Girls education in conflict areas; a challenge to global educational initiatives, A policy note Submitted by Namanya Patience Gulu (Uganda,

East Africa) SUPERVISORS: Auma Okwany, Rekha Wazir Working Group: Education and child Labor Children, Youth and Development, 2008 Institute of Social Studies Den Haag, The Netherlands.

CONTENTS: Introduction 2 1. Problem Statement .2-4 11. Literature Review..5-10 111. Strategies for girls education in conflict areas10 -12 1v. Reference list.13-15

Online version can be found at http://www.scribd.com/Patience%20Gulu%20Namanya Including other documents that I have written Introduction Girls education has been one of the worldliest growing phenomenon that is aimed at empowering girls and women to fight illiteracy, poverty and foster development. Conflict affects both girls and boys but girls are affected differently because of the gender division of labor. Both national and international education initiatives, Agencies and organizations that address the issue of girls education have not critically targeted educational needs of girls affected by conflict. In order to respond to the above mentioned trends, this paper addresses the situations where girls become more invisible and miss out on education due to conflicts, analyse the effectiveness of global and international strategies for promoting girls education in difficulty circumstances particularly conflict affected regions around the world. The paper will be presented and discussed with different agencies, international bodies and Non government organizations(NGOs) at different foras highlighting the effects of conflicts on girls education and how to provide a care environment for girls to access, retain, complete and achieve their goals. The following explanation will indicate the main problem area and literature review, tribulations and hardships girls go through to attain education in conflict affected regions and the importance of girls education. 1. PROBLEM STATEMENT

Girls education in conflict areas is a critical issue to be considered in attaining educational goals. Education of a girl child plays an important role in both preventing conflict and rebuilding post-conflict. In 2000, at the World Education Forum in Dakar, conflict
was discussed as a big hindrance to the achievement of Education for All (EFA). This was analyzed at a deliberate session on education in situations of emergencies and crisis. For the last 10 years, conflicts have had a tremendous impact on children. An estimated 2million children have died, 4.5million children have been disabled because of conflict, 12million children were made homeless and around 250,000 are active as child soldiers (Euwema, 2008). International education statistics indicate that in 1999, 96 million children were out of school and the number decreased to 72 million in 20051 (EFA Global Monitoring Report 2008). Globally, 44 million girls worldwide remain out of school (DFID progress report 2006) and in Africa, 60% of children who do not attend school are girls. Millions of children continue to be caught up in conflicts in which they are not merely casual observers but targets of abuse and violence. Of the 77 million children reported by UNESCO to be out of school around the world in 2006, 57% are girls and 39 million more stay in conflict affected states. Currently an approximation of 200 million girls and young women live in the shadow of war and conflict. (The state of the Worlds Girls, 2008) Recent reports show how conflict hurts children but girls especially when it comes to education. Girls in particular experience conflict and displacement in different ways from boys because of the gender division of roles and responsibilities and the targeting of girls by fighting forces worsens the circumstances. As a proportion of school age going children, fewer girls attend and complete primary level in Sub-Saharan Africa for example in Sudan where the war has lasted for
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decades, girls are particularly vulnerable to abuse, unequal access to schooling and some fall victims of insecurity and death. Still other girls suffer the effects of sexual violence and additional deprivations of their basic needs that expose them to various health hazards, hunger and eventually put them at a high risk of not attaining education. Just as shocking, thousands of young girls are exploited as combatants 2. In conflict areas, it is estimated that in the past decade, more than two million girls and boys have been injured or permanently disabled, many of them maimed by landmines. Countless young girls have been forced to take part in horrifying actions such as killing their own biological parents and relatives. Therefore this can be identified as space that has deprived children of their basic human principles in which girls and boys are slaughtered, raped and exploited as sex slaves, a situation where girls/boys suffer from hunger and are exposed to extreme brutality.Such horrible actions speak of un fair treatment of children and continued high levels of illiteracy among girls in conflict areas. It should be noticed that girls who have been affected by conflict have fewer or no chances to attain education than other children in the world. They are abducted, raped, and used as sex slaves and forcefully married to rebels and armed officials. Further more girls suffer from stigmatization by the community and are looked at as outcasts during the reintegration process. Reunification with the family may be particularly difficult for girls who have been abducted, raped or sexually abused because of culture-society beliefs and attitudes. This subjects girls to negative thoughts of having no future prospects of marriage and eventually many girls become victims of prostitution (UNGEI, 2007). As a result of humiliating situation, over aged girls from captivity who are integrated into the learning environment face physical and verbal abuse including nick naming from the teachers, fellow pupils. This makes them feel shy and eventually drop out of schools. This has long lasting negative consequences on girls in future and the society as a whole. Girls and their rights With the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC) by statesmen and women, conflicts violate every right of a girl child i.e. the right to education, the right to life, the right to be with family and community, the right to health, the right to the development of the personality and lastly the right to be nurtured and protected. Many of todays conflicts last longer than expected i.e. from "childhood, indicating that it may be from birth to early adulthood. In such settings, girls continue to be denied their right to education especially girls in hard to reach areas who experience additional attacks (assaults) of conflicts coupled with physical and psychological effects. Conflict affects girls during their development stages. They grow up with strong feelings of anger and resentment that impinges on their educational and professional development (Specht 2004). For example girls living in internally displaced peoples camps (IDPs) which are unsafe and hostile spaces for girls experience discrimination even within the family, priority to attend school is given to a boy child as girls continue to actively engage in heavy domestic chores. In societies where conflict has occurred, this has been suggested as one of the reasons for not sending some girls to school (UNICEF, 2006) Girls education disrupted as Girls assume more roles. Although the majority of child soldiers are boys, girls education gets disrupted when they get recruited in fighting forces. Research has shown that girls are used extensively in combat roles in a wide range of international conflicts; Examples can be drawn from groups who have been
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http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N96/219/55/PDF/N9621955.pdf?OpenElement

