Challenges facing female learners in various levels of education in Kenya
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Date
2011
Authors
Kimani, Elishiba
Mugenda, Olive M.
Maina, Lucy
Wainaina, Michael
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This study investigated the challenges facing female learners at various levels of
education, with a view to generating strategies and recommendations that would assist
in promoting their full participation in the education sector in the country. In addition,
the study investigated the challenges faced by female employees in the participating
institutions. The participants were drawn from four institutions, purposively selected
to represent middle level colleges, public as well as private universities. The study
established that females faced challenges throughout the various education cycles
as learners. The challenges seemed to increase as the female students went up the
education ladder. Although identified challenges ranged from social-economic to policy
and institutional based, sexual harassment was identified as a serious one cutting across
all levels of education. This and other challenges call for urgent redress at institutional
and government levels if gender equality and women empowerment is to be realized. The
study concludes by discussing strategies that can be adapted to enhance participation of
females at various levels of education in Kenya. Some of the strategies had implications
for policies while others demanded social transformation in terms of change of people’s
culture and attitudes. Others challenged institutional policies and practices. Specific
strategies included the need to promote access to education; provision of safe, friendly
and secure learning and teaching environment; establishment and upgrading of single
sex schools in the learning of science, mathematics and information technology (SMIT);
teaching of life-skills and retooling of teachers for gender sensitive pedagogy
Description
Research paper
Keywords
Gender, Education, Challenges, Female, Learners
Citation
Isiphethu Solwazi: Unizulu International Journal of Education Volume 2, Number 1, 2010 ISSN: 2078-7545 URL: www.isiphethu.uzulu.ac.za