Speaker Kadaga fundraises for girls' education

The Speaker, Ms Rebecca Kadaga presided over a fundraising dinner in which over Ushs 40 million was raised in support of the Forum for African Women Educationalists - Uganda Chapter (FAWEU) Higher Education Scholarship Programme.

The ceremony that  took place on Friday, 21 September at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala, was attended by FAWEU members, girl child advocates, Former FAWEU Beneficiaries and several corporates including: Bank of Uganda, Stanbic Bank, FINCA, Makerere University Business School (MUBS), DFCU Bank, Red Cross, National Association of Women with Disabilities (NUWODU), Mehta Group, Palin Diagnostics, among others.

The Speaker in her address, appealed to the corporates to support girl-child education if they are to meaningfully contribute to the development of Uganda, and appealed to them to realign their budgets towards supporting the cause.

She launched the fundraising by lighting the candle for girl-child education that is moving around Africa to raise awareness about the continued need to educate the girl-child. The candle is symbolic of the light that FAWE has brought into the lives of girls in Africa. It is also a commemoration of twenty years since five women ministers of education in Africa set-up FAWE as a forum to remove barriers to girl-child education and bridge the gender gap in education, in Africa.

The FAWEU Chairperson, Mrs Rose Izizinga, expressed her gratitude to the Speaker and all those who had supported FAWEU in the struggle to educate the girl-child and, who continue to support girl -child education and emphasised that the struggle continues.

She said that FAWE was commemorating twenty years of educating the girl-child in Africa and had since made major strides in closing the gender gap in education in Africa, although the barriers to girl-child education in Africa was still faced with challenges which included  among others backward cultures, poverty and conflicts/ insecurity that orphaned the girl-child.

She added that the fundraising dinner was one of FAWEU's activities to raise awareness on girl-child education and it was one of the events organized during the girls' education week held annually. This year the week took place from 17th to 21st September 2012, and included: A press conference held on Monday 17th, girls conferences held at Mengo Senior Secondary School and which hosted schools from Eastern, Northern and Central, and another girls conference held in Kyenjojo which hosted schools from western Uganda . The theme of the week was:

FAWEU Executive Director, Ms Christine Semambo Sempebwa, highlighted the strides made by FAWEU in educating the girl-child. She observed that FAWEU had educated over 4, 000 girls in secondary education since 1997, when the organisation was launched , and was now supporting 26 girls at university and in other tertiary institutions. The challenge, however, she said, was to raise at least Shs 500,000,000 to enable the girls transit from secondary to higher institutions of learning, and to complete university and training in tertiary institutions.

Such a Long Way

 

Girl child education scraped through the 1950s, 60s and the 70s. Even with the opening of girls schools such as Gayaza Junior and Gayaza High School (1905), Mt. St. Mary's college Namagunga (1942), many girls were unable to go to school; largely because of prevailing unfavourable societal cultural attitudes of educating girls.

"This was a time of intractable cultural attitude that girls were supposed to be homemakers; people to be married off and produce children," says Namirembe Bitamazire, former minister of education. Bitamazire was among the lucky girls to go to school in her time. "There were only 12 of us in class in 1949," she recalls.

The first attempts at promoting girl child education in Uganda were made by the 1963 Castle Commission. "The Commission highlighted the need to expand girl's education in the country," notes Doris Kakuru Muwhezi, in her paper on gender sensitive education policy and practice in Uganda.

However, very little progress was made as the Government Education Plan (1971/2- 1975/6) formed to implement the suggestions did not have the manpower and facilities to accomplish the job.

Serious reforms to boost girl-child education resumed with the Government Education Policy Review Committee of 1987 which sought to among other issues address inequalities in our education system. The subsequent 1991 publication of a Government White Paper on Education set out benchmarks against which important programmes to attain parity in education would be implemented.

"One of the key elements of this White Paper was the need to democratise education; to provide equal opportunities to Ugandan children regardless of age, gender, religion and other identities," says Aggrey David Kibenge, former undersecretary in the Ministry of Education and Sports.

These reforms led to the introduction of Affirmative Action in University admission, ensuring that all female applicants get 1.5 points added onto their university entry marks. In 1997, Universal Primary Education was introduced offering more opportunities for girls to attend school.

Several government interventions such as the National Strategy for Girls education and the Promotion of Girl's Education and several other programmes have been implemented to ensure that more girls access formal education. Through initiatives like the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI), the Girls Education Movement, many girls from poor families have been empowered.

The results have been good. According to the World Bank Gender Gap report 2012, the female-male divide in school enrollment has narrowed significantly and in some cases exceeded expectation.

At primary level for instance the gap is 92:90, indicating that there are more girls attending primary school, while in secondary schools it is 15:17 and 4:5 at tertiary level.