supported by Britain and the United States. Among countries involved are Colombia, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) In the DRC, there are up to 12,500 girls in armed groups and in SriLanka, 43% of the 51,000children involved are girls who have never seen schooling3. In Guatemala, rebel groups use girls to prepare food, attend to the wounded and wash clothes. In addition, girls may also be forced to provide sexual services. In northern Uganda, girls who were abducted by the Lords Resistance Army were "married off" to rebel leaders. If the man dies, the girl is put aside for ritual cleansing and then given away to another rebel. 50% of these do not attend school due to the war that has lasted for 20 years (Womens Commission Report, 2007) Girls education in conflict areas remains a dream far from reaching.Investing in girls education is not only a critical password to development but also a right to a girl child. Because of the importance of girls education, it has become a multi- billion project for International agencies and Non Government Organizations to invest in especially in the field of social development when there is crisis. Even with huge investments and signing of CRC by different nation states, there has not been much impact made on education of girls in conflict areas. The recent World Bank study found that failure to provide girls with education reduces economic growth by an average of 0.3 percentages4 Although there are global interventions, International Agencies and global education campaigns to effect and support girls educations such as UNICEF, United Nations Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI), United Kingdom Department for International development (DFID), Global literacy Initiative (GLI) from the US government, national governments among others, education for a girl child in conflict areas remains a delusion to be attained. There is an urgent need to pay more attention to girls education in conflict affected areas by the development partners and international donors if the EFA goals are to be realized by 2015. How can EFA goals be achieved when girls in conflict areas continue to miss out on schooling? And what is the specific role of all these development partners and place of girls education in contexts of wars, conflict, and postconflict situations? Importance of girls education in conflict areas Education is a right to children and therefore girls must be educated too. Education provides an opportunity to build self-confidence and gain a sense of hope about the future. Well educated girls have more economic opportunities and better chances in life. Taking education of a girl child as a priority in conflict areas will not only enhance societal development but also put a reduction on the feminization of poverty. Education offers what the World Bank has referred to as a window of hope in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS among today's young girls (Barbara Herz and Gene Sperling 2004).Educating girls on the scourge of AIDS in the context of conflict helps them to acquire relevant knowledge and stimulates them to be more focused on achieving their goals in life. Quality education helps girls to make informed choices, know their rights and aggressively demand for them in a positive way. Providing education in conflict areas helps to heal bad experiences, promote peace, build skills and support conflict resolution. (INEE, 2004). Education saves and improves the lives of girls and women, ultimately enhancing more equitable development, stronger and healthier families among other benefits (UNICEF- The state of the worlds children, 2004)
3 4

