K Baldeh Adama is a teacher in Armitage Senior Secondary School, Jangang Bureh, Central River Region SS The Gambia.
Women and Girls’ Education
Over the years, significant strides have been made to make education accessible to girls in the Gambia. There have been achievements as quite a good number of girls have been enrolled in primary school and there is provision of free education for girls in public schools up to high school level. This was geared towards the attainment of gender parity and SDG4.
However, there are numerous obstacles to girls’ education, particularly in the rural areas, ranging from social, cultural and economic issues that put them at a disadvantage.
Cultural practices such as forced marriage, female genital mutilation and cutting discrimination, excessive household chores and gender stereotypes have been barriers to the education of rural girls. As a result, they do not acquire the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the labour market; nor gain socio-emotional and life skills to navigate and adapt to a changing world.
I was the first female in my family to go school, from a community where girls’ education was not given as much consideration as that of the boys. These are some of the challenges I had to conquer. I needed to break the cultural barriers that limit the girl-child to only the matrimonial home and allow me to reach the level where I am today, making an impact in any ways I can. Little did I know I would reach this far but the passion to make a difference in my life through education and the support from educators who spotted the potential in me, made the journey possible.
Poverty is another factor affecting the education of rural girls. A large percentage of girls in rural Gambia are from underprivileged families. As a result, the girls lack the required economic support to pursue their education.
Also, the lack of, or limited access to transportation, prevent some rural girls from attending schools located far away from their homes. They are forced to walk long distances which renders them exhausted, they are usually not regular and not punctual. as their parents cannot afford bicycles or other means of transportation and this affects their academic performance. Therefore, boys continue performing better in school and become most productive in the communities while girls drop out or are withdrawn from school for marriage. These are reasons why some of my female school mates and my students who travel kilometers to school, drop out or opt for transfers to the urban areas where guardianship becomes an issue, thus exposing them to more dangers in the city. A rural girl who is not accustomed to city life is in most cases taken advantage of.
Aside from teaching, female teachers can play vital roles in schools. They can guide, coach and mentor girls and thus serve as role models. The absence or limited numbers of women in leadership roles and teaching positions in the rural areas can limit girls’ aspirations and opportunities.
There are several ways to address barriers and ensure that girls and women attain equality and equity in education. This can be done by removing financial barriers, providing scholarships and transportation facilities to make school more accessible.
The cultural and societal norms that hinder girls’ education can be challenged and transformed through sensitization, campaigns, community engagement and involvement of local leaders and influencers in promoting girls’ education. It will also be important to establish mentorship programs that connect girls with successful women who can inspire them. Role models and mentors help girls envision their potential and pursue their goals.
Coming from a rural area and having experienced some of these challenges, I opted for a rural posting so that in addition to teaching, I could conduct activities that are meant to empower rural girls, build their self-esteem and boost their confidence. This is made possible through the clubs I coordinate and through my engagement with the Gambia Teachers’ Union. My passion for girls’ education is fulfilling.
This article first appeared in Engage 27.
