Role Of Educational Managers In Promoting Girl-Child Education In Light Of Female Genital Mutilation In Kuria East Sub- County, Migori County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this study was to identify the effect of educational managers in promoting girl-child education in light of female genital mutilation in Kuria East Sub-county, Migori County. Despite the efforts by NGOs, Education managers, churches and other stake holders in eradicating this practice, Kuria community still persists with FGM thus causing increased deaths, health complications and poor performance in schools in the sub-county affecting the girl-child. The study endeavored to determine and establish the effects of educational officer in promoting girl-child education; investigated the effects of FGM on the girl-child and established suitable strategies employed by the Kuria community to eradicate FGM in Kuria East Sub-county of Migori County. This was because most of the girls dropped out of school immediately after undergone FGM exercise, due to; early marriage, early pregnancy and forced marriage. This was contributed by the fact that girls and parents who were not informed, assumed that those girls were mature enough to be mothers after the FGM exercise. The researcher used questionnaires and interview schedules to collect data. With a target population of 230, simple random sampling was used to select respondents in these groups namely: Health workers, teachers, girls, members of Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organization and government leaders totaling to 115 respondents. Data was obtained and analyzed by use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer package to determine the challenges faced by girl-child education in relation FGM. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis was used to analyze data collected. Responses from questionnaire and interview schedules were organized according to pertinent aspects of the study. The findings were presented through descriptive statistics by use of frequencies, tables, graphs and pie-charts. The data collected revealed that the education office alone could not adequately provide the required information on FGM sensitization in the community due to the deep rooted culture. The study further established that there were other groups that could be used to enlighten the community deeply on the effects of FGM. They included religious organization, council of elders and parents through the Baraza. However, apart from the education office the other groups were not well involved due to lack of sensitization of the community on the effects of FGM on girl child education; this is due to lack of good will from leaders, ignorance and lack of time to venture within the community as revealed from the analyzed data. In the light of these findings, the following recommendations are made: there is need for community to improve girl-child performance and completion education level by ensuring that girls do not drop out of school, and the governments to fully enforce the FGM law and ensure families that perpetrate the practice are punished. Also the government leaders through local administrators should be in the forefront to sensitize the community on the law that forbid FGM in the children‘s Act.