Background
This study was undertaken to examine the role of the girl child in both low and high income settings in Kenya. The study objectives were to identify the girl child roles in low income and high income settings, to identify and describe the parental perceptions of the girl child, to survey, perceptions of the girl child in regards to her role and to look at boys perceptions of their sisters’ roles within the family.
Method :
Data was collected through questionnaire schedules for parents, interviews with the children, children drawings of smileys and trees, personal observation through video recordings. This data was later coded and analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis.
Results:
The research results showed that the girl child is marginalized especially in the low-income settings. Parental expectations have not changed in tandem with the changes in the world. The girl child socialization is greatly influenced by cultural and traditional practices. She is likely to marry early, still tied down by domestic chores such as fetching firewood and water, cooking and gardening.
In low-income settings the girl child has not been given adequate opportunity to go to school. The parents have dim expectations about her, for example she is likely to drop out of school or that it is a waste of resources for she will take everything with her when she goes with her husbands. More so the parents prefer to educate their sons than their daughters.
In terms of socialization, girls are still regarded as weak and their brothers are socialized to treat them as such. This coupled with the continued treatment of girls as future wealth creation objects with payment of dowry has exacerbated the situation of the girl child in the low-income settings. This contrast sharply with the high income settings. The study has shown that parents have made remarkable achievement in terms of improving the girl-child’s life. The girl is more likely to enjoy equal entitlements like the brother in terms of education opportunities and rights. More so, discrimination on the basis of gender is minimal. Further to that she is not tied to domestic chores like her counterpart in the rural areas. This proves that the parents in high income settings have as high expectations on their daughters as they have on their sons. They envisage their girl child to acquire university education before they think of marriage.
Conclusion
This study vouches that there is a need for enhanced advocacy and sensitization programmes targeted at the low income settings in order to sensitize the parents, siblings and the community members on the need to respect the rights of the girl child and her equal treatment. In order to achieve the above, sensitization can be conducted through the use of respected people with the relevant training, qualifications and experience to speak to parents and communities at public forums about the issues raised. Parents, community leaders and other opinion leaders should also be specifically targeted for sensitization and should also be involved in community sensitization and advocacy efforts. Lastly mass media has a lot influence on the people. This medium should be used for the purposes of sensitization and advocacy.
2006. , p. 97