According to the education ministry, the net enrollment for girls at primary level increased from 82.3% in 2000 to 97.2% as today.

While that of boys moved from 88.8% for boys in 2000 to 96.3%. Gender parity has grown from 48:51 in 2000 to 50:51 today.

Policy Weaknesses

Despite all this, girl child education has not been without challenges. With about 20% of all girls that enrol in primary school unable to complete their education, there is concern over the significantly high drop-out rates of girls at this level and beyond.

According to a 2010 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's Global monitoring report on marginalisation only 31% of all girls that enrolled for secondary education were able to complete O' level education compared to 39% for boys. 31.1% of the girls were able to join A level compared to 41.3%.

Early pregnancies, poor sanitation facilities in schools and absence of support mechanisms especially for girls have contributed a lot to girls dropping out of school. The situation is often worse in rural areas.

A 2011 New Vision field visit to Kasese district discovered that on average young girls drop out of school between ages of 12 and 15; to find boyfriends and husbands.

Masika Kulthum Moshi, the district inspector of schools and focal officer for girl-child education in the district at the time, blamed this trend on poverty.

A number of gender parity programmes initiated to support the girls were either poorly attended or no longer functional. Some district education officials blamed this poor support from the district on lack of sufficient facilities.

"These are serious hindrances to girls education for which we are to yet find solutions," says Tonny Mukasa Lusambu, the assistant Commissioner primary education.

Challenges Abound

Several unresolved issues also remain, in regard to policies meant to promote girl-child education. For instance, the policy on affirmative action does not favour the unique circumstances of young women in rural, marginalised areas who are unable to access higher education because of their difficult circumstances," says Solome Nakawesi Kimbugwe, an independent international consultant on gender and human rights. The policy, she says, needs to be more responsive to the needs of such girls.

"It is also a problem that the education policy does not spell out measures to deal with parents that 'sell off' their young daughters into marriage and those that do not provide lunch to their children."

Nakawesi also points out that many education policies lack strategies that bring boys on board on matters of equality.

"For many boys that do not regard girls as equal partners, this creates a backlash once the girls in their environment thrive," she adds. The policy, she argues, needs to enable boys understand the importance of equality.

Margaret Watuwa, a head teacher at Kololo Secondary School says that gender parity policies have gone a long way in increasing enrollment; but more needs to be done to sustain girls in school.

A lot remains to be done, particularly in equipping schools with critical facilities to support the stay of girls in schools.

A school without proper facilities

Lusambu says that the Government continues to devise means of supporting the girl children in school.

"We have strengthened the roles of Senior Women in schools and we hope that they will be able to support the girls in their needs. We have also provided sh4.5m to each District Education Officers to support monitoring activities and sh2.5bn, will be shared amongst all districts; for schools' inspections.

Perhaps more importantly, attitudes also need to be changed, towards more gender responsive actions.

Gender Eye 3 A new year with massive fight against Teenage Pregnancy

THEME: TEENAGE PREGANCY  

EDITORIAL by Nanyanzi R &Nansubuga A

Teenage pregnancy is a big problem throughout Uganda. It is one of the key reasons why girls drop out of school at primary and secondary level. It destroys the dreams of parents and the young mothers.

In Uganda every single hour due to circumstances beyond their control or one careless moment‟s exposure to risk more than 1600 Ugandan adolescents will give birth many of them physically immature with no exposure to antenatal care or access to delivery services or emergency obstetric care.

According to UDHS (2011) Uganda has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in sub Saharan Africa with half of its girls giving birth before the age of 18. Some give birth to healthy children, but for many pregnancy was unplanned, birth comes too early and experience is one of fear and pain.

Many girls experience sexual intercourse at 16.6 years compared to 18.1 for boys. This is also compared to 13% of young women and 12% of young men age 15-24 having sexual intercourse before age 15 and 60% of young women and 47% of young men age 18-24 having sexual intercourse before 18. UDHS (2011)

"Pregnant adolescents are in a dark void of helplessness waiting to be rescued."

Unwanted and early pregnancy reflects a failure to provide a safe environment that supports girls to reach adult hood with education, prospect and hope.

In Uganda many teenage pregnancies are not merely unplanned but also unwanted contributing significantly to an estimated 297,000 stealthy abortions annually (WHO).

Nearly 140,000 abortions are had every year by those aged 12-24 years.(UDHS) This had brought the number of girls dropping out of school to 30% due to pregnancy related reasons. The percentage of teenagers that have started child bearing is still high at 24 %.

(AODI/UNICEF study (2011)

In 2011 defilement was the leading sex related crime reported in the country with a total of 7690 cases, 520 cases of rape were investigated with only 269 suspects arrested and charged in court, according to the latest police report. (Source UWONET) The above statistics indicate that there is need for improvement in Sexual Reproductive Health in the education sector.

