Community Awareness Campaign on theimportance of Girl‐Child’s Education in Chongwe
District, Zambia

By Dr. Peggy Mwanza1Outline• Introduction• Potential benefits of the project• Research Project Aim• Research Objectives• Data Collection Techniques• Main Findings• Policy Implications
2

Introduction• The education system in Zambia is characterised
by inequalities between females and males;• The Ministry of Finance and National Planningstates that: “At the basic educational level, forinstance, in 1998 there were 810,873 boys
enrolled compared to 747,151 girls with aconcentration of girls between Grades 1 to 4. The
gap widens from Grade 5 upwards, and gets evenworse at secondary and tertiary levels” (Zambia,
Ministry of Finance and National Planning,2002:78).
3

Introduction (Cont’d)• The disparities between boys’ education andthat of girls’ are worsened by high drop‐out
rates among girls at both primary andsecondary schools. As the Government of theRepublic of Zambia (2014:99) points out that:“In 2012, at primary level, 12,753 girls left
school on account of having fallen
pregnant…At secondary level in 2012, dataindicates that 2,096 girls fell pregnant…”
4

Introduction (Cont’d)• According to the Ministry of Community
Development, Mother and Child Health(2014)
17,600 female pupils fell pregnant in 2013
alone.

5

Potential benefits of the project• This was an exceptional project to be done. ManyInternational Conferences are suggesting that
educating girls is one of the ways of achieving
gender equality in education thereby helping inachieving Education for All in primary andsecondary schooling. In Zambia, with many
economic and social problems, this is aparticularly pertinent issue.

6Research Project Aim
The aim of the project was to conduct acommunity awareness campaign inChongwe district, a rural area, in Zambia, inorder to help parents and community
members to have a positive attitude
towards the education of girls.

7Objectivesi)

to help change negative perceptions of educatinggirls;ii) to encourage parents/guardians to educate
their girl‐children;iii) to recommend measures to the local politicians,
community leaders, parents and other community
members that may address negative attitudes andbeliefs that hinder education of a girl‐ child in orderto encourage the participation of girls in schools.
8Data collection techniques• focus group discussions;• Semi‐structured interviews; &• participant observation

9

10

Main Findings

11Key issues• Poor retention among girls• High absenteeism among girls

12

Factors that led to girls dropping out ofschool• High poverty• Cultural practices• Early marriages• Pregnancies (e.g. ‘freedom’ of sleeping in theirown small shelters)13

Re‐entry Policy• 1997: Re‐entry Policy introduced.
The guidelines of the Policy include:• The steps that need to be taken after a pregnancy has
been detected;• The documents which should be given to the pregnant
girl when she goes on leave and those that should bemaintained by schools on pregnant girls;• The length of time for re‐entry after delivery;• What can be done to improve the school environment
and prevent pregnancies (Ministry of Education, 2004).
14

Table 1: Number of pregnancies and re‐admissions inbasic schools in Zambia: 2002‐2009

Year

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Pregnancies

3,663

4,405

6,528

9,11112,370

11,391

12,37013,634

Re‐
admissions

1, 322

1,836

2,626

3,899

4,470

3,870

4,692

5,517

42

40

43

36

34

38

40

% age‐
36
readmissions

Source: Ministry of Education (2010)

Most girls not returning to school• Stigma“Most girls do not return to school after delivery
because of stigma as they are now regarded asmothers” (Headteacher, Lwiimba Basic School)• No care for baby
• Poverty16• “The Re‐entry Policy is encouraging
promiscuity among girls” (Mother A, LwiimbaVillage)17

Policy Implicationsi) The Government of the Republic of Zambia
together with its stakeholders should increase
efforts to ensure that vulnerable communities
especially in the rural areas are educated on theimportance of girls' education;ii) Strengthening counselling services offered togirls who fall pregnant;iii) Strengthening advocacy to ensure that pregnant
girls return to school after giving birth;18

Policy Implications (Cont’d)iv) The fight against early marriages should be
intensified by the Government and all
stakeholders.

19Arigatou gozaimasu
Thank you very much

20