SIHA cautions over gender disparity in girls’ education  

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

November 8, 2022 (NAIROBI) – Despite the fact that investing in girls’ education is critical to economic development, transforming communities and curbing inequality, gender disparities in education however still persist in Sudan, cautions a women’s rights group.

Strategic Initiative for women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) underlines that the lack of Investment in girls’ education undermines girls’ hope for justice and equality.

The first wave of girls’ formal education in modern Sudan was initiated by Babiker Badri who opened the first Sudanese school for girls and enrolled his daughters in the year 1903.

At that time, Sudanese people were sceptical of girls’ education and Babiker Badri was able to gain people’s trust and demonstrate the dire need for girls’ education in Sudan.

“Now, almost 120 years later, the struggles have intensified as girls’ education continues to be jeopardized by the political will of different governmental regimes in the country,” SIHA said adding “As a result girls in Sudan continue to suffer.”

The current political unrest and absence of a legitimized government according to SIHA has undermined their access to education and poses further threats to their livelihoods.

The latest statistics by UNICEF and Save the Children estimate that almost 7 million children in Sudan are outside the education system, of which 40% are girls.

“These alarming statistics demonstrate a crisis of access to education in Sudan, and are likely to yield other harmful consequences for girls including an increased exposure to sexual exploitation, early marriage, and working dangerous jobs, all of which violate their rights under the ratified Convention on the Rights of the Child and the National Child Act of 2010” SIHA network said.

“In the long run, girls’ access to the full enjoyment of their equal rights and potential may be buried beneath the ramifications of the current heavily militarized status quo, consequently, bright prospects of the whole nation are likely to be diminished”.

“On another hand, the boys who are not able to access the education system will eventually join the military forces, RSF, and many of the other armed rebel groups, where gendered violence will be normalized and they will be conditioned to commit the same crimes,” SIHA warned.

Sudanese security forces are implicated in committing crimes against women and girls including sexual and Gender-based violence (SGBV), rape and killings.

SIHA argues that without educating girls and providing a safe environment, their political participation becomes hindered as their voices become lost in the struggles for survival, and their rights remain unattainable.

The regional rights organization urged attention to more investment in girls’ education in Sudan to curb future threats posed to the livelihoods and rights of women and girls.

SIHA network has worked rigorously with girls throughout the Horn of Africa on addressing their status quo including education, combating SGBV, child marriage, and all impediments and harmful norms that threaten their well-being.

SIHA has worked extensively in conflict-affected states in the Darfur region, where we have aimed to improve access to education for internally displaced girls in camps and girls in displaced communities, and Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees.

The two objectives of the programs were to establish shadow classes for girls who are outside of the education system to enable them to re-enrol in the formal education system, and to educate older groups who cannot enrol in the formal education system.

– Vocational training was established to train girls in different occupations with the aim of breaking the long history of occupational stereotypes in Sudan which create significant barriers to women’s participation in many labour sectors.

– SIHA focuses on girls’ education including education on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) to combat child marriage and improve girls’ access to health services.

SIHA continues to play a key role in combating GBV, specifically through providing support to girls at risk of child marriage and rape by accessing quality education as well as accessing sexual and reproductive health information and services.

“Enabling girls to claim their rights and to break free from the repercussions of conflict, injustice and exploitation is a pressing need in Sudan,” SIHA underscored.

SIHA emphasizes that in the absence of adequate protection for girls’ education, their political participation is hindered, and girls’ aspirations for the future are heavily constrained.

Recent research studies confirm two stylized facts: first, the incidence of a significant gender gap in education in Sudan and second, the incidence of gender inequalities and gaps in skill level, the share of women in economic activities, labour force participation rate, employment and returns to education can be interpreted in relation to the incidence of the gender gap in education.

The analysis strongly recommends that Sudan needs to reduce the gender gap in education and related implications.

Gender equality in education benefits every child.

Investing in girls’ education contributes to more stable, resilient societies that give all individuals – including boys and men – the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

They earn higher incomes, participate in the decisions that most affect them, and build better futures for themselves and their families.

Girls who receive an education are less likely to marry young and more likely to lead healthy, productive lives.

When adolescent girls are out of school, they are more vulnerable to forced marriage, early pregnancy, violence and even human trafficking.

Investing in girls’ education further ensures an increase in their lifetime earnings, and declines child marriage and child mortality rates as well as maternal mortality.

Data shows that African girls struggle more than boys for access to education;  over 9 million girls between the ages of 6 and 11 never go to school at all, compared to 6 million boys.

Finally, one should note that investing in girls’ education is more than just providing them access to school.

It’s also about girls feeling safe at school and in classrooms who are supported in the subjects and careers they choose to pursue – including those in which they are often under-represented.

(ST)