Female Genital Mutilation and Girl-Child Education at Secondary School Level in Kapchorwa District, Uganda

ABSTRACT 

The study was carried out in Kapchorwa district of Uganda about female genital mutilation and how it affects girl-child education at secondary school level in the district. The objectives of the study were to establish the extent to which Female Genital Mutilation is practiced today in Kapchorwa District; to establish the extent to which girl child education is promoted in Kapchorwa District; as well as to find out the influence of Female Genital Mutilation on girl child education in Kapchorwa District. Using a cross-sectional survey design with both quantitative and qualitative approaches, a sample of 970 respondents all of whom were female students of S.4, S5 and S.6 were involved in the study. These were got tIom 20 secondary schools which were classified as rural (nine schools) and urban (11 schools). The findings were that female genital mutilation is being practiced to a small extent; Girl child education at secondary school level is being l)lomoted to a large extent: and that female genital mutilation in Kapchorwa is exerting a minimal influence on girl child education today. Ii is mainly other factors, not female circumcisions which make or cause girls of circumcisable age in Kapchorwa district to be in school, or to drop out of school. These factors include parents’ level of education, parents’ socio-economic status, presence or absence of Universal Secondary Education schools in the district, female role models in the district, as well as social media influence. Based on the above, the following are recommended: that there is need for the Government to continue sensitizing the masses about the dangers of that practice so that it can be wiped out completely; that the Government should sensitise the masses more about the value of educating both male and female children and be tough on those who deny education to their female children; and there is need to control those factors which mainly make or cause girls of circumcisable age in Kapchorwa district to drop out of school such as parents’ level of education, poverty, absence of Universal Secondary Education schools in the district, female role models in the district. This can be clone by building more USE schools in the district and sensitizing parents and children more about the importance of self sacrifice in order to educate children.

TABLE OF CONTENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

APPROVAL

DEDICATION

DECLARATION .iv

TABLE OF CONTENT v

LIST OF TABLES

ABSTRACT ix

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS x

CHAPTER ONE 1

INTRODUCTION 1

1.0 Introduction I

1.1 Background ofthe Study I

1.1.1 Historical Perspective

1.1.2 Theoretical Perspective

1.1.3 Conceptual Perspective 2

1.1.4 Contextual Perspective 4

1.2 Statement ofthe Problem 6

1.3 Purpose ofthe study 7

1.4 Objectives ofthe study

1.5 Research Questions

1.6 Hypothesis 8

1.7 Scope ofthe Study 8

1.7.1 Geographical scope

1.7.2 Time scope .8

1.7.3 Content scope 8

1.8 Significance of the Study 9

CHAPTER TWO 10

LITERATURE REVIEW 10

2.0 Introduction 10

2. I Theoretical Review I 0

2.2 Conceptual Framework 12

2.3 Related Literature 13

2.3. I Female Genital Mutilation (Female Circumcision) 13

2.3.2 Girl Child Education 19

2.3.3 Female Genital Mutilation and Girl Child Education 25

CHAPTER THREE• 29

METHODOLOGY 29

3.0 Introduction 29

3. 1 Research Design 29

3.3 Research Population 29

3.4 Sample size and Sampling Techniques 30

3.4 Sampling Strategies 32

3.5 Data Collection Instruments 32

3.6 Validity and Reliability of Research Instruments 33

3.6.1 Reliability of the Research Instruments 33

3.6.2 Validity 34

3.6.3 Reliability 34

3.7 Data Gathering Procedu~ 35

3.8 Data Analysis 35

3.9 Ethical Consideration 36

3.10 Limitationsofthe Study 37

CHAPTERFOUR 38

PRESENTATION,ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA 38

4.0 Introduction 3

4.0 Introduction 38

CHAPTER FIvE. ..... • •

DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATI0NS 51

5.1 Introduction ~

5.2 Discussion ~

5.2.1 The Extent to which female genital mutilation is practiced in Kapchorwa today 51

5.2.2 The Extent to Which Girl’s Education is promoted in Kapochorwa District 53

5.2.3 The influence of female genital mutilation on girl child education in Kapochorwa District 55

5.4 Conclusions

5.5 Recommendations ofthe Study 58

5.6 Suggestions for Further Study 59

APPENDICES 63

APPENDIX I: Questionnaire for the Female Students. S.4-S.6 63

APPENDIX II: Table tbr determining sample size from a given population by Morgan and Krejcie); adopted from Amin (2005) 64