Teenage pregnancy is attributed to early marriages, dropping out of school, and rape, which puts girls at a high risk of contracting HIV. This highlights the need to advocate for teenager girls‟ Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) so that they are able to live healthier lives.

Addressing teenage pregnancy calls for collective effort of all those involved in child upbringing.

There‟s need for sexual reproductive health education, engage in dialogue with community stakeholders on sexual reproductive health challenges faced by youth and brainstorm on possible prevention and management strategies.

Teenage pregnancy has far reaching implications for the individual and entire community and calls for collaborative effort to prevent and manage it.

There‟s need to strengthen structures that support youth to establish youth friendly services where they can speak out and integrate sexual reproductive health education in community development initiatives.

Through advocacy by the media, religious and district leaders as well as Sexual Reproductive Health table-talk discussions, the youth are helped and the risk of acquiring HIV and unwanted pregnancies is lessened.

Educating the girl child is key in equipping her skills knowledge and attitude to improve and manage her life.

For these reasons mentioned above,

this issue of the Gender Eye is dedicated to Teenage Pregnancies and implications to education.

 

 

Theme for the International Day for the Girl Child

 

SUMMARY RESEARCH STUDY FINDINGS ON OBSTACLES TO GIRLS EDUCATION INCLUDING TEENAGE PREGNANCY

The right to education is entrenched in international human rights treaties, and commitments to girls’ education have been made in a number of international and regional agreements and frameworks, ratified by the majority of African states.

Research Topic: Because I am a girl: Progress and obstacles to girls’ education in Africa, Plan International 2012

a. Findings:

Early pregnancy is common across Sub-Saharan Africa with more than 50% of girls and young women giving birth by the age of 20.

A range of factors make primary and secondary school girls vulnerable to early pregnancy, including poverty, lack of access to sexual and reproductive health services and information, the prevalence of sexual violence and transactional sex, low levels of education, and child marriage.

In Uganda 57% of children identified pregnancy as the leading cause of school dropout for girls, rising to 58% in Guinea Bissau and 62% in Liberia.

Lack of support from schools, socio cultural expectations and pressures of motherhood, lack of childcare options, and stigma and bullying from peers were all reported to make it very unlikely that young mothers will return to school after childbirth.

Many countries, including Malawi, Kenya, Ghana and Liberia, have amended legislation and policies to recognize explicitly the right of pregnant schoolgirls and young mothers to remain in school. However, these legal rights and policies are seldom implemented or enforced at a local level. Plan‟s research also found common reports of pregnant girls being forced into marriage with either the father of the child or someone else, even in circumstances where pregnancy was the result of forced sexual relations.

For many parents, sending their daughters to school is perceived as exposing them to higher risks of early pregnancy: 84% of parents in Ghana and 91% in Uganda identified pregnancy as a disadvantage of girls‟ education, with „boyfriends‟ and fellow students cited as the main perpetrators of girls‟ pregnancies.

Teachers have an important role in addressing this by raising awareness of the risks and consequences of early pregnancy in schools, providing sexual and reproductive health education and ensuring schools are safe and protective environments for girls.

Recommendations

Expanding opportunities and girls’ capacity to participate and advocate around their own experiences is a key component of such work.

There is widespread evidence of the positive influence that female teachers can have on girls’ enrolment, retention and learning outcomes. Well trained, supported and motivated female teachers can act as effective professional role models for girls, offering an alternative to the traditional roles of women in the community.

The presence of female teachers in schools can also help to create a more ‘girl friendly’ learning environment in which girls’ needs and perspectives are more likely to be understood and addressed.

Meeting the numerous and interrelated challenges in girls’ education require a coordinated and holistic response that spans both the education system and the constraining factors in communities and wider society. Stakeholders at every level need to be engaged in this response: from individuals and civil society organizations working at the grassroots to national and international policy makers.

Girls must be empowered to take an active role in securing their own futures and communities must be encouraged to participate and support their own development by changing their cultural and social attitudes toward gender.

 

 

Research topic: A survey on re-entry of pregnant girls in primary and secondary schools in Uganda, FAWEU 2011.

 

Findings:

Although Uganda has made deliberate efforts to promote gender equality at national and school level, there are significant gaps in addressing issues of pregnancies in schools. At the national level, no clear policies exist on how pregnancy in schools can be handled or assisting girls who would want to re-join school after giving birth.

Findings also indicate that districts have no established mechanisms to deal with pregnancies in schools under their supervision. There exists no data on pregnancy in schools. Some districts have information on the number of schools, their registered students and on dropouts, but they do not have information on students who drop out due to pregnancy, and how these are followed up.

