In terms of girls’ education, despite the big leaps recorded since the Jomtien conference (Thailand) from March 5 to 9, 1990 and the World Education Forum in Dakar (April 26 to 28, 2000), Africa in general and Senegal in particular have great challenges to be met, so many barriers to be lifted.
During these meetings, it was chosen that “an absolute priority should be to ensure the access of girls and women to education and to improve the quality of the training provided to them, as well as to remove all the obstacles to their active participation. All sex stereotypes are to be banished from education ”. However, there is still a long way to go. And a very long path. In Senegal, for example, pregnancies and early weddings do not weaken.
As proof, according to a study entitled “Adolescent girls in pregnancy: the case of pupils girls” contained in the “report of the pregnancies of adolescent girls” published in October 2024, under the leadership for the group for the study and teaching of the population (GEEP) supported by the United Nations Agency in charge of questions of sexual and reproductive health (UNFPA), “During the school year 2023-2024 pregnancy have been identified among students’ students aged between 13 and 19. 59.4 % of pregnancy cases concern 16 and 18 year olds against 20.1 % for 12 and 15 year olds. If the Academies of Dakar, Pikine Guédiawaye and Rufisque do not seem to be affected by pregnancies from 12 to 15 years old, on the other hand the academies of Sédhiou, Ziguinchor and Fatick record many cases in this age group. 66.18 % of pregnancy cases occurred in girls who are in the first cycle, that is to say between the 6th grade and the 3rd against 33.81 % in the second cycle ”.
In all academies, the majority of pregnancy cases are found in the 4th and 3rd classes which concentrate 68.98 % of the cases of this cycle. In the second cycle, it is the 2nd and 1st classes that are the most affected with 346 cases against 102 for those of Terminale. On the matrimonial level, 53 % of pregnancy cases concern married girls against 47 % of single girls ”.
Pregnancies which, recall the study, result, for the most part, from the social, school and technological environment.
To this are added the living conditions of these adolescent girls, often far from the family circle and who escape any parental follow -up. Early pregnancies that must challenge school and public authorities. Because, “early maternity is one of the main factors of school loss and therefore an obstacle to the development of society.
Added to this are the psychological effects, marginalization, deaths linked to complications of pregnancy and childbirth and offenses due to clandestine abortions, “notes the report. It is therefore not surprising to see a drastic drop in the number of girls as you advance in studies.
In Senegal, the more we advance in the cycles, the more the rate of girls is diminished. This higher rate varies from 5 to 8 %. This means that many bottlenecks still persist despite the efforts of structures such as scofi, fawe, NGO, partners, even the state.
There is therefore a need to fight against social stereotypes, ensure the financial autonomy of parents, bring the school of students closer (a well -started policy) if we want to succeed in the bet of development which cannot be realized without women. [email protected]
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