National Strategy for Girls' Education in Uganda

Abstract

The current decade has seen a resurgence of interest and activity in girls' education at both the global and local levels. The World Conference on Education for All- EFA (Jomtien, 1990), its mid-decade review (Aman, 1996), the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) and the African Confer- ence on the Empowerment of Women Through Functional Literacy and the Education of the Girl Child (Kampala, 1996) were international events which emanated from and in turn stimulated numerous country initiatives and activities in support of girls' education. In Uganda, government has, through a number of key policy documents, declared its commitment to redressing the disparities that characterize the provision of education for girls. It has, both of its own volition and through collaboration with donors and Non-Governmental Organizations, set up several gender-responsive programmes to expand and improve the education of girls. Some notable achievements in this regard have been the preferential 1.5 points accorded girls who qualify to gain admittance to university and the introduction of universal primary education (UPE) which apportions two out of the four "free" primary school places to girls in every family. Why then the continuing concerns about promoting girls' education? Two compelling reasons for intensifying Uganda's efforts are: The girl-child in Uganda is entitled to equal access to education, as a human right. The educated girl-child is a linchpin in the development of any nation. There is well-documented evidence that the girl we struggle to educate today will be the woman tomorrow whom Uganda can rely upon to improve family nutrition and health, to boost social and economic development and to guarantee increased education for subsequent generations of Uganda's children. However, despite the assistance given by international and local agencies and the well-acclaimed political good will which has recently brought powerful female leaders to the fore, Uganda's achievements in advancing female education still fall far short of the typical indicators of gender parity in education. Nor has its performance yet caught up with that of its neighbors. Out of 146 developing countries rated on the Gender human Development Index (GDI) Uganda is relegated to 132nd place as compared to Kenya's 112th and Tanzania's 123rd. positions. Its female adult literacy rate (48%) and female life expectancy at 41 years trail behind both Tanzania (54%, 52yrs) and Kenya (68%, 55yrs). [Source: World Bank (1997) Human Development Report] Below is a synopsis of some key indicators of the status of girls' education in Uganda.