www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0425-02.htm

www.crin.org/docs/ChildrenInFocus

Peace Education in conflict areas enhances leadership opportunities for girls and offers them skills in problem solving and conflict resolution and prepares girls for future advanced roles and responsibilities within communities, nation and the world at large. 11. LITERATURE REVIEW Conflict affects all children however it should be realized that conflict impinges on girls differently from boys because of their gender division of labor and societal dynamics. In order to understand the dynamics of girls education in conflict zones as critical challenge to educational initiatives, there is need to review the existing literature. The purpose here is to understand the role of global education initiatives (what works and what has not worked) and the existing gaps that need to be put into consideration. The four categories which are of focus include, 1. Core international policy commitments that comply to education 2. Acknowledgment of development agencies that support girls education in conflict areas 3. Situational analysis of girls education in conflict areas 4. The six EFA goals (inclusive of Universal Primary Education and conflict areas with gender disaggregated data). Core international policy committements that comply with the right of all children to education The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 26 outlines the right to free and compulsory education at the elementary level and urges that professional and technical education be made available. The declaration states that education should work to strengthen respect for human rights and promote peace. Parents have the right to choose the kind of education provided to their child. The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocols Refugee children are guaranteed the right to elementary education in Article 22, which states that they should be accorded the same opportunities as nationals of the host country. Beyond primary school, refugee children are treated as other aliens, allowing for the recognition of foreign school certificates and awarding of scholarships. The 1966 Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights The right to free and compulsory education at the primary level and accessible secondary-level education is laid out in Article 13. The covenant goes on to call for basic education to be made available to those who have not received or completed primary education. Emphasis is placed on improving conditions and teaching standards. The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 28 calls for States to make Primary education compulsory and free to all, and to encourage the development of accessible secondary and other forms of education. Quality and relevance is detailed in Article 29, which mandates an education that builds on a childs potential and supports his/her cultural identity. Psychosocial support and enriched curriculum for conflict-affected children are both emphasized in this article. Article 2 outlines the principle of non-discrimination, including access for children with disabilities, gender equity and the protection of linguistic and cultural rights of ethnic minority communities. Article 31 protects a childs right to recreation and culture. A number of regional agreements also address issues of education. References to the right to education are found in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Article (6), the American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man, Article7.5(Reference and explanation from Global survey on education in Emergencies, Womens Commission Report) ***Lesson- Mark
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http://www.womenscommission.org/pdf/Ed_Emerg.pdf