BY K BALDEH ADAMA • March 11, 2024
Every last girl may want to go to school, but we know that a desire and an aspiration are not always enough. Deep in rural India, society doesn’t always support a girl’s education. Household chores, child marriage, restricted movement outside the house and patriarchy all stand in the way. The system also lets girls down -- secondary schools can be far away and re-enrolling after leaving education can be very difficult. Educate Girls UK was founded in 2016 with a mission to work with local organisations in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities, to find and support girls back into education. We identified Educate Girls (FEGG), an ambitious Indian NGO in Rajasthan and decided to start by backing their vision of every girl in school. Since commencing work in 2007, FEGG has supported over 2 million girls to enrol into government schools and improve their learning by creating a movement of over 23,000 gender champions who have reached the girls the system might have left behind. The Indian government too has introduced enabling policies (Right to Education Act was passed in 2009) and made huge progress in improving delivery and systems. India has near universal enrolment in the primary years with many more girls in school than before the Right to Education Act came into being. Our funding and advocacy support here in the UK and Europe has made a difference. But there still remains a persistent problem in the most marginalised villages in India, and beyond. Millions of women and adolescent girls forced to drop out of school have never returned. Without having passed even Grade 10 (similar to GCSEs in the UK), their life chances are now severely hampered. Further education is a distant dream; skilling programmes inaccessible; even loans to start a small business are all out of reach. As the world aspires to improve the quality of education we cheer on from the side lines. At Educate Girls UK, we want to be supporting the enrolment of girls into systems that deliver the very best foundational literacy and numeracy and equip young people for the 21st century with all its challenges. But, an additional priority for us, right now, is to give the support that girls who have fallen out of the system need, to pass their 10th and 12th grades. We want to see girls given a second chance at securing this aspiration and indeed this basic human right. In the next ten years we will work to support partners like Educate Girls (FEGG) in India who have set themselves a goal to ensure 10 million learners get that second chance. Even if they are already married and have children, cannot access physical schools, live in the most remote villages, or have demands on their time so they can’t attend school full-time, we will ensure that girls get to study, are supported to access learning and complete their secondary education. India is incredibly well placed to demonstrate solutions to some of the world’s most intractable problems given its size and ability to innovate at scale, indeed it has the largest public education system in the world. In supporting Educate Girls (FEGG) in India to scale their work in partnership with the government, we are convinced that we can learn and then share what works for girls and, in turn as a grant maker and advocate in the UK, work for girls everywhere. At decision making tables across the world we want to ensure the importance and potential of educating girls is seen and heard. This is a problem we only have to solve once as an educated girl will likely become a mother who will educate her children. Educate Girls in India is demonstrating solutions that work at scale which could have resonance beyond India’s borders – there are nearly half a million girls who are not in employment or education even here in the UK. Our work at Educate Girls UK is to change the life of girls so they can go on to change the world for girls everywhere. Educate Girls (FEGG), was recently recognized as the first organisation in India to receive the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award (often hailed as Asia’s Nobel Peace Prize) and the remarkable story of the organisation’s evolution is told in Safeena’s new book Every Last Girl: A Journey to Educate India’s Forgotten Daughters. BY SAFEENA HUSAIN A social impact leader, Safeena Husain is the Founder of Educate Girls, an Indian non-profit that partners with communities to mobilise volunteers and government resources for girls’ education in some of India’s most underserved and remote regions. In 2023, she became the first Indian woman to be honoured with the WISE Prize for Education for her transformative work in advancing gender equity through education. In 2024, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). In 2025, she led Educate Girls to a historic milestone, becoming the first Indian non-profit to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award, widely regarded as Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize, thereby cementing her place as one of the world’s most impactful social entrepreneurs. Under Safeena’s leadership, Educate Girls has pioneered innovative models that harness the power of community volunteering, most notably through its Team Balika network of over 23,000 community champions who have helped enrol over 2 million out-of-school girls and improve learning outcomes for more than 2.4 million children since its inception. She also spearheaded the world’s first Development Impact Bond in education and led the organisation to become Asia’s first TED Audacious Project. Drawing on her lived experience, Safeena brings a deep understanding of the challenges faced by marginalised communities. Her vision for the next decade is to empower 10 million learners through scalable, community-driven solutions grounded in volunteerism, participation, and equity. “I have never met a girl who said to me I want to stay at home. I want to graze the cattle. I want to look after my siblings. I want to be a child bride. Every single girl I meet wants to go to school.” Safeena Husain, Founder, Educate Girls
In the words of Sydney J. Harris, “The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” Few stories illustrate this truth more clearly than that of Ricardinio, a resilient young boy whose life was reshaped by learning, creativity, and compassionate support. Ricardinio is a displaced child living with HIV who once called the streets of Port au Prince home. When armed gangs overtook his neighbourhood, he was forced to flee, leaving behind everything familiar. The trauma of displacement, coupled with the daily realities of managing a chronic illness, left him navigating fear, uncertainty, and isolation. Everything changed when he gained access to the Resource Learning Centre at Cima Community School of Hope based in Limonade, Haïti. Within its safe walls, Ricardinio found stability, encouragement, and a sense of belonging that had been missing for far too long. The centre became more than a place of academic support; it became a catalyst for his healing. There, he discovered a surprising and transformative passion: drawing. What began as a quiet pastime soon unfolded into a powerful means of expression. Art offered him peace where chaos once lived, and possibility where hope had been fading. With guidance from mentors and access to materials he had never had before, Ricardinio started to see a future shaped not by loss, but by talent and imagination. Ricardinio learned to sew, paint and a new language, English. He made the outfit he is wearing in the photo below for a recent fashion show. His journey reminds us that for many young people, particularly those facing profound health or social challenges, that education is far more than curriculum. It is a lifeline to identity, purpose, and renewed hope. When a learning space nurtures the whole child, it turns windows toward new horizons, ensuring that even in the most difficult circumstances, every learner can envision a brighter future. BY STEFANI TIERI GEORGES Programme and Strategy Manager Sonje Ayiti, Limonade Haiti.
