[{"bbox": [96, 152, 1135, 234], "category": "Text", "text": "economy. The Gambia's situation (as described in section 2.2) is similar to what is encountered in the rest of the continent. Many children with disabilities may not be enrolled or may drop out (this the official statistics do not capture the severity of the situation)."}, {"bbox": [85, 273, 341, 304], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.2 Problem Analysis"}, {"bbox": [96, 320, 1135, 533], "category": "Text", "text": "Gender equity is a serious challenge for project interventions as the role of women in The Gambia is still strongly attached to traditional social norms and cultural behaviours with pervasive gender disparities impacting various sectors from socio-economic to cultural realms. Progressive laws exist for gender equality yet gaps in implementation weaken their enforcement, especially in family law under Sharia. Women's roles in decision-making and legislative representation remain minimal, reflecting deep-rooted gender imbalances. Economic participation is hindered by a significant wage gap, with women more likely to engage in informal employment and facing barriers in accessing financial resources and assets. Despite educational advances, significant disparities in literacy and higher education persist, affecting women's economic and social opportunities."}, {"bbox": [96, 559, 1135, 718], "category": "Text", "text": "Gender gaps in Senior Secondary Education are particularly evident in access, retention, and completion rates. Data reveals pronounced disparities with only 46.6% of the population aged 15-19 completing secondary education of which 54.3% are girls and 39.1% are boys. Rural areas (like Basse in Upper River Region) record even lower completion rates (11.2% of which 10.6% are girls and 11.7% are boys). Gender disparities further manifest in the gross enrolment rate (GER) for SSE, which stands at 55.3% (63.7% for girls and 47.0% for boys), starkly lower than the basic education rate of 77.6% (87.3% girls and 68.1% are boys) (source: MoBSE Yearbook 2023)."}, {"bbox": [96, 744, 1135, 905], "category": "Text", "text": "Demand-side constraints exacerbate these challenges differently for boys and for girls, who face barriers such as non-fee costs that often lead to high dropout rates. In 2020, 59% of students dropped out in the final grade of senior secondary education driven by factors such as poverty, caregiving responsibilities, and early marriage (14% of young women are married by age 19, predominantly in rural districts). According to the MoBSE Year Book 2023, the total enrolment for SSE was 85,026 (36,483 boys and 48,543 girls). And out of this, 12.5% of boys and 7.5% girls dropped out of school at the end of their third/final year."}, {"bbox": [96, 929, 1135, 1037], "category": "Text", "text": "The educational environment contributes to gender disparities. A male-dominated teacher workforce and issues such as inadequate gender-appropriate facilities, prevalent gender-based violence, and insufficient policies and mechanisms for reporting and addressing such incidents hinder educational progress for girls, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to address these multifaceted challenges."}, {"bbox": [96, 1061, 1135, 1302], "category": "Text", "text": "Senior secondary education (SSE) faces major challenges including: (i) low and inequitable access, retention and completion rates, especially among girls and rural youth; and (ii) poor quality and relevance of education. Despite achievement in parity of enrolment for girls in basic education, retention and completion rates remain low at secondary levels, particularly at Senior Secondary level. In 2019, the Human Development Index (HDI) cited only 3% of the population between 15 and 19 years old having completed secondary education and 16.3% among 20 to 24 year olds. Rural areas have the lowest completion rates at 1.8%, especially in regions 5 (Central River Region) and 6 (Upper River Region). Of the 21,306 students enrolled in SSE in 2022, around 15,360 (58% girls and 42% boys) sat for the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) with 28% either repeating the exam or dropping out of education."}, {"bbox": [96, 1327, 1135, 1460], "category": "Text", "text": "Though there has been an increase in coverage at the secondary level, the Gambia's senior secondary gross enrolment rate (GER) is low at 55.33 %¹². Disparities in enrolment rates are evident across regions with the lowest GER in SSE in Region 6 (11.5%). Low enrolment and completion for boys is also a matter of concern. Boys are underrepresented at all secondary school levels with only a 42.9% completion rate in SSE compared to 46.6% for girls."}, {"bbox": [96, 1486, 1135, 1594], "category": "Text", "text": "Dropout rates during grades 7, 10 and 11 remains a critical and pressing issue. The percentage of children who drop out of school in the final grade of Senior Secondary Education (SSE) is extremely high at 59% (2020 UNICEF). In addition to poverty and the high opportunity costs of attending school (for example, many girls contribute to their family's income or are given the responsibility for caring for younger siblings or children), other"}, {"bbox": [85, 1620, 322, 1644], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹² MoBSE Year Book, 2023"}, {"bbox": [1130, 1654, 1144, 1676], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "7"}]