PASTORALIST GIRL CHILD EDUCATION By, LUCY MULENKEI, INDIGENOUS INFORMATION NETWORK WEBSITE:

INTRODUCTION Education is a key factor towards the achievement of sustainable development in Africa often seen as a key to change and self- improvement. It is impossible to assume sustainable national or regional development in a nation of uneducated peoples. According to the universal declaration on human rights, education is of a fundamental necessity and should be available at least at the basic stage, to ALL humans regardless of gender, race, colour, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. In article 26(1) the declaration states that: “Everyone has a right to education. Education shall be free in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be made equally available to all on the basis of merit.”

GIRL CHILD EDUCATION Over the years girls' education has been given a high level of priority at the highest level. It has been boosted by initiatives, such as free education for girls, President's Empowerment for Girls' Education, just to name but a few. However, despite all these incentives, girls' education in the country is still faced with a series of challenges. The challenges facing girls' education include early marriages, teenage pregnancy, poverty, peer pressure, low adult literacy, among others. As a result of these factors, it has become very difficult to retain the girl-student in school, especially in the rural areas. Our stand here is that girls must be allowed to finish their education to the highest level, before marrying them off. We encourage parents to desist from such practices as it's not in the interest of the girl child. DISCUSSIONS

Discussions cont’d Over the years girls' education has been given a high level of priority at the highest level. It has been boosted by initiatives, such as free education for girls, President's Empowerment for Girls' Education, just to name but a few. However, despite all these incentives, girls' education in the country is still faced with a series of challenges. The challenges facing girls' education include early marriages, teenage pregnancy, poverty, peer pressure, low adult literacy, among others. As a result of these factors, it has become very difficult to retain the girl-student in school, especially in the rural areas. Our stand here is that girls must be allowed to finish their education to the highest level, before

Challenges Normally Maasai among other pastoralist women are expected to concentrate on building and repairing houses, fetching firewood and water, and milking animals, as well as raising and feeding children and cooking for the male family members. The lack of educated and professional Maasai women to fight for gender equality,, removal of detrimental cultural practices such as FGM, early and forced marriages and against patriarchal household structures is therefore self-perpetuating.

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Girls during the IIN training on Life skills and study skills -Namanga

VITAL STATISTICS ABOUT WOMEN Of the more than 110 million children not in school, approximately 60 per cent are girls. By age 18, girls have received an average of 4.4 years less education than boys. World-wide of the more than 130 million primary school age children not enrolled in school, nearly 60% are girls. In some countries in sub-Saharan Africa, adolescent girls have HIV rates up to five times higher than adolescent boys. Pregnancies and childbirth-related health problems take the lives of nearly 146,000 teenage girls each year. In sub-Saharan Africa, a woman faces a 1 in 13 chance of dying in childbirth. In Western Europe, the risk is 1 in 3,200. At least one in three girls and women worldwide has been beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime. An estimated 450 million adult women in developing countries are stunted, a direct result of malnutrition in early life.

VITAL STATISTICS CONT’D Two million girls and women are subjected to female genital mutilation every year. Of the more than 110 million children not in school, approximately 60 per cent are girls. By age 18, girls have received an average of 4.4 years less education than boys. World-wide of the more than 130 million primary school age children not enrolled in school, nearly 60% are girls. Pregnancies and childbirth-related health problems take the lives of nearly 146,000 teenage girls each year. At least one in three girls and women worldwide has been beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime. An estimated 450 million adult women in developing countries are stunted, a direct result of malnutrition in early life. Two million girls and women are subjected to female genital mutilation every year.

Flexible approach to the predicament Delivery of primary education for girls should be more responsive to the nomadic way of life Using female community mobilizers to increase gender equity in education Provision of basic needs to the girls to prevent school drop out and absenteeism like sanitary towels Awareness creation among the teachers and parents on the importance of education Protection of the girl child rights Law enforcement and strict punishment to those that still practice detrimental cultures that affects the girl child life Serious work on the general attitude among the pastoralist communities on education through small programmes

Conclusion When you educate a girl, everything changes from health, education wise, poverty among other things. She’ll be three times less likely to get HIV/AIDS, earn 25 percent more income and have a smaller, healthier family.

AHSANTENI SANA