Creating alternative pathways for girls’ education in conflict-affected areas of Somalia

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

Proposal

Somalia has one of the lowest gross enrolment rates (GER) in Sub-Saharan Africa, currently estimated as 14 percent (Somalia Education Sector Analysis, 2022). Girls are disproportionately more likely to be out of school, with the likelihood of enrolment declining sharply in upper grades, down to 34 percent in grade 5 and only three percent in form 1 (Ibid). The large proportion of adolescents and youth without basic literacy and numeracy skills poses a major challenge to Somalia’s development and a key challenge to women’s economic and social empowerment, particularly in conflict-affected locations where access to education remains minimal. This panel will present the results of a large-scale initiative conducted in conflict-affected areas of South Somalia, which has supported 27,090 older adolescent girls and female youth to date to acquire basic literacy, numeracy, and financial literacy through a non-formal education course implemented in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education (MOECHE). The initiative has also engaged participants in youth savings groups and formed Girls’ Empowerment Forums- platforms for local mentorship, psychosocial first aid, and girl-led action. The first and second cohorts of participants had high completion rates – 95 and 92 percent, respectively, despite the disruptions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21 (Author, 2021). This panel will discuss findings from the project’s recent midterm evaluation, which shows significantly higher learning gains among girls who participated in remote learning; ultra-marginalized girls, including those with disabilities and girls facing limited access to water; and those who participated in mentorship activities (Consilient, 2022). The panel will also discuss the implications of the findings for the development of Somalia’s Non-Formal Education framework and Gender in Education policy.

Author

• Joy Khangáti, CARE International USA