The lesson that can be derived from the above international committements is that national governments are responsible for providing education to their citizens even when conflict strikes. Unfortunately many of these countries affected by conflict lack adequate resources to execute educational programmes.In addition girls education is much more affected notably in conflict societies that do not value the importance of educating girls; this subjects girls to remain in the shadow of feminized poverty, illiteracy and ignorance therefore assistance from the international community is paramount in such circumstances especially on identifying the number of girls and boys that have their rights to education. Acknowledgement of development agencies in support of girls education in conflict areas Although the EFA goals are speculated not to be achieved by 2015 and have faced setbacks in most low income and heavily affected conflict regions around the world, there has also been tremendous achievement with increased enrollment of girls in primary schools as a result of the of free Universal primary Education (UPE). Such positive movements have been supported by ground actions by national governments and developmental Agencies and organizations which have given terrific support to girls education. In regard to the above statement, the World Food Programmes (WFP) - school feeding program encourages hungry children to attend schools in Uganda, Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan to mention but a few. Feeding these children attracts them to school, assists them to concentrate on their studies thus helping them to get out of poverty remarkably young mothers who are given an extra takehome rations and other items (INEE Toolkit, 2004) In addition girls in special difficult circumstances have been provided with educational bursaries for example the African Girls Education Initiative which is implemented in over 34 countries 6, has generated expansion of the global girls education in sub-Saharan Africa. The Initiatives goal improves girls enrolment, retention, completion and achievement. It also emphasizes the local participation of commmuties in identifying the hard- to -reach girls and most needy children who could have been rather excluded from accessing education UNICEFs key contribution to quality education is the child-friendly school model 7 that includes the gender specifics that promotes safe and healthy learning environment in situations of conflicts so that education is provided in safe places for both girls and boy and they are protected against harm during conflicts.(UNICEF Education strategy 2006-2015). Situational Analysis of Girls education in conflict areas According to the CRC article 28 (1989), children have a right to education. Despite of the gender, culture and social background, its a right for all girls to be educated. During the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal in April 2000, world leaders, educational practitioners and stakeholders, reaffirmed the vision of the world declaration on Education for All (EFA) adopted in Jomtien, Thailand in 1990. Consistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and pronouncement on Education for All, the World Education Forum accepted that education is an essential human right that contributes to conflict resolution, peace and social economic development of the country. While some organizations such as United Nations High Commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), International Committee of the Red cross (ICRC), International Federation of the Red cross and
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Red crescent societies (IFRC), National Societies and UNICEF have specific mandates with regard to conflict affected children, up to present, there is no clear institutional responsibility for concrete protection and assistance in the educational needs of conflict affected girls (Brett, 1996). In addition, there is no clear global picture of education programming in conflict; this can be partially attributed to number of international organizations, United Nations, non governmental organisations (NGOs), religious sects that actively engage in the provision of education services in such situations. Furthermore there is no centralized statistical reporting system for gathering the education data from all these sources (Global survey on Education in Emergencies, 2004). This means that planning and budgeting for educational services in conflict areas particularly those of girls may not be rightly considered. Further more, education in conflicts is critically under funded. In 2002, of the U.S. $46 million requested for education through the UN Process (excluding appeals for Afghanistan), only $17 million was actually contributed or pledged (Womens Commission Report 2004) Therefore organizations with mandates to protect and care for children affected by conflicts such as UNICEF, UNHCR and WFP, do not consistently ensure the protection and care of educational needs of children8 (UN Report 1996). Firstly, most conflicts today transpire in poor countries with low incomes that are far from reaching EFA goals (Nicolai and Triplehorn, 2003). Secondly conflicts directly affect the education system and parents are reluctant to send children to school when crisis strikes. In Iraq for example where there is intensive war, girls attendance in school is extremely low with no comprehensive statistical information from the government. Attendance is expected to fall by 15% for boys and 25%9 for girl which creates a wide gender disparity in education levels. The reasons cited by parents and children for poor educational levels include insecurity and violence of girls both at school and on the way to school, death of parents and family breakdown, abduction and forced recruitment among other reasons. Girls therefore are asked to stay at home cooking, washing and cleaning domestic utensils (IRIN news, October, 2007). Nicholas Burnett, an economist who directs the Education for All and Global Monitoring Report team for UNESCO, said it was striking how many out of school girls are also in excluded groups. They may be physically disabled. They may be in conflict countries or displaced people. They typically are rural. They may be from ethnic or linguistic minorities. (Missing the mark 2005) Apart from the above, McKay (1999) reports that 41% of girls recruited in armed forces are used as fighters, 28% used for sex services. McKay continues to highlight other issues such as girls health and medical problems social stigma and discrimination faced during reintegration process into society but leaves out a critical concern of education for the girl child. The Global EFA monitoring report (2006) states it out clearly that girls lose out more on education since they are involved in fighting forces as combatants, victims of sexual slavery, rape and other forms of violence. Children particularly girls continue to be exploited by some governments during conflict. Abducted and captured children are used for intelligence gathering rather than supporting their rehabilitation/reintegration, they continue to be excluded from official programmes such as
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http://www.unicef.org/graca/a51-306_en.pdf http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=75037

