By Benta A. Abuya
Senegal has a young population, with about half of its 18 million people aged below 19, indicating a potentially high demand for education. Yet, 41 % of children aged six to 11 and 43 % of those aged 12 to 18 are out of school. Enrollment numbers for girls decline as they progress through grades. To understand these dynamics, the African Population and Health Research Center conducted a two‑year study on girls’ education and wellbeing in Senegal. The Conversation Africa asked Benta A. Abuya, a lead researcher on the study, to unpack the findings.
Only a third of girls enroll in secondary school, and the reasons begin in primary school. In Senegal, the official primary school entrance age is six; primary school lasts six years, lower secondary four years, and upper secondary three years. In the final grade of primary school, the dropout rate was 26.7 % for girls and 22.2 % for boys. Financial hardship is a major obstacle: about 39 % of Senegalese live below the poverty line. Although the government offers free public education until age 16 and the Girls’ Education Support Project provides school uniforms, families still must pay for learning materials and transport. When resources are limited, boys are more likely to be sent to school, even if girls wish to attend.
Girls who are perceived as delinquent, uninterested in school, or involved in unsafe sexual activities face harsh community judgment and are often withdrawn from school and married off early to “address” the behaviour. Deep‑seated cultural practices—such as female genital mutilation, forced child marriage, and early pregnancy—further impede girls’ educational progress. The legal marriage age is 16 for girls and 18 for boys, but families often decide otherwise. In the Kolda region, 68 % of girls marry before 18, more than double the national average of 31 %. A 2019 scoping review of 1,321 adolescent girls found that 78 % became pregnant between ages 12 and 18, with 25.6 % of pregnancies occurring before age 15. An exploratory 2021 study identified teenage pregnancy, especially in Zinguinchor and Sedhiou, as a leading cause of school dropout. Some families marry daughters early to reduce the risk of pregnancy from transactional sexual relationships; others see marriage as the only viable path after school dropout.
When girls do not reach secondary school, both they and their communities miss out on social, economic, and health benefits. Increased secondary enrollment spurs the construction of more schools, boosts primary enrollment, and brings schools closer to families, encouraging parental support. Educated women contribute to civic participation, democratic change, and improved health outcomes for children. They are more likely to immunize and properly nourish their children, reduce child mortality and stunting, have lower fertility rates, and experience fewer unwanted pregnancies. Secondary education also lowers the risk of sexually transmitted infections by providing critical health information during vulnerable years.
Parents can help reverse these trends by giving girls equal educational opportunities, refraining from early marriage, and rejecting the notion that girls are destined for the kitchen. Registering all children at birth to obtain birth certificates is essential, as lack of documentation prevents girls from sitting final exams. Governments and education stakeholders should encourage parental involvement in programs that keep girls in school, such as campaigns against early marriage and female genital mutilation. The Coordinating Framework of Interventions on Girls’ Education in Senegal must work closely with communities, involving men and boys to challenge gender norms and patriarchal beliefs. In regions where cultural and religious factors hinder girls’ education, parents should lead the effort by speaking out against early marriage and ensuring girls remain in school.
Benta A. Abuya, Research Scientist, African Population and Health Research Center
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