Growing up in 1970s and 80s Britain, son of Jamaican immigrants, all I cared about was mathematics, mathematics and mathematics. I didn’t see the need for black role models; all I cared about was numbers. Then I reached teenage years, the opportunity to enter the educational community was not the same for people of my colour. I was being directed to become a boxer not a mathematician. A generation later my son was being pushed in the direction of singing, not a career in STEM. My story is not unique and there are many other marginalised groups. Creating an education system that genuinely includes marginalised groups isn’t just a moral imperative — it’s a practical one. When people are excluded, societies lose talent, creativity, and economic potential. So what can be done? Here are seven starters for ten: 1. Remove Barriers to Access Many marginalised learners are excluded long before they reach a classroom. Key Strategies: Eliminate financial barriers: scholarships, free school meals, subsidised transport, no-fee schooling. Provide flexible learning options: evening classes, community-based learning, mobile schools for nomadic groups. Invest in infrastructure: safe buildings, accessible facilities for disabled learners, and reliable internet in rural areas. 2. Make Learning Culturally Relevant Education becomes inclusive when learners see themselves reflected in it. What this looks like: Curriculum that includes diverse histories, languages, and perspectives. Teaching materials that avoid stereotypes and represent all groups. Community involvement in designing educational programs. Don’t just consider the marginalised groups at certain special events, but all year round. 3. Train and Support Teachers Teachers are the frontline of inclusion. Effective Approaches: Training in inclusive pedagogy and unconscious bias. Recruiting teachers from marginalised communities. Providing classroom assistants or specialists (e.g., sign language interpreters). Get teachers to be seconded in diverse areas, so they can grow to learn and appreciate different cultures. 4. Use Technology Thoughtfully, technology can widen access — or deepen inequality if used poorly. Inclusive Uses of Technology: Low-bandwidth digital learning tools for remote areas. Assistive technologies for learners with disabilities. Online platforms that allow flexible pacing and personalised learning. Keep Libraries open so that marginalised communities can access the digital world. 5. Strengthen Policies and Accountability Inclusion doesn’t happen by accident; it needs structure. I have written a paper called treating EDI as a Science Problem. It introduces Chamberlain’s Law that states this “If all things are equal what numbers do we expect to see?” On this basis, we should be able to consider things such as Anti-discrimination laws in education. Data collection on who is being left out and why. Funding formulas that allocate more resources to disadvantaged schools. 6. Engage Families and Communities There are examples where marginalised groups distrust institutions for good historical reasons. These are some of the ways to build trust: Community-led outreach programs. Parent education initiatives. Schools are partnering with local leaders, NGOs, and cultural organisations. 7. Support Learners Beyond Academics Barriers to education are often social, emotional, or economic. Holistic support: Mental health services. School meals and health checks. Safe transport and anti-bullying programs. In conclusion, these points are not comprehensive or exhaustive. However, it is a benefit to us all when education is for all. BY PROFESSOR NIRA CHAMBERLAIN OBE FIMA FORS CSci PhD HonDSc DUniv 1st AtkinsRéalis Technical Fellow for Mathematical Modelling AtkinsRéalis, Six Mathematical Doctorates. Mathematics Professor. Founder of the Black Heroes of Mathematics Conference. Science Communicator