scooling.Programs to support the sustainable reintegration into the formal learning systems are inadequate and so far many affected children have received no support or funding necessary for survival. (Child Soldiers, Global Report 2008). Irma Spechet (2004) explains that most girls recruited in the second war in Liberia were still in their early childhoods during the first war; majority of the girls could not read or write and hardly recognized a peaceful society, their rights were violated, sexually abused therefore grew up with strong feelings of anger and resentment. How then can we make the forgotten girls in conflict areas acquire quality education and live independent successfully lives in future? Oudenhoven and Wazir (2006), in their book Newly Emerging Needs of children cites that there are many things that have improved but if one looks at the global data, girls continue to receive a raw deal. Therefore there is a need to provide quality basic education and critically target girls affected by conflicts who are at risk of missing schooling. The Six EFA goals, where does the world stand? In this section my primary focus will be on goal number two and three that aim at education of promoting education of girls. Expand early childhood care and education Provide free and compulsory education for all, ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to, and complete, free and compulsory primary education of good quality. Achieve gender parity by 2005, gender equality by 2015 with focus on ensuring girls full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality. Improve quality of education Promote learning and life skills for young people and adults with a focus on women Increase Adult Literacy by 50% The Universal Primary Education (UPE), un reachable goal! Countries affected by, or recovering from conflict or natural disaster or External shock will put in place short-term (by 2000-2001) and medium-term (by 2005) measurable actions that guarantee access to and completion of quality education for girls and boys (UNESCO 2001) Although progress has been made using UPE policy, EFA-Global Monitoring Report (GMR 2008) statistics show that 72 million children of primary school age were out of school in 2006 down to 96 million in 1999. UNICEF estimates that 93 million children were out of school in 2005/2006 and decreased to 115 million in 2002. Predictions also show that 50 countries will not attain the goal of UPE by 2015, 90 countries more will not be able to achieve gender parity in primary and secondary schools by 2015. Approximately 18 out of 113 countries that missed the gender parity goal at primary and secondary level in 2005 are on a probability of achieving it by 2015. 56% girls remain out of school worldwide i.e. 27% in Africa, 28% in Asia and 66% girls may drop out before completing primary education and 80% of women world wide are illiterate (Okwany ,2008). The failure to reach the first global target of gender parity in 2005 was accompanied by the British Secretary of State for International developments statement: "there is no escaping the fact that we have collectively failed (UNESCO 2005). Promises are easy to make because they can be broken with freedom from unpleasant consequences. I strongly agree with Garpike in his statement that in a world of partnerships, no one is to blame, failure is unfortunate, and we move on to planning more of the same for the next decade(Garpike, K. 2001). In actual sense failure to

reach the gender parity in 2005 was attributed to many factors of which conflict and instability with no documented gender disaggregated data were a big hindrance. Conflict Areas with gender disaggregated data A country like Afghanistan that is emerging from war has the worrisome gender disparity at primary literacy levels that constitute 18% for girls as compared to 50% for boys with primary school completion rates at 32% for boys versus 13% for girls. The major barriers to girls education include insecurity issues, lack of basic school infrastructure in the country and lack of female teachers (Human Rights Watch Report, 2005-2006).In Afghanistan, attacks are targeted against girls' schools in an effort to intimidate and prevent girls from accessing education Statement made by Special Representative of the Secretary Source: Womens commission.org General for Children and Armed conflict on 12th /February/ 2008. In terms of performance, only 30 percent of girls (age 12 years) reach grade 5, compared to 56 per cent for boys 10. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) In 2003, a peace accord was signed to end the vicious cycle of civil war that killed millions of people but war has continued in the east part of the country. Most girls in the DRC are sexually harassed including rape, use of pornographic materials by the UN peace keepers (The times newspaper, December, 23, 2004)11. Schooling in this conflict zone is hindered by lack of basic services, prioritization of sending boys to school, inter-ethnic conflicts and impact of HIV/AIDS that has wrecked many families. To date 4.4 million children are out of school of which 2.5 million are girls and 400,000 children displaced12 as a result of war and conflict in the region. Iraq In Irag, children make up half of the population which is now close to 25 million people. In terms of educational opportunities they are the most disadvantaged group around the world. To date many of their rights including the right to education are denied. Gender disparities figures show that one in four children between six and twelve have no access to schooling ie 31.2% girls do not attend school as compared to 17.5% boys 13. Related problems to girls education in Iraq include poor hygiene and sanitation at schools notably lack of drinking water, unfriendly gender sensitive and responsive school, diseases such as diarrhoea ,illness and child death, child labor, orphanage, insecurity among others. All these problems contribute to low levels of girls education in Iraq community. Points to think about; 1. The fundamental challenge to reaching Education For All targets in countries affected by conflicts is the lack of an effective and widely accepted gender policy to solve problems of girls in a weakened government when conflicts strikes. This is coupled with absence of clear authorizations and coordinated action plans for international response (Sommers and Buckland 2004) 2. EFA goals are comprehensive statements that may not specifically include other disadvantaged groups of children for example girls affected by conflict areas. Importantly factor here is that there is no clear and consistent gender disaggregated data and no one knows what proportion of girls and boys are affected by conflict (The state of the worlds children 2007) yet majority of school drop outs are children (girls) affected by conflict and found in fragile states (GMR 2008).