Furthermore the findings of the same study indicate that while majority of stakeholders support re-entry into school after giving birth, a very tiny minority could visualize a pregnant girl continuing with her studies unless she was in a candidate class and hence only allowed to sit for her exams. Not many still visualized a child mother studying with the baby in the same environment.

According to teachers‟ views, the leading cause for girls to drop out of school is pregnancy (34%), followed by poverty (28%) and engagement in early sex/marriage (11%).

Engagement in early sex is also partly attributed to defilement as well as forced marriages.

While community members are key in engaging school girls in early sex, teachers and school staff members too are among the perpetuators despite the fact these staff are charged with the duty of teaching as well as moral upbringing of the children.

Like the teachers, the majority (65%) of the pupils indicated the main cause for dropping out as pregnancy followed by poverty (14%) and then

early sex/marriage (8%). The students‟/pupils‟ and teachers‟ views disturbingly point to pregnancy as a leading cause of girls dropping out of school.

This implies that pregnancy is a key issue that needs to be addressed if girls are to complete school.

 

Inferring from national data, pregnancy accounts for a considerable percentage of school drop out of girls. For example the data of 2000-2009 showed that 20% of girls were married. The percentage of women who gave birth before the age of 18 was 35% and the adolescent birth rate was put at 1,593. Again according to the 2006 Uganda Demographic Health Survey, 12% of the girls aged 15-19 years were pregnant while 19% had even given birth to one child. All these are of primary and post primary education and training.

The 2006 Uganda Demographic Health Survey shows that childbearing among teenage girls starts early. While at 15 years 2% had begun child bearing, this proportion increases rapidly to 59% for the 19 year olds. The proportions are higher for the rural as compared to urban areas and in the poorest families as compared with the wealthier ones, with marked regional variations where the south of the country in general has lower teenage incidences than the rest of the country. It is important to note that high teenage pregnancy rates affects girls who would ordinarily be in primary, secondary and post secondary education and training.

Recommendations by teachers

Many teachers interviewed, whether female or male in primary or secondary school argue that there is no need for a policy to retain pregnant girls in schools, although the practice is that some schools actually have expectant mothers studying, particularly if they are in candidate classes.

There is fear that lack of consensus and policy direction will make some to retain pregnant girls while many other schools do not accept. Indeed some teachers recommend that a policy on pregnancy should actually prohibit rather than accommodate pregnancy in schools.

Others say that there is need for a retention policy because many teachers cannot allow the girls in class and yet such girls become useful, when they study. It is also argued that the girls need skill so that they are able to look after their children.

However unlike the controversy on the retention policy which is sternly opposed by the majority of teachers, pupils and students across the board, a policy on re-entry is supported overwhelmingly by most of the people interviewed. With no major differences between women and men teachers interviewed, 88% of the teachers interviewed argue that Uganda needs a policy on re-entry of girls into school

Similarly, many pupils, policy makers and community members support the re-entry of girls in school after child birth. However, a preventive approach would be to address factors that facilitate the occurrence of pregnancies in school.

In general, teachers especially say that the pregnancy of girls in schools should be discouraged and avoided. Negative attitudes towards girl child education in society and failure to pay tuition or to meet the financial requirements of schooling are some of the driving factors in sexual relationships by school girls. Therefore there is need to address factors such as: negative attitudes in communities, poverty in families, introducing and teaching sex education in schools so that girls and all pupils and students know how to deal with sexuality matters.

Other stakeholder views on re-entry policy

A policy should be formulated to enable teachers to allow girls back in school (with a clear resource framework).

Government should provide sponsorship schemes to the child mothers.

Massive sensitization by Local government and NGOs should be prioritized- sensitization should focus on all stakeholders especially - teachers, parents and students/pupils.

Students in particular have to be able to accept the girl who has had a baby and not to call her names such as „mama‟.

Government should extend services like family planning methods in a holistic manner Local government can make policy/Ordinances to emphasize sex education in schools.

Spell out tough penalties for the culprits.

Make re-entry mandatory and reprimand those who block re-entry

(Family/school)

On retention- government should invest much in training people that can help these students for example teachers.

Provision of health facilities, sick bays, resting rooms in schools and child care centres.

In build into the policy deterrent measures to prevent pregnancy i.e. the policy should not send a bad signal that it is okay to be pregnant at that age

Key organizational spaces for women‟s education such as FAWE, UWOPA, MGLSD should play specific roles in the policy framework.

Study Recommendations

Emphasis should be placed on the notion that education is a human right and lifelong learning, a prudent way to a good education.

As such pregnant students and child mothers should be allowed to enroll or re-enroll in any school of their choice. It is suggested that for pregnant or lactating girls to remain in school, parental support is necessary but if possible the school should take up the support by providing scholastic materials.

