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Access,
retention and success
urgent needs in girls' education
By Leila Loupis,
UNESCO Harare |
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 During
the decade of Education for All, the enrolment ratio for girls
in the Ivory Coast jumped from 33 % to 64%. Mrs Salimata Blé,
National Coordinator for the EFA 2000 Assessment explains this
remarkable advance as due to the specific efforts made by the
Ministry of Education towards reducing gender gaps. "Since the
World Conference on Education for All held in Jomtien in 1990,
the Ministry of Education in Ivory Coast implemented various
initiatives to advocate girl's education" she says. |
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Firstly,
committees for the basic education of girls were created. Next,
in collaboration with a project of the African Development Bank,
activities for girl's education were initiated in three domains
to respond to their most urgent needs; access, retention and
success. |
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Adequate
supplies increase access |
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To
ensure girls' access to education, it was found that financial
aid was necessary, as often parents with financial constraints
will send their sons instead of their daughters to school. The
Minister engaged in supplying school books, and 1700 schools
were given school manuals for girls, which reached a total of
130,000 girls. Moreover, 2200 school canteens were constructed
in zones with a low enrolment ratio to provide meals for girls
at a minimal cost. Other contributions were made by international
partners, such as a donation of supplies and textbooks made
by UNICEF. |
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Protection
ensures retention |
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To
ensure the retention of girls in the school system, the need
for girls' protection was identified, particularly concerning
early pregnancy, which is major obstacle to completing education.
As a response to this problem, the Ministry re-introduced a
system of school dormitories for the protection of adolescent
girls. Wherever there is a primary or secondary school, the
sub-prefecture and the community are held responsible for the
creation of these dormitories. |
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Cultural
stereotypes obstacle for success |
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To
encourage the success of girls, prevailing cultural stereotypes
and mentalities present huge obstacle. Girls' education is confronted
with societal attitudes that assumes that a girl's place is
in the fields or the kitchen rather than learning her lessons
at school. It is necessary to change the image of women, and
the Ministry encouraged the use of female role models such as
teachers and successful women, to encourage young girls to stay
at school. |
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"The
obstacles in the way of girls' education are multiple, and efforts
like those carried out by the Ministry of Education reveal the
need to launch the battle on different fronts simultaneously",
states Mrs Blé. It is these aspects combined - financial, social
and cultural - which need attention to ensure a real and sustainable
promotion of girls' education. |
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