10 11 12 13

http://www.ungei.org/infobycountry/afghanistan.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article405213.ece

http://www.ungei.org/infobycountry/drc.html
http://www.ungei.org/infobycountry/iraq.html

3. UPE goes beyond accessing school (look at completion and achievement levels) therefore attaining gender equality requires combined efforts to move beyond mere parity and embrace behavioral and alterations that can bring an enabling environment in which boys and girls in conflict areas can learn and flourish. (Stromquist, 2007) Despite all the educational initiatives developed towards the fulfillment of the EFA goals to help the worlds poorest children in conflict areas such as Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Afghanistan and Iraq among others, not much has been made as regards to closing the gender disparity in education 111. STRATEGIES FOR GIRLS EDUCATION IN CONFLICT AREAS (What works for Girls affected by conflict?) The subsequent recommendations affirm that in times of conflict and crisis, there is need for donors, international agencies, national governments and other stakeholders to improve and change their policies, practices and re-organize their institutions in promoting girls education, give special consideration to girls particular needs, listen to their voices so that their rights can be respected and promoted. CRC article 38: State parties should undertake to respect and ensure respect for rules of international humanitarian law applicable to them in armed conflicts which are relevant to the child. In accordance with their obligation, under international humanitarian law to protect that civilian population in armed conflict, state parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure protection and care of the children who are affected by armed conflict. In this case girls education needs to be effected with proper policies to ensure that quality education is provided to them. 1. International Level (a) Need for close collaboration and coordination with National Governments. International institutions like the United Nations or international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) should ensure that suitable legal and policy mechanisms are in place to protect girls rights and security in times of conflict. Although much support is needed in times of instability, International Agencies should not assume the role of governments even though there might be no appropriate means to protect their citizens. During such situations, international organizations should emphasize on building the capacity of local organizations as well as communities to demand government resources and provision of services to people that will help them to survive. International community should lobby for more effective and gender-responsive humanitarian assistance including laws that work in favor of girls to ensure continuous education of girls. (b)Gender friendly policies and Advocacy in favor of girls education Recognizing that without proper policies in place, there can be no effective gender transformation in the education systems, there is need to work closely both at international, national and local levels in combined efforts to emphasize the challenge posed by conflict. This means that gender friendly policies play an important role in retaining girls at school during conflict. Policies should keep open the windows of opportunity for girls to access schooling. Also learning opportunities for girls should be expanded by supporting massive education campaigns and training. All in all gender-related policies and programmes should be considered or formulated if not in existence and the differences between boys and girls should be recognized. Equality and equity of opportunities in conflict situations should be an integral part of international efforts to stabilize insecure situations and support the rebuilding of broken educational system of conflict societies. The assumed and changing gender roles which girls take

