Girls dropping out of school

Girls dropping out of school is a reality in Mali. Most girls at school do not appreciate the importance of studying. They do not seem to understand that school education is a means of achieving equality, justice and individual and social development. The aim of this study is to identify and understand the causes of girls dropping out of secondary school, to measure the extent of this dropout, to find out how school stakeholders perceive this phenomenon and to suggest ways of keeping girls in school. In Mali, positive measures have been taken by the government, such as keeping girls pregnant and postponing them at their own request so that they can finish secondary school and go on to university. Despite these positive discriminatory measures in favour of girls in the Malian education system, the situation is hardly improving in the desired direction. The aim is to ensure that girls who are sent to secondary school can go on to higher education, so as to ensure that women are represented in decision-making bodies.