'He is the one who is providing you with everything so whatever he says is what you do': A Qualitative Study on Factors Affecting Secondary Schoolgirls’ Dropout in Rural Western Kenya

Abstract

Education is an effective way to improve girls’ self-worth, health, and productivity; however there remains a gender gap between girls’ and boys’ completion of school. The literature around factors influencing girls’ decision to stay in school is limited. Seven focus group discussions took place among 79 girls in forms 2 to 4 at secondary schools in rural western Kenya, to examine their views on why girls absent themselves or dropout from school. Data were analysed thematically. Lack of resources, sexual relationships with boyfriends, and menstrual care problems were reported to lead directly to dropout or school absence. These were tied to girls increased vulnerability to pregnancy, poor performance in school, and punishments, which further increase school absence and risk of dropout. Poverty, unmet essential needs, coercive sexual relationships, and an inequitable school environment collude to counter girls’ resolve to complete their schooling. Lack of resources drive girls to have sex with boyfriends or men who provide them with essentials their family cannot afford, such as sanitary pads and transport to school. While these improve quality of their school life, this dynamic increases their exposure to sexual risk, pregnancy, punishment, and dropout. Evaluation of interventions to ameliorate these challenges is warranted, including provision of pocket money to address their needs.

Teen pregnancy in rural western Kenya: a public health issue

“…The adjusted odds of a history of pregnancy were more than twice as high for teenage girls who had less than a primary education and teenage girls who had just a primary education compared to teenage girls who had more than a primary education. This is likely due to a variety of different factors that act separately and together to push teenage girls out of school and toward early sexual activity, including, but not limited to: cultural preference to educate boys over teenage girls; lack of sanitary towels and private places to attend to menstrual hygiene at school; school teacher harassment; transportation challenges to and from school; responsibilities at home to care for siblings and do chores; and lack of money for school fees and incidentals (Oruko et al, 2015). Partner violence was also associated with a history of teen pregnancy among the study participants.…”

Menstrual hygiene management among adolescent schoolgirls in low- and middle-income countries: research priorities

“…This includes strengthening the body of knowledge around MHM's impact on school dropout, absence, and other measureable school indicators (such as stress, self-confidence, and self-efficacy). Efforts to specifically explore the impact of poor MHM on girls’ SRH are also needed to define its contribution toward sexual exposure (18, 19), and subsequent increased risk of schoolgirl pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (23). Laboratory-based support is required given the limited predictability of girls’ (and women's) reported symptomatology (17, 23, 28).…”

“…A sole focus on school misses exploration of important health effects on girls’ SRH and wider effects on girls’ life chances; while pilot studies have explored this (33), verification through larger trials is required. As well as the effect of transactional sex for menstrual products (18, 19), the potential for unintended pregnancy due to a lack of girls’ understanding between the menstrual cycle and fertility has been documented (34), but not studied further.…”

“…In addition, a lack of adequate sanitary hygiene products forces some girls to use unhygienic materials (11, 13, 15, 16), potentially increasing urogenital symptoms and infections (17). New but limited evidence suggests that this need leads adolescent girls to engage in transactional sex in order to buy menstrual products (18, 19). Moreover, inadequate social support, ongoing gender inequality, and social and hygiene taboos around menstruation in numerous countries leave girls experiencing shame, fear, and confusion when trying to cope with their menstrual flow (9–15, 20, 21).…”

Do Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Conditions in Primary Schools Consistently Support Schoolgirls’ Menstrual Needs? A Longitudinal Study in Rural Western Kenya

“…Educating other females (e.g., mothers and teachers), men (e.g., fathers and teachers), and boys (e.g., brothers and peers) on menstruation, and addressing cultural taboos, can also benefit menstruating girls in feeling comfortable and gaining more access to the items they need [25,28,31,32]. …”