Despite progress at the primary level, girls’ educational attainment level remains low in many sub-Saharan African countries. Multiple factors lead girls to drop out of school and often get married once they reach adolescence, with substantial consequences later in life in terms of voice, earnings, and agency mot only for the girls themselves (Klugman et al., 2014), but also for their children (Wodon, 2016). These factors include traditional gender roles, fears of sexual activity outside of marriage, the out-of-pocket and opportunity costs of schooling, and negative perceptions about schools, in terms of both the quality of the education being provided and potential risks faced by adolescent girls in school or on their way to school.
This article explores some of the factors that lead girls to drop out of school in Niger using both quantitative and qualitative data.
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