Edith Fortunate
5 May 2008
Nairobi — The Government has been asked to implement the national gender policy to increase school transition rates among girls.
It is estimated that at least one in ten girls do not attend school during menstruation or drop out at puberty due to lack of clean and private sanitation.
This has led to low transition rates among girls from primary to high school or even one class to the other.
Speaking during a campaign by the Girl Child Network and Proctor and Gamble called "Always Live Life" in Nairobi, former Nominated MP, Ms Njoki Ndung'u, said the Ministry of Education must ensure the implementation of the policy.
"A higher percentage of girls miss a whole month in a year due to lack of sanitary protection while some drop out, yet we expect gender equality in leadership," said Njoki.
The gender policy aims at encouraging the community to mobilise and educate in support of the girl child as a basis for influencing socio-cultural and household dynamics to overcome the differential treatment of girls and boys.
But Njoki said the Government had not delivered according to its policy.
"The policy speaks for itself, but its implementation has not taken place, leading to majority of girls dropping out of school," added Njoki.
The policy's other objective is to address enrolment, retention, transition, and performance of the girl child in education.
It also aims at basic education programmes for the disadvantaged groups in poor rural and urban areas, with specific emphasis on women.
The policy seeks to establish a monitoring and follow-up mechanism for school dropouts.
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