The Role of Rural Women in Primary Child Education in Uganda: A Case Study of Lwengo Sub-County in Masaka District
Abstract
KIRABO FLORENCE (2008-M092-30020)
The Role of Rural Women in Primary Child Education in Uganda: A Case Study of Lwengo
Sub-County in Masaka District
In Africa and Uganda in particular, it is a common practice for women both rural and urban to be
engaged in quite a number of household roles. Their counterparts, the men, tend to get much more
involved in „out of‟ household roles. Primary school children have a constitutional right to quality
education but to fulfil this right a number of stakeholders have to actively get involved in
children‟s education. The major objective of this study was to assess the role of rural women in
primary child education. The study employed a case study design in which Lwengo sub-county
was taken to be representative of the rest of the subcounties in Uganda. Both quantitative and
descriptive statistics were used to generate and authenticate the study and to allow for the
collection of the complete data through structured and unstructured interviews, focus group
discussions, observation and questionnaires. The study revealed that women who earn from
agriculture related activities in Lwengo sub-county constitute the biggest portion. According the
research findings, women have got a lot of responsibilities right from domestic work to other
development projects wherever they are. The research findings also revealed that the key roles
women play in their communities towards child primary education included: production of
children, disciplining/guiding children, payment of school fees, negotiating with school
administration, advisers to where children go either to private or universal primary education, and
providing food to the family. The study revealed that among other partners in educating primary
children are Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), government, men/fathers; Faith based
organizations (FBOs), and relatives. The findings also indicate that most women who take full
responsibilities are the ones who are single mothers, widows, grandmothers and those from
polygamous families. Also the research indicates that, despite the efforts and roles played by
women in the education of children in rural areas, they (rural women) face a number of limitations
such as inadequate access to credit and agricultural inputs and other services; lack of marketing
facilities and opportunities; traditional, religious, social and cultural obstacles; less participation
in decision-making – even within the household. There is need for human rights education within
the universal primary education curriculum so that pupils are aware of their rights. The researcher
also recommends that awareness raising about the roles of rural women should be intensified;
efforts aimed at making education accessible by all children in rural areas should be made; special
attention should be given to building schools at every village so as to reduce dropout of children
due to travelling long distances; primary child education should be adequately financed out of
general taxation; women should be empowered so as to increase their income levels to enable them
participate in community development programmes including educating their children and men
should come out to support their wives in educating children in rural primary schools. In
conclusion, the role of women is quite very important and their participation in the education of
children in primary schools is really of paramount necessity in development initiatives.
Keywords: Rural Women, primary child education, Masaka district