Make the school environment friendly for the retention of pregnant girls or re-entry of the young mothers.

This can be through:

　

Counseling services to schools to change attitudes of teachers, pupils and students. This should also be targeted at addressing stigma related to school girl pregnancy. Guidance and counseling sessions should be clearly indicated on the school time table where issues of sexuality should be addressed among others aspects. Providing guidance and counselling to expectant girls and mothers to cope with their pregnancy and childcare situations as they study

Teacher re-orientation and training so that they can handle issues of pregnancy in school appropriately.

Sensitization of the public and especially foundation bodies as some may be too conservative to accept pregnant girls in school.

 

Enact a Clear Policy and Bye-laws on Enrolment and Retention to deal with the factors underlying drop outs and poor performance:

To guard against early marriage of girls, parents who marry off young girls should be arrested.

 

Parents who withdraw children (boys and girls) from school to engage them in income generating activities or domestic work should be punished.

 

Men who marry young girls should be arrested.

 

Children (girls and boys) who, on their own, refuse to go to or continue with school should be identified and appropriate measures put in place.

Share your views on retention of pregnant girls in schools on: http://www.gendermoes.blogspot.com

Email:gendermoes@gmail.com

 

 

Research Topic: Documenting Best Practices in Retention and Re-entry of Pregnant Girls in School: The Christian Counseling Fellowship (CCF) Founded Pader Girls Academy (PGA) Model, Pader District. FAWEU 2011.

PGA is a learning space that offers a second chance to girls whose souls were otherwise shattered by the reality of conflict and the sexual violence that comes with it. One of the specific categories among these returnees was child mothers and pregnant girls. Girls in captivity suffered intense sexual violence in form of rape and defilement. Many of them were forced to marry LRA commanders. As they returned they had an additional war baggage – trauma, the stigma, the shame, babies and pregnancies. Yet they still had optimism and wish to continue with their education. In 2008 the PGA was born, to fulfill the wishes of previously war child mothers for formal schooling.

PGA admits pregnant girls and child mothers and gives them a chance to continue with their education. The idea is that waiting for the girl to give birth and re-enter tends to ignore the fact that in many of the cases the environment is very hostile and the concerned girl can end up getting pregnant again or lose interest in school completely. Whereas PGA was established as a response to the realities of the war in Northern Uganda, it offers a perfect example of how society can lift the burden off the girls‟ backs and take responsibility of its defects and deficiencies.

The question of how best to ensure the right to education for pregnant girls and child mothers has been salient across the continent. Countries such as Zambia Botswana and South Africa have put in place policies to allow for re-entry of girls into school after giving birth. In Neighboring Kenya, a recent press report was as follows:

One of the key findings from the national study on re-entry of pregnant girls in primary and secondary schools was that retaining pregnant girls and child mothers with their babies would set a bad example for the other girls. That is why there was rejection (over 85% of respondents) of retention of pregnant girls of allowing for Child mothers to study with babies in their vicinity. However the above view from a PGA student without a child indicates that quite on the contrary the other girls who are not yet going through the agony of child mothering might have real living examples to deter them from early sex.

Indeed, some education stakeholders were of the view that the PGA model is a worthwhile learning environment for other children, since it demonstrates the struggles of child mothering to these girls. This would enable girls to cautiously guard against pregnancy instances while at school. This was expressed when respondents were asked, would you take your daughter to study at if she was nether pregnant nor had a child? Those against the PGA model argue that the project will "encourage pregnancy among young girls once these schools are operational". But either way, it is realised that most young girls who get pregnant in our community do not consent to sex but are lured or in circumstances forced into it.

 

Give views on replication of the Pader Girls’ Academy Model on

http://www.gendermoes.blogspot.com

Email:gendermoes@gmail.com

Formal Education for pregnant teenagers and Child-mothers- The Pader Girls Academy model. (Article by) Olak Denis Ongaya  Christian Counseling Fellowship-Pader olakden@yahoo.com/

Why regard teenage pregnancy as a cordon to their education?