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up during conflict must be recognized. Attitudes, traditions, behaviors and practices that do not protect girls or which allow girls for less or no access to schooling must be challenged and transformed both at international and national levels. Taking appropriate actions to address gender disparities and powerlessness in education can secure the future of girls in conflict zones (c)Increase funding to conflict affected and fragile states There is need to consider innovate funding mechanisms in order to support education in conflictfragile states. Renewed global effort is needed to improve girls access to school, create safe school environments and provide quality education in times of insecurity and conflict. Therefore aid must be increased, predictable and available to finance the core running costs of education including teacher salaries and should be targeted at reaching countries that are experiencing disastrous and serious conflicts especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Appropriate investments in girls reduce the risk of violence and instability in the community. Investing in girls education promotes peace processes and conflict resolution in society. 2. National level: (d) Temporary learning spaces that provide education Setting up temporary schools provides education with a sense of normalcy and gives girls an opportunity to attend school in the bush. This is a great temporary solution to any country that has been ravaged by conflict. In such cases children especially girls need a lot of attention in addressing their needs, there must an emphasis on communication and gender language used in classroom teaching so that girls are encouraged to continue school. Provision of educational materials and supplies to the schools, teachers and children particularly girls play an important role in times of conflict. UNICEF summarizes all this by describing it as a school in a box that include teaching and learning aids such as text books, chalkboards, exercise books, pencils, scissors, among others. Sports materials such as net balls, nets, pumps, drums, tambourines and games attract children to go to school when disaster strikes.
Source UNICEF

Also National governments should set up improvised crisis centers that offer guidance and counseling services to girls who might have been traumatized as a result of conflict. Governments should promote peace education in schools. Peace education contributes to conflict resolution and enhances a practice of decision making processes. Girls and boys need to be trained as peace builders in their communities so that there is a revolution of positive attitude in young minds. When girls participate actively in peace education, it enables them to become good citizens in their communities. Its also one way of exercising their leadership skills in understanding values, diversity and resolving conflicts. Peace education helps girls to widen their consciousness of processes and skills that are necessary for achieving desired goals and understanding tolerance in todays world. (e)Training and capacity building of teachers especially females During conflict, female teachers are really involved in the teaching process and families often do not want their girls to attend school as they are not sure of their daughters safety and security. Therefore, capacity building and training of female teachers equips them with skills and may help alleviate some of these fears and act as role models to the girls.

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Also efforts need to refocus on community sensitization and mobilization on the importance of girls education. This will assist communities to send girls to schools, monitoring their attendance, retention and achievement. (f) Structured gender recreational activities for girls and boys These should be an immediate step in times of conflict. Such programs give children a chance to play, dramatize, sing, or participate in recreational activities. They stimulate and build on competence and dignity in childrens lives. In addition, they promote psychosocial healing for children who have often experienced dreadfulness in conflict particularly girls who might have experienced gender based violence. Therefore girls should undertake a life skills training which builds their resilience, allow them to participate equally as agents of change. They should be consulted, listened to and enabled to play an equal role in making the decisions and influencing the policies that affect their lives and shape their societies. (g)Ensure that girls have equal access to gender sensitive and friendly education and health services in conflict areas. Girls have a right to quality education at all educational levels in a safe learning environment. We know that un friendly gender healthy environments in most conflict areas is a contributing factor to school drop out of girls that has negative macro-economic growth results in national development. Access to appropriate and gender-responsive health services, including sex education should be a priority for all educational stakeholders to champion, promote good sanitation and hygiene facilities for schools in conflict areas so that both girls and boys are educated in a clean and safe environment. (h) Making UPE completely free and put a total ban on the hidden costs. Meals, scholastic materials, teachers' accommodation and salaries are some of the common barriers hindering successful implementation of Universal primary education. In most developing countries people are living on less than a dollar a day. Most parents cannot even afford books, pens, uniforms required by the schools especially in difficult circumstances when there is conflict crisis. In many conflict areas, girls continue to miss school due to such hidden costs. There needs to be combined national efforts in provision of such materials if girls and boys are to be educated. Governments must completely put a total ban on the hidden costs that affects girls education. Conclusion A good number of girls and boys whose lives have been affected by conflict are not participating fully in educational activities. Unless support to education in conflict areas increases, many of them will never go to school or learn other skills they need to survive. Education development partners have to strengthen their skills and capacities towards girls during conflict to ensure that education for the girl child is protected, girls must be given a chance to voice out their issues and participate in decision making process. Internal community should provide timely funds to ensure quality education and priotise particular needs of girls affected by conflict so that they have complete quality education in relation to the fulfillment of ratified international commitments including Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Dakar Declaration on Education for All among other important international commitments that support the education of a girl child.

