Stolen Dreams: How Climate Change Threatens Girls’ Education in Eastern Africa
By Emebet A. Jigssa with contribution from Climate Change Technical Working Group
Eastern Africa is a region grappling with the harsh realities of climate change. Droughts, floods, and erratic weather patterns are disrupting lives and livelihoods, with a particularly devastating impact on girls’ education. Climate change poses a significant barrier to girls’ education, threatening their future opportunities and impeding regional progress.
The Gendered Burden of Water Scarcity:
One of the most significant ways climate change impacts girls’ education is through water scarcity. Droughts force girls to travel long distances to collect water, stealing precious hours that could be spent in school. A study in Uganda found that girls in drought-stricken areas missed an average of four more school days per month compared to those in areas with adequate water access. (Plan International on Climate Change and Girls’ Education). This not only disrupts their learning but also increases their fatigue, making it harder to concentrate in class.
Empowered with safe water and toilets, women can transform their lives. Freed from the burdens of the water crisis, they can nurture their families, start businesses, and cultivate healthy gardens. This, in turn, ensures their safety, eliminating the risks of open defecation and long, dangerous water journeys, according to water.org.
Economic Strain and Early Marriage
Climate change also exacerbates poverty, a major factor hindering girls’ education. Droughts and floods destroy crops and livestock, leaving families struggling to make ends meet. In such situations, girls are often the first to be pulled out of school to contribute to household income through child labor or early marriage. A report by the Wilson Center (Cause and Effect: Climate Change and Gender-Based Violence in East Africa) highlights this link, stating that droughts in East Africa are associated with increased child marriage rates as families see daughters as an economic burden.
Disrupted School Infrastructure
Extreme weather events, such as floods, storms, cyclones, and droughts, pose significant threats to educational infrastructure, disproportionately impacting marginalized groups, particularly girls. These natural disasters can cause extensive damage to school buildings, rendering them uninhabitable and disrupting the learning process for countless students. The destruction of schools can result in prolonged closures, leading to substantial learning losses and increased dropout rates.
Girls are often more vulnerable to the consequences of school closures. They may be assigned additional household chores or early marriages as mentioned above, reducing their chances of returning to school. Moreover, temporary learning spaces established after disasters frequently lack adequate sanitation, privacy, and safety measures, creating a hostile environment for girls. This gender disparity in access to education is exacerbated by cultural norms and stereotypes that prioritize boys’ education.
Prolonged droughts in countries like Kenya and Ethiopia lead to school closures due to water scarcity and food shortages. Girls are more likely to be married off early to reduce the family’s burden, further limiting their educational opportunities.
Desert locust and other transboundary pest invasions can destroy crops and livelihoods, leading to food shortages and economic hardship. This can force families to pull their children, especially girls, out of school to help with agricultural labor or to seek alternative income sources.
For example, Kenya and Ethiopia; The 2020 locust invasion in Kenya had a devastating impact on agriculture, particularly in the northern counties. According to a report by UNICEF, the crisis forced many children, especially girls, to drop out of school to support their families. UNICEF report on the impact of locust invasion in Kenya.
Ethiopia has experienced recurrent locust outbreaks, with the most recent major invasion occurring in 2020.The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that the infestation led to significant crop losses, affecting food security and livelihoods. This, in turn, impacted school attendance. FAQs — Kenya Locust Response Project
The Path Forward: Educating for Resilience
The fight for girls’ education in Eastern Africa cannot be separated from the fight against climate change. Here are some ways to address this challenge:
- Investing in climate-resilient infrastructure: Building schools that can withstand extreme weather events can help ensure continuity of education during natural disasters.
- Promoting gender-sensitive water management: Programs that train girls and women on water conservation techniques and equip communities with rainwater harvesting systems can free up girls’ time for school.
- Supporting girls’ education in times of crisis: Programs that provide financial aid, child care services, and menstrual hygiene products during droughts and floods can help keep girls in school.
- Integrating climate change education into the curriculum: Equipping girls with the knowledge and skills to understand and adapt to climate change empowers them to become agents of change in their communities.
Addressing the intersection of climate change and girls’ education can ensure a brighter future for girls in Eastern Africa. Educated girls are more resilient to climate shocks, better equipped to contribute to climate solutions, and ultimately, play a vital role in building a more sustainable and equitable future for the region.
