Barriers impeding girls’ education are believed to have been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic. Among the barriers highlighted at the just concluded symposium on girls’ education include gender parity in secondary and tertiary education as well as underrepresentation of girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects. The experts at the two-day symposium, which ended on March 30, in Kigali also noted that there was lower ICT literacy among girls compared to their male counterparts, and disproportionate low girls enrolment in TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) subjects. Prevalent socio-cultural norms create constraints on girls, which severely affect their school attendance and performance, says Sofia Cozzolino, a consultant at Building Learning Foundation (BLF)—a programme of the ministry of education. Emphasising how gender norms govern the division of labour in communities, Cozzolino said that girls of adolescent age would frequently be required to perform home responsibilities like cleaning the family compound, caring for younger siblings, and fetching water, thus leaving little room for study. Other factors such as loss of a family member, marriage, or early pregnancy have also conspired with Covid-19 to cause girls to miss out on higher education opportunities, experts noted. Despite the governments efforts to increase the availability of washrooms in schools and meet girls menstrual hygiene needs, it was noted that infrastructure gaps continue to limit girls participation in education. For instance, access to education for girls with disabilities continues to be an issue. When compared to boys the number of girls with disabilities enrolled in school appears to be lower. According to the ministry of education, just 0.3 per cent of females enrolled in upper secondary school have a disability, despite the fact that the total number of girls aged 15-19 with disabilities is roughly 2.9 per cent. Just 41 of young women with disabilities studied at the tertiary level (compared to 69 young men). Rosa Muraya suggested, Programme Deputy Director at Education Development Trust, believes Rwanda can learn from Kenya. Invest in enhancing school-parental engagement to build more supportive home environments, she added, noting that one way to do so could be to address the harmful impacts of household tasks on girls education. It was suggested that efforts should be concentrated on improving girls education by reducing Gender-Based Violence and early marriage, providing teacher training, and advocating system and school policies that promote constructive discipline and nonviolent classroom approaches. The symposium also recommended improving information sessions for girls about puberty, including menstruation and other physical, psychological, and cognitive teenage transitions, and create an empowerment language to talk about and comprehend adolescence. This is in addition to building school staff capacity and provide support to schools in the construction and maintenance of sufficient and functional girls rooms with regular supplies of sanitary materials/water and female chaperones, among other things.
