Role of UNICEF in promoting girl-child education in Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examined the Role of UNICEF in Promoting Girl-Child Education in Anambra State, Nigeria. It covered study a period between 2015 and 2023. The objectives of the study were to; investigate the extent have UNICEF's educational interventions improved enrollment and retention rates for girls in Anambra State, examine the prevailing cultural norms and traditional practices in Anambra State influence the implementation and outcomes of UNICEF's girl-child education programs, ascertain the measurable impact of UNICEF's advocacy efforts on Anambra State's education policies regarding gender equality in schools and evaluate the educational outcomes for girls in UNICEF-supported schools compare with those in non-UNICEF-supported schools in Anambra State in terms of academic performance. It adopted the Capability Approach theory as its theoretical framework. The study employed primary and secondary sources of data, the primary was an oral interview from key informants, while the secondary sources was from existing literature. The findings revealed that UNICEF’s educational interventions have significantly improved enrollment and retention rates for girls in Anambra State, it also showed that prevailing cultural norms and traditional practices in Anambra State still pose significant challenges to UNICEF’s girl-child education programs, the The study further recommends that;  Anambra State Ministry of Education should collaborate closely with UNICEF to scale up the provision of scholarships and school materials targeting girls, especially in rural communities, to sustain and further improve enrollment and retention rates, Anambra State Ministry of Culture and Traditional Affairs should initiate and support community-based sensitization campaigns involving local leaders and women’s groups to address cultural barriers hindering girls’ education, lastly, Anambra State House of Assembly should prioritize reviewing and strengthening existing education policies to institutionalize gender equality measures advocated by UNICEF, ensuring adequate funding and enforcement mechanisms.