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Building Blocks for Increased Gender Equity in Education in Somalia

Wed, March 8, 9:45 to 11:15am, Sheraton Atlanta, Floor: 1, Georgia 11 (South Tower)

Proposal

Education remains an elusive dream for a large proportion of Somalia’s children. While accurate data is scarce, it is estimated that up to 63% of the school-aged children may be out of school (source: Federal Republic of Somalia, Education Statistics Yearbook 2013/14). Gross enrollment rates vary considerably between the self-declared independent state of Somaliland and the states of the Federal Republic of Somalia; however, at least 50% of the school-aged children are out of school across all states. Girls from displaced families, those living in conflict-affected areas and from pastoralist groups form the majority of the out of school children.

An extensive baseline study conducted by DFID/ GEC-funded Somali Girls’ Education Promotion Programme (SOMGEP) indicated that the traditional gender norms have a pervasive effect on girls’ access, attendance and participation in class, ultimately affecting their performance and retention. Girls enroll late, remain in school for 3-4 years and drop out before acquiring foundational skills. In the rural and remote areas of Somaliland, Puntland and Galmudug, where SOMGEP operates, only 5% of the girls are attending secondary education. Therefore, while education provides a window of opportunity for girls to change their social condition and that of their families, the exposure to school is insufficient to create a critical mass of skilled female professionals, able to invest in diversified livelihoods, develop the local economy and increase resilience. In a country where high levels of migration and decades of conflict resulted in a high prevalence of female-headed households, the participation of women and girls is, more than ever, a critical element of development processes – making gender equity in education a strategic investment.

This paper will reflect on the results achieved by the holistic intervention implemented by the SOMGEP project in 2014-16 and on the effectiveness of a combination of intervention components to achieve transformational change in the gender and social norms affecting girls’ education in targeted communities. SOMGEP uses an innovative combination of gender-focused components engaging community groups and religious leaders, pedagogical components to improve teaching quality, infrastructure improvement, improved governance and leadership skills development for girls as ‘building blocks’ for cohesive action towards increased gender equity in classrooms, households and communities.
A midline study conducted after 18 months of implementation indicated dramatic changes in enrolment (20 percent points increase), retention (increase of 23 percent points) and literacy (statistically significant improvement of up to 19 percent points in reading comprehension in Grades 4-5). The analysis indicated that the changes are linked to a combination of factors: (a) shifts in practices towards gender at the household level (mothers’ support to education, household chores), classroom level (teachers supporting girls’ participation and voice) and community level (community education committees and religious leaders actively promoting girls’ education); (b) improved school governance, with a strong focus on teaching quality, recordkeeping and child protection; and (c) improved teaching quality, including adherence to child-centered methods. The paper will discuss how the intersection of effects at multiple levels is driving a positive impact on girls’ education outcomes, as well as the persistent barriers driven by contextual factors (climate change, conflict and poverty). Finally, the paper will discuss the potential sustainability of changes in gender norms in a fragile, conflict-affected context, and the risks of an emerging new dynamic, including the potential exclusion of boys.

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