Perceptions of internally displaced girls of being illiterate and poor in an urban community: A case from Khartoum Sudan.

Abstract

This study investigates the perceptions of illiterate girls of being illiterate in an urban poor community. A sample size of 30 illiterate girls was selected by the use of snowball non portability sampling procedure. A comprehensive interviewing schedule and focused group discussion were used to collect the necessary primary data. In addition five girls narrated their stories of being illiterate. The study findings show that all mothers of the respondents are illiterate and most of their fathers are also illiterate. About 53.3 of the respondents their mothers were the head of the households and are working in very low income jobs. About 86.7 of respondents did not have sisters enrolled in education 60% contribute to family income through work as domestic servants tea and/or vegetable sellers. Poverty was the major barrier that hindered girls’ education. Inferiority and household chores discrimination between girls and their brothers are expressed by the narrated stories. The study concluded that barriers to girls’ education are primarily economic and social/cultural. Poverty remains the single major deterrent to education and lack of education is a major cause of poverty. The study recommended the need for effective strategies to close the gender gap in education to focus on poor communities and address specific obstacles.