In the lead-up to the Women in Law Forum, So They Can shines a light on its efforts to protect girls from gender-based inequality and violence in Kenya and Tanzania.
So They Can is committed to empowering children living in poverty through education.
In many communities in East Africa girls face significant barriers to education, such as child marriage, female genital cutting, and gender-based violence.
These challenges are compounded by extreme poverty, where families are forced to prioritise their immediate survival rather than the long-term opportunities for their girls, making access to education a significant hurdle.
So They Can, a not-for-profit organisation committed to empowering children living in poverty through education, works with local African communities and governments to combat some of the major issues facing certain Kenyan and Tanzanian communities.
Ahead of the Women in Law Forum - which is hosted by Momentum Media’s law brand Lawyers Weekly - Ellie Knight, communications and marketing manager at So They Can, discusses the organisation’s ‘Keeping Girls in School Project.’ As Momentum Media’s charity partner, she highlights the project’s work to protect girls from gender-based inequality and violence.
Barriers to keeping girls in school in East Africa
While many East African communities have a strong sense of family and shared responsibility, gender-based inequality and violence — such as female genital cutting, child marriage, and forced labour — sadly remain all too common in some parts of Kenya and Tanzania.
Despite being illegal, these practices are deeply rooted in social norms, and widely carried out, across the communities So They Can partners with.
“When families are living in extreme poverty, it’s difficult to break this cycle as families see their girls as a commodity that they can receive a dowry for,” said Knight, communications and marketing manager at So They Can.
Across some East African communities, traditional practices like child marriage and dowries have been tied to cultural and economic norms, where marrying off daughters early was seen as a way to secure financial stability.
To combat this, So They Can works alongside local leaders to empower alternative income-generating solutions and educational opportunities for families in an effort to reinforce the importance of supporting girls' education for their future.
“Our 100 per cent local team and community of Champion Mothers and Fathers are integral to breaking this cycle and providing families with alternative ways to generate income to ensure their girls are safe, protected and able to continue with their educational journey,” she added.
How So They Can is breaking the cycle
The Keeping Girls in School Project exists to tackle dangerous practices by ensuring girls are protected and their fundamental rights are upheld.
“Our Keeping Girls in School Project operates through a multi-layered approach, including community sensitisation and education.”
“We provide access to reusable sanitary solutions to address period poverty, and deliver additional support to students and families so girls can stay in school,” Knight said.
Alongside having 100 per cent local teams in Kenya and Tanzania, So They Can has invested in a dedicated network of Champion Mothers and Fathers who are embedded as respected members in their local community and play an essential role in advocating and upholding girls’ fundamental rights to safety and education.
So They Can’s Champion Mothers and Fathers are local community members actively working to put an end to female genital cutting, child marriage and child labour.
The Champions work to ensure that every girl has the opportunity to stay in the classroom.
“Our Champions do this through delivering community sensitisation on the importance of education and children’s rights, escalating child rights violations to relevant law enforcement, and working to remove any barriers that are preventing children from attending school,” said Ms Knight.
For the students, Champions act as a safe and confidential point of call in desperate situations, such as for girls escaping child marriage or female genital cutting.
The program has had significant impacts on community awareness with the number of girls at risk of female genital cutting and child marriage significantly reduced in Baringo, Kenya - one of So They Can’s partner communities - from approximately 85 per cent down to 60 per cent.
Through these initiatives, Baringo has also seen an increase in girls school enrolment rates up to 76 per cent.
This rise in enrolment contributes to long-term community development, as educated girls are more likely to contribute to economic growth, social change and combating the climate crisis.
Progress for the entire community
Educating girls is crucial not only for their personal development but also for broader global progress, including economic growth, community resilience, and addressing the climate crisis.
In East Africa, where girls face challenges like child marriage, female genital cutting, and limited access to education, keeping girls in school can be transformative — not just for the girls personally, but for entire communities across the region.
By reducing the number of girls forced into child marriage and early pregnancies, education provides girls with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to challenge harmful practices and contribute to positive change.
Educated girls are better equipped to care for their health, manage resources, and advocate for their rights, which in turn strengthens the resilience of their communities, particularly in the face of climate challenges.
Research shows that for every additional year of schooling a girl receives, her country's ability to cope with climate disasters improves.
Women who are educated also tend to have fewer, healthier children, which directly contributes to managing population growth.
With more investment in girls' education, studies suggest that the global population could decrease by two billion by 2045, helping reduce carbon emissions and create a more sustainable future.
For communities in Kenya and Tanzania, initiatives like So They Can’s Keeping Girls in School Project play a key role in breaking the cycle of poverty and harmful practices by ensuring girls have access to education.
To hear more about how So They Can is empowering girls through education, come along to the Women in Law Forum 2024.
It will be held on Thursday, 14 November 2024 at the Crown, Melbourne.
For more information, click here.
For further details on So They Can, click here.