Back at home, a pregnant teenage girl is subjected to cook food for the entire family members, she is sent to fetch water and do all the other domestic chores like any other able bodied woman would have done. Very little or no attention is paid to her pregnancy. But when it comes to issues of accessing education, she now becomes the centre of discussion, she is blocked, stigmatized, and baptized as dense and unable to study, worse for the reasons given "they are unable to sit and pay attention in class, a function that requires use of the brain while sitting" maybe I need to be educated from a medical perspective how true this statement is, because then, I would have a reason to suggest to the labour union to stop all expectant working mothers from their duty until they deliver because their input is equitably low. If truly Uganda stands for gender equality, then this is a reason all Ugandan needs to embrace access to education for pregnant teenagers. Blocking a pregnant teenage girl from accessing education yet allow, the boy who impregnated her to continue studies, is like beating a heap of toxic waste with a short stick without mining its explosion effect. As Ugandan, we need to pose a caveat and understand why teenage pregnancy has persisted over the years bearing in mind the uniqueness in circumstance of each pregnant teenager. We need to understand teenage pregnancy arising from rape and defilement, forced marriage, poverty, over restriction from home, bad peers name it. We need not to forget that most of these pregnancies are accompanied with HIV/AIDS. All these, a teenage girl has little control over, yet to my dismay, even mother who should have created a fallback position for their daughters disowns the daughter because she is got pregnant at such a early age-something you might have done when you were younger than her. May be I am not speaking to Ugandans who are parents, who have daughters, whose daughters can fall victim of defilement and rape in this society where community roles of protecting children has drifted into the hands of defilers. Sincerely would we who are parents block our children from continuing with education even when we know education increases the resilience and cognitive development they require to protect themselves from continues abuse?

To date, teenage pregnancy has become like HIV/AIDS in Uganda. Deadly as it is, statistics reveals it‟s on the increase despite the level of awareness in Uganda. If education is truly a right for every child, and rights are universal and fundamental, innate and inherent, interdependent and interrelated, indivisible and inalienable, then the state, which has a duty to fulfill all these rights has to champion education for pregnant teenagers. Universal Primary and secondary education should consider special provision for giving pregnant teenagers an opportunity to rejoin schools. From my rural village in Adilang to a city setting in Kampala, from learned to unlearned friends, young and old, re-entry and retention of pregnant girls should embrace positive action towards successful completion of education for every pregnant girl child.

 

Profile of Pader Girls Academy

Pader Girls Academy is an affiliate of CCF-Pader. It was established in 2007 and started operating in 2008. It was established to support child mothers who were returning from LRA captivity. They missed opportunities to continue with their education as they were abducted, defiled and were forced to become wives of LRA commanders. They were impregnated against their will and returned with children. They experienced early pregnancies and missed opportunities to continue with their education hence stayed home even on return from captivity. From such a humble background, Pader Academy diversified its target and started providing formal (secondary),Vocational and day care services for other child mothers who for one reason or another dropped out of school. Numerous achievements have been registered since the school was established in 2007. The numbers of students and babies havte steadily increased from 46 in 2008 to 460 in 2012. The school through support from various donors has established some infrastructures such as Computer laboratories, a multipurpose hall, and classrooms and furnished a vocation sector with some tools and equipments. The school is now licensed by the Ministry of Education and Sports and was also able to recruit and maintain staff. All these achievements were made possible through funding mainly from International NGOs such as Uganda Funds, ZOA/MWH, IAS, World Vision, War Child UK, Churches in Australia and Canada, and friend of child mothers from within and outside Uganda.

 

Nancy Abonyo an alumni of PGA shares her experience sitting UNEB examination with a two weeks old baby at Pader Girls Academy

Nancy Abonyo 20 hail from Otumpili Parish in Abim district, karamoja sub region. The district lies approximately 70 km by road from Pader Girls Academy. Nancy dropped out of school in S.3 barely 3 years after the death of her parents. Life became hard for her and this made her to lose hope in books. All her relatives distance themselves from sponsoring her, this frustrated her more. With all the bitterness, she decided to get married to builder who was by then working in her village. The builder took her to Pader, her new home, but things did not even work in her favor. Her welfare deteriorated so much that it attracted the attention of the local leaders who then referred her to CCF Pader for possible assistance. After dialoging with the family and the school, Nancy was admitted in PGA in January 2012 in S.4 class, with a pregnancy. At the time she was sitting the national examination, Nancy was placed in the special care unit at PGA, a place gazette for child mothers with new born babies because of the fragility in their conditions and constantly monitored by the school nurse. I Nancy is happy that despite all her past mischief, the exam was fine. She strongly believes she will become a teacher; something she says will position her better to speak to the many other young girls out there.

Christian Counseling Fellowship

P.O Box, 3, Pader

Off EY-Komakech Rd,

GEM UGANDA (Girls Education Movement)

GEM is an all Africa child-centred, inclusive, girl led movement of children and young people. GEM Uganda was established in 2001 as a membership organization and currently has a presence in 45 districts in Uganda, with GEM clubs

in 1797 primary schools and 4 secondary schools Our Goal is to promote access to quality education for girls.

Our underlying principal is involving girls themselves as key players in realizing their rights to education.

Our key strategies for achieving this are centered on GEM clubs in primary schools

"We are implementing a scholarship program for 13-22 year old girls in secondary and vocational institutions however, in January 2013 we carried out a medical check and from the 960 girls 42 girls were found pregnant" GEM Executive Director.

