Socio-cultural Constraints of Girls’ Access to Education in Mtwara District, Tanzania

Abstract

Girls are in a detrimental situation concerning accessing and succeeding in their formal education. Repetition and dropout proportion are significantly higher to girls while completion rate is very low. Also, there is a substantial gender inequality in providing education and performance in education between girls and boys. This research aimed to examine the socio-cultural factors that hinder girls' education in Mtwara District in Tanzania. The design that adopted in this research is survey research design. The questionnaire used as a tool to gather the infor¬mation, also documentary review and data from Mtwara District Education Office about girls' enrolment and completion used as secondary data. The data organized and then analyzed with the use of the computer. IBM SPSS software used. Descrip-tive statistics used to analyze the data. The findings of this study discovered that socio-cultural factors mostly affecting girls' access to education. Early marriage, traditional ceremonies (unyago), social perception and social roles are among the key socio-cultural factors hinder girls education in Mtwara District. The study concluded that socio-cultural factors are mostly affecting girls' access to education in Mtwara District in Tanzania. The study suggested that the government and other education stakeholders should sensitize the community on the need and significance of girls' education for girls themselves and to the entire community. Education stakeholders also should launch mass media programs like television and radio programs to educate and discourage the bad sociocultural practices within the community that deteriorate girls' education. The government should take the serious action for those who participate in one way or another in declining girls’ education.