parents from enrolling children, particularly girls, in school. And when children make it to school, they are rarely able to benefit from it fully. Classrooms are often overcrowded, water and sanitation facilities are inadequate, and trained teachers and school books are hard to come by. The poor quality of education is reflected in students’ results. Children living with disabilities face even more challenges and adolescent girls are seldom able to complete secondary education.

In the Somalia context where teachers are under qualified, classrooms are overcrowded, and materials and facilities are scarce, and majority of girls who do access education have experienced various forms of trauma. Getting girls into school is only the first step, these efforts should extend further to include:

 

• Providing a supportive environment that ensures girls learn and feel safe while in school,

• Skilled teachers who are able to offer good quality teaching that will ensures girls acquire the relevant knowledge and skills; and gain socio-emotional and life skills necessary to navigate and adapt to a changing world.

• Ensuring that girls enjoy the benefits of being able to complete a full cycle of education and are equipped for further education and employment.

 

Teachers are rarely equipped to identify children showing signs of trauma and are therefore, not able to support the children appropriately.

 

In South-Central Somalia: compared to boys, girls’ enrolment and retention rates remain low. This is attributed to persistent economic, socio-cultural and institutional barriers that keep girls out of school, in particular adolescent girls. A number of barriers impede enrolment and retention of girl in schools. At lower primary more girls are enrolled, however, the rate of transition is poor since most girls drop out of school for various reasons.