GEM SLOGAN

"Girls in the lead, Boys as allies while tapping the wisdom of Elders"

 

Basing on GEM Uganda‟s mission, which aims at engaging children and young people especially girls to understand issues affecting their lives, propose solutions and mobilize communities to address them;

promotion of girls and women‟s reproductive health rights is an aspect that needs attention. GEM has had interventions on teenage pregnancy and during their field monitoring visits they noted some of the leading causes of teenage pregnancy as:

 Lack of parental guidance and supervision is a major cause of teenage pregnancy.

Sexual abuse in form of rape and defilement of the young girls. Many times the perpetuators of sexual violence are teachers and family members.

Limited knowledge on reproductive and sexual education among these teenagers.

The bad peer influence into sex especially during the adolescent period, and there is no counseling, guidance and support from the parents or leaders in school and community.

Strategies that GEM has employed to reduce teen pregnancy include:

Comprehensive sex education

that provides critical reproductive information and teaches the girls about abstinence as the best method for avoiding STDs and unintended pregnancy, but also teaches them about condoms and contraception.

Service learning programs

that include community based volunteer service and curriculum-based discussions and activities, designed to promote healthy behavior for successful achievement in school and attainment of life-long goals. The volunteer service helps teens to take on adult roles, build personal responsibility and acquire valuable life skills.

 

Male involvement in GEM Uganda programs

for prevention efforts that specifically target parents, boys and young men who are influential in the lives of the GEM Uganda beneficiaries. Their involvement yields fruits and their contribution made during parents meetings at district level motivates them to support the girls and ensure they stay and complete school without falling prey to teenage pregnancy.

Adult-teen communication programs by

providing adults with information and skills to communicate effectively with young people especially girls about reducing risky behavior. It has been realized that parents influence teen decisions about sex more than their friends, the media, or their siblings. Thus open, honest conversation makes it easier for teens to postpone sexual activity and avoid teen pregnancy.

GEM scholarships camp: a scholarship camp is usually organized by GEM for instance one was organized in

January 2013, where 960 scholarship beneficiaries attended. During the camping  beneficiaries are imparted knowledge, skills and good practices in education,

life skills, personal goal setting, career planning and development, child rights and responsibilities as well as financial and entrepreneurship skills.

 

Go back to school campaign has reduced the number of cases in teenage pregnancy. The GEM clubs conduct school and community mapping where they identify girls who have dropped of school and come up with strategies to bring them back to school. This has been very successful in schools with very effective GEM clubs. Some of these girls dropped out of school or were forced into early marriages, so by bringing them back to school, cases of teenage pregnancy have also been reduced.

Introduction of scholarships to the teenage mothers who had dropped out of school and could not return to school due to poverty. This strategy has yielded good results because the young teenage mothers are more focused on education and fear getting pregnant due to fear of losing scholarships.

Testimonies on teenage pregnancy -By New Vision 25th August 2012

 

Shamim, 14, was working at a restaurant in Kayunga district when a 20-year-old man approached her and convinced her to start a love affair. The man offered to sponsor her for a course in hair dressing. Since she was earning peanuts at the restaurant, Shamim was easily swayed. A few months later, she was pregnant. When her boyfriend, Badru, realised that he could not support her, he sent her to his parents in the village. Shamim did not see him again.

Badru‟s parents were too poor to provide for her. She worked in people‟s gardens to earn a living. Shamim suffered silently, but she feared to return to her uncle‟s home where she was staying before meeting Badru. However, when she could not stomach the pain anymore, she borrowed shs 2,000 from a neighbor and travelled back to her uncle‟s home. Shamim‟s parents died of AIDS when she was a baby, leaving her in the care of relatives. She dropped out of school in Primary Four because of lack of school fees. Today, Shamim lives with a relative in Kikubankima village, Mukono Municipality, who provides for her and her one-year-old baby. "Badru abandoned me. I have never heard from him since I left his parents‟ home. I look up to my relatives support," she said.

 

Prossy, 15, is seven months pregnant and lives in Shamim‟s neighborhood. She dropped out of school in Primary Two and when she turned 15; her elder sister forced her to get married to a 20-year-old man. Shortly after, she conceived, but life has not been easy for her as she has no one to rely on. Prossy is a product of a broken relationship. Her parents separated and none of them took care of her.

Prossy and Shamim represent hundreds of teenage mothers in Uganda. Sexual exploitation among children is responsible for the increase in teenage pregnancies. "Every day, many girls are defiled and made pregnant. Sexual exploitation of children is a vice that threatens the moral fiber that binds our communities," says the ANPPCAN executive director.

