The impact of alternative education models responsive to adolescent girls’ needs: Case studies from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

As of 2019, an estimated 129 million girls were out of school, including nearly 97 million of lower and upper secondary age (UNESCO Institute of Statistics, 2019). Nearly 52 million out-of-school girls, or 40% of the global total, were living in Sub-Saharan Africa (Ibid). Following the COVID-19 crisis, it is likely that this number has increased dramatically due to high dropout rates and limited opportunities for enrolment. Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa indicates that adolescent girls have been disproportionately affected by the impact of the pandemic on education systems (Kwauk, Schmidt, and Ganju, 2021). A study conducted in Kenya found that only 63% of the assessed adolescent girls had re-enrolled, compared to 74% of the adolescent boys (Population Council, 2021).
In this context, it becomes increasingly urgent to ensure access to affordable alternative learning opportunities for adolescent girls, particularly those living in extreme poverty, displacement, and /or conflict-affected areas. It is critical to ensure that such alternative schooling opportunities respond to the specific needs of severely marginalized adolescent girls, including those with disabilities, married and divorced girls, young mothers, and adolescent workers. Learning opportunities for adolescent girls should allow them not only to develop academic competencies but also critical life skills for social and economic empowerment; build supportive relationships with peers and mentors; and have increased access to health, financial, and protection services, among others.
Alternative learning opportunities remains scarce globally, and particularly so in fragile contexts in Sub-Saharan Africa. A global map of alternative education projects conducted in 2019 identified 189 initiatives, including 38 in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia (Accelerated Education Working Group, 2019). The demand for such services is far beyond the offer: In Somalia alone, the 2022 Education Sector Analysis estimated that over three million children are out of school, including over 866,000 ages 14-17, with girls far more likely than boys to have never attended class. In addition to limited services, marginalized adolescent girls face a number of barriers to access those, including traditional gender norms restricting girls’ roles and increasing tolerance for gender-based violence; heavy workloads and time scarcity; safety on the way to/from school; limited voice and self-confidence; mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety; the lack of support services for those with disabilities; unequal allocation of resources at home, often resulting in higher levels of food insecurity; the inability to speak the language of instruction; and limited support at home, among others.
This panel will bring together three large-scale initiatives implementing tailored alternative education models for marginalized adolescent girls in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. The panel will engage presenters and the audience in a discussion about the impact of alternative education on adolescent girls’ learning outcomes and social inclusion, and the lessons learned on how to make alternative education more responsive to the needs of the ultra-marginalized, particularly in an evolving context of climate change and escalating food insecurity. The panel will also engage participants in a dialogue on best practices to engage education systems in expanding the provision of alternative education in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Lotte Marianne Pires Renault, CARE USA

Individual Presentations

• Improving access to education for marginalized adolescent girls in Ethiopia - Klára Jelínková, People In Need

• Creating alternative pathways for girls’ education in conflict-affected areas of Somalia - Joy Khangáti, CARE International USA

Discussant

• Fatuma Adan, USAID Somalia