The impact of gender based violence on girls’ academic performance in secondary schools in Tanzania: a case of Mkuranga District in Coastal Region

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of GBV on girls’ education in Secondary Schools in Mkuranga. The impact of GBV on girls’ education in Secondary Schools in Tanzania was examined under four research tasks. First, assessing the prevalence of gender based violence against female students, second exploring the effects of gender based violence on female students, third, identifying major causes of gender based violence against secondary schools’ girls and lastly, examining stakeholders’ views on ways to overcoming gender based violence against secondary schools’ girls. Data relevant to the tasks were collected from Mkuranga district. Sampling techniques including stratified, simple random and purposive sampling procedures were employed in gathering data. The sample of the study constituted 300 respondents, including teachers and female students. The methods used for data collection involved questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions and documents. The data were collected and analysed using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The findings revealed that prevalence of gender based violence against female students in Secondary Schools was high and the forms of sexual abuse, unwanted touch, raping, verbal assault and doing household tasks during class time. The keys perpetrators found to be male students and male teachers. The study reveals that GBV occurs mainly in the classroom and outside the classroom and it has caused female students to perform poor in the academic, drooping out of school, irregular school attendance and having psychological problems. It is concluded that, Gender Based Violence, and in this instance GBV against female students in secondary schools, has multiple reasons for its origin and cannot be attributed to one single theory or causal factor. The study recommended that there is the need for a systemic and developmental approach to GBV at school rather than focusing on individual aspects of the school or environment. It is suggested that a whole school integrated approach should be taken when dealing with GBV in schools