By GEM Uganda

A girl in senior 3 was lured into sex by a neighbor who promised help with her sick mother and mad sister. When the school authorities discovered her pregnancy, she was apologetic and promised to continue with her education once she delivered. GEM checked her into a facility that counsels and guides pregnant teenagers ? a partner who supports GEM to keep these girls in a safe and healthy environment. She is back in school this year, ready to work hard and committed to success through education. At the recent camp, she thanked GEM for a second chance and warned her friends to keep away from sex as the repercussions aren‟t good

DOCUMENTED GOOD PRACTICES IN OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS TO EDUCATION PRESENTED BY EARLY PREGNANCY

(Plan International: Because Iam a Girl)

Although Uganda is experiencing challenges of addressing teenage pregnancy, some countries in Africa have come up with good practices that Uganda can learn from if we are

to tackle the issue of teenage pregnancy conclusively.

In Ethiopia, dropout returning committees have been established with representation from students, teachers, and members of the school administration, the Parent Teacher Association, and the district. The committee discusses the challenges

faced by the student, and visits the parents and student to try to resolve the issue and secure the student‟s return to school. This approach has assisted the implementation of national policies to enable the return of girls to school after childbirth.

In Mali measures have been put in place to encourage young mothers to return to school, including being allowed to leave class for breastfeeding, free passes to go to health centres, being excused from sports classes and toleration of late attendance by young mothers.

In Liberia, readmission of young mothers into schools is also being encouraged through the provision of childcare services.

A paper has been developed which will be used as a key document for engagement on development of policy on re-entry of pregnant girls to schools.

The Ministry of Education and Sports developed a gender monitoring tool to track among others dropout of girls due to teenage pregnancy.

The Ministry has plans to commission a bigger research on re-entry and retention of teenage mothers in school.

MoES and education development partners have made an effort to write a paper to influence policy which is being reviewed and a bigger research on the topic is yet to be commissioned.

 

TEENAGE PREGNANCY CASES REPORTED IN THE MEDIA

 

New Vision paper January 4th 2008 reported: Mityana District, 24 pregnant girls missed sitting their PLE after dropping out of school due to pregnancy as some pupils had just given birth and others were still pregnant.

New Vision paper Thursday November 26th 2009 reported that during PLE 2009 exams in Kasese, out of the total number of girls who sat PLE exams, 40 girls were reported pregnant.

The New Vision Monday June 25, 2012 reported a total of 53 girls in four primary schools in Palabek, Kal Sub-country had been impregnated in 2nd term.

 

The New Vision Friday May 24th 2012 reported 130 girls sexually abused in Lira since January 2012 and 250 girls dropped out of school in Bugiri due to teenage pregnancies.

The daily monitor of May 23rd 2012 reported 70 girls drop out of school due to early marriage since the year begun.

The New Vision Friday September 21st 2012 reported a 12 year old girl who gave birth to a baby boy and the African Network for the Prevention and Protection against child Abuse and Neglect expressed concern over the rising cases of defilement in the country.

 

In the New Vision of Monday October 1st 2012, reported 9 pupils in Tumboboi primary school in Kaptanya sub-county Kapchorwa district were found to be pregnant.

The Monitor of October 3rd 2012 also reported that 11 girls were found pregnant including a primary three pupil in Lira district.

 

These are glaring signs showing the impact of teenage pregnancy to the retention and completion of girls through the education system. There is need to come up with both preventive and retention measures to address the issue of pregnancy in our school system.

ACHIEVING A KEY MILESTONE: THE PARTICIPATORY GENDER AUDIT (PGA) FOR MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SPORTS.

 

The Ministry of Education and Sports in the month of January 2013 achieved one of those activities that had long been awaited for. The PGA exercise started from 7th January and ended on 28th Jan 2013.

The exercise involved reviewing of all policy, program and advocacy materials, interviews with key informants, consultative workshops which run for five days and a

validation workshop which was well attended by a wide range of officials from the Ministry and development partners.

We would like to thank our partners UNDP and Irish Aid for the support which made the PGA exercise a success.

Special thanks also go to the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education and Sports for spearheading the lobbying for the financial resources, the Director for Basic and Secondary Education for all the communication to various offices and the development Partners, the Under Secretary for Finance and Administration for being part of the briefing and allowing staff to attend the workshops, the gender Unit for organizing the whole exercise and to all staff of Ministry of Education and Sports for actively being part of the process.

We hope the findings from the PGA will inform the future direction of the Ministry of Education and Sports as far as mainstreaming gender is concerned.

"When you stand behind a barrier, it looks very forbidding; it can look permanent. But you find so often that once you jump that hurdle, the next hurdle and the rest of them don’t seem as forbidding. And, in fact, the magic is that they kind of disappear

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