Let Us Honour and Promote Girl Child Education In All Nations

By: Mary Auma Pessah

Worth Noting:

• The negative perception of girls’ education in some communities drives many girls to early marriages, sexual abuse and other society harmful practices hence diminishing their future hopes. Around the world, 650 million girls alive today are married as a child that’s not enough 12 million girls under the age of 18 years are married off every year. These are students who are supposed to be in school. It should be well understood that girls education is paramount and the United Nations exposes that educating a girl is no less than educating an entire family.
• Some communities in Kenya, still have a believe that girls are source of wealth and taking them to school has no crucial reason , better they marry them to ready old men’s who are willing to give them wealth a take that seems immature and unwise.

With the introduction of free primary education in Kenya 2013 and the rule of constitution, every child has a right to access education. Unfortunately, this is not all what all happens. Children especially girls are affected gender in terms of missing to access education a situation that worsens their future later.

Every girl around the world has the right and chance to attend school that’s not an option this is according to United Nations. Despite globalization and urbanization, women who are girls lack education in various nations Kenya no exceptional .The recent research exposes that, 76% of the girls have access to education while their male counterparts 88% of them have access this means female gender is more vulnerable globally. They are limited to access education due to various barriers.

The recent research from United Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) makes it clear that, poverty is a persistent reason why many girls are unable to access education but in Kenya the community perception of girls’ education is the top factor. Some communities in Kenya girls education is prohibited or deemed as wrong by certain communities, they have a believe that educating a girl is a waste of resources and time. Poverty being the top barrier, girls cannot access education in the sense that their parents cannot afford to pay for their school fees, they cannot access sanitary towels when they are forced to buy after government failure to supply free ones.

The negative perception of girls’ education in some communities drives many girls to early marriages, sexual abuse and other society harmful practices hence diminishing their future hopes. Around the world, 650 million girls alive today are married as a child that’s not enough 12 million girls under the age of 18 years are married off every year. These are students who are supposed to be in school. It should be well understood that girls education is paramount and the United Nations exposes that educating a girl is no less than educating an entire family.

Some communities in Kenya, still have a believe that girls are source of wealth and taking them to school has no crucial reason , better they marry them to ready old men’s who are willing to give them wealth a take that seems immature and unwise. Kenya is not only affected country in terms of gender discrimination syndrome when it comes to education but it is time to call this to end since girls education has been proven to be one of the most beneficial strategies to enhance development and economic growth . Educated mothers tend to have healthier children and these children are also more likely to afford school, breaking the cycle of illiteracy and poverty.

It is high time the government of various nations Kenya no exceptional, educational agencies, education activists , global personalities supportive women education empowerment, education organizations and other concerned stakeholders to intervene and tackle gender inequality syndrome in terms of education by establishing a lasting solution. All factors that limit girls’ education should be eliminated starting from the society to the public diversity. Issues like poverty which is the top driver of girl child labor and marriages both of which prevent girls from accessing education should be eradicated. Society perception of girls’ education should be eliminated; girls are not wealth in the family setting let them enjoy their education right.

Harmful practices that girls pass through in the society should be eradicated for example FGM, sexual molestation also the government should make prompt supply of sanitary towels to girls but most importantly there should be immediate elimination myths and misconceptions of the society that a girl child should not access education this is just a believe but no proved . Let them go to school like their male counterparts who are studying tirelessly up to higher level of education. Let’s break the norm and rose to prominence for young girls.

Above all Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved by Vision 2030 if we will not break the society negative perception of girls’ education and if we will not remove barriers that limit girls education. We will not have excuse for that let a solution be established now for the sake of future girls life.