Assessing the implementation of gender equity policies in education in Bor County, South Sudan

Education is a fundamental human right, a vital resource in overcoming poverty and inequality globally. All children have the right to quality basic education, the bedrock for a productive life. But key to this success is ensuring that girls, as well as boys, have full, equal access to a good quality education system, which gives them knowledge and skills (Fast-tracking, 2011:2). This research study explores the main challenges in the implementation of policies on gender equity in the education in Bor County in South Sudan. An exploratory research design was applied to explain to what extent policies on gender equity in the education system in Bor County, has been achieved and implemented. Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were applied through questionnaire administration and focus group discussion interviews. Of the sampled respondents about ninety percent (90%) of the respondents were males, while only ten percent (10%) were females, seventy-three percent (73%) were in the middle aged group of 26-45 years. Forty-six percent (46%) had secondary level of education, while about fifty-four (54%) had a tertiary level education. About eighty-four percent (84%) of the respondents reported the existence of policies on gender equity in the education system in Bor County. Ninety-eight percent, (98%) of the respondents were of the perceptions that it was critically important that policies on gender equity in the education system in Bor County be effectively implemented. About seventy-four percent (74%) of them reported that the institutions responsible for formulating or contributing to policy making include among others: the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology National government and Jonglei State Ministry of Education, National and State Parliaments, Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, Jonglei state and South Sudan transitional Constitutions, with the support from United Nations agencies such as World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF, IOM and UNMIISS, also other NGOs for example, Hold the Child, CRS, Save the Children Sweden, JAM and fifty-six percent (56%) reported that these policies did not address the gender equity in education system in Bor County. Respondents pointed to some of the challenges related to implementation of policies on gender equity in the education in Bor County. These challenges entail: lack of financial support to implement gender policies in education, rigid communal traditions and customs, long distance of schools from homes which impact on girls accessing education, illiteracy among the communities which makes them resist enrolling girls in schools, early and forced marriages by the parents, lack of clear gender equity policies in the state Ministry of Education in Jonglei state and Bor County Department of Education, parents who regard their daughters as sources of wealth through marriages, lack of commitment and dedication from the concerned authorities on the implementation of gender policies in education and lack of sensitisation of the community on gender policies in education by the County department of education. The study findings also suggest lack of monitoring and evaluation during the implementation of gender policies in education. Further to this, domestic chores by the girl child as well as poor road network to facilitate movement from one point to another to sensitise people on gender policies in education impede efforts to implement gender equity policies in education. Furthermore some parents regarded schools as places for unlimited freedom for girls. The findings of this study indicated that policies on gender equity in education system in Bor County were formulated and not implemented. The stakeholders in implementing these policies were experiencing challenges that hampered their individual initiative to implement the policies. This was as a result of many factors that have affected the efforts and the roles of stakeholders involving in the implementation of gender equity policies in education in Bor County in South Sudan