Fifteen-year-old Fadumo really needs to go to the toilet, but she is trying to hold it in as long as possible. Answering the call of nature would mean missing valuable lessons or even the whole school day: she can’t use the school toilet, so she has to go home or to a neighbour’s house. ‘In Somalia it’s taboo for girls and women to use public lavatories or even to be seen entering one,’ explains education adviser Nimo Abdilahi. The school latrine is located outside the building and is poorly covered. There is no privacy. So girls have to go home when they need to relieve themselves. As a result many don’t attend school at all.
Only every second child was enrolled in primary school in Somalia between 2007 and 2010, according to Unicef. And only a quarter of girls continue their studies into secondary school (compared to 42 per cent of boys). Poverty, war and culture are the main reasons for the gender divide. Somali society doesn’t consider education to be necessary for girls. On their way to school, girls are often asked by their neighbours why they are wasting their time. ‘You’ll get married tomorrow and stay at home to take care of your family,’ they say. The majority of teachers are male and tend to ignore the girls in class and focus on the boys.