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References Barbara Herz & Gene Sperling 2004, What Works in Girls' Education. Evidence and Policies from the Developing World Council on Foreign Relations Brett Rachel, Magret Mc Callin, Rhoda, 1996, Promoting and protection the Rights of Children, impact of armed conflict on children. Brett.R and Specht, I. 2004, Young Soldiers.Why they choose to fight. Boulder, Co: Lynne Rienner Publishers/Geneva: ILO Center for global development 2005, Missing the Mark: Girls' Education and the Way Forward Department for International Development 2005, Girls Education: towards a Better Future for All, DFID London publishers Child Soldiers Global Report 2008, International Launch of the Child Soldiers Global Report 2008 Human Rights Watch Report, 2005-2006, Lessons in Terror: Attacks on Education in Afghanistan: Publication. Inter Agency Net work for Education in Emergencies Minimum standards, Hand book adapted from World Food Programme, Planning for school feeding programme in Emergency settings 2004. Mathijs Euwema, 2008, Violence and Abuse: Impact of conflict on children. Lecture notes, 9th/06/ 2008. McKays, & Mazurana, D (2004).Where are the Girls? Girls in Fighting Forces in Northern Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Mozambique: Their Lives during and After War. International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development Nico Ovan Oudenhoven&Rekha Wazir 2006, newly emerging needs of children. An exploration Nicolai and Triplehorn, 2003, Facilitating Transitions for children and Youth, Lessons from four post conflict fund projects. Okwany A, 2008, Education, Work and Labour; Universalizing Basic Education Mission Impossible?, Lecture notes, 23/05/2008. Plan International, because Iam a Girl, The state of the Worlds Girls 2008, special focus: In the shadow of war Irma Spechet 2004, Red Shoes, Experiences of girl combatants in Liberia, Programme on crisis response and reconstruction Sommers and Buckland 2004, International Review of Education Stromquist 2007, Gender bias in textbooks: a hidden obstacle on the road to gender equality in education Sue Williams 2006, UNESCO, Teachers shortage threaten quality education for all, Press Relations Section

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Summerfield, P 1997, My Dress for an Army Uniform, Gender Instabilities in the Two World Wars', Inaugural Lecture Series, Lancaster University UNESCO, EFA Global Monitoring Report 2008, Education for all by 2015, will we make it? UNGEI, Global Monitoring Report 2007, Millennium Development goals; confronting the challenges of gender equality and fragile states UNGEI, Special Report 2007, Girls speak out, A former child soldier speak out at UN meeting United Nations Education Scientific Organization 2001, Girls education, Action now UNESCO/UNICEF 2005, Children Out of School: Measuring Exclusion from Primary Education, Institute for Statistics, Montreal UNICEF 2006, Uganda Annual Report, Pg 23-25. UNICEF 2004, The state of the worlds children, Childrens opinions on Gender and Education UNICEF, Education strategy 2006-2015 Womens Commission for Refugee Women and Children, 2004.No Safe Place to Call Home: Children and adolescent night commuters in northern Uganda Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, 2005, Don't Forget About Us: The Education and Gender-Based Violence Protection Needs of Adolescent, Girls from Darfur in Chad Womens Commission for Refugee women and children, 2004, Global survey on Education in Emergencies Internet References http://www.womenscommission.org/pdf/Ed_Emerg.pdf httpwww.un.org/children/conflict/english/keydocuments.html www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0425-02.htm www.crin.org/docs/ChildrenInFocus http://www.womenscommission.org/pdf/Ed_Emerg.pdf http://www.ungei.org/infobycountry/afghanistan.html http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article405213.ece http://www.ungei.org/infobycountry/drc.html http://www.ungei.org/infobycountry/iraq.html http://huebler.blogspot.com/2007/12/efa-global-monitoring-report-2008.html

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http://www.unicef.org/girlseducation/index_multicountryprogramme.html http://www.fmreview.org/FMRpdfs/EducationSupplement/02.pdf http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=75037

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