Introduction 

While many claim to believe in educating girls, not everyone follows this to its logical conclusion. The assumption that girls deserve the same opportunities as boys is weighing thin among Zimbabwean policymakers as the government’s role in its basic education programme is losing funding. This is evident, as the government grapples with its economic challenges which have seen funding in education continuing to dwindle. This has left the girl child’s education in limbo; thereby fuelling the early marriages in some parts of the country.

Policymakers Holding Inconsistent Perspectives on Gender Equality

Research in the country has shown that access to education for girls has significantly reduced both at primary and secondary levels. Policymakers fail to put their voices on the platforms that enhances or promotes the girl child’s education. There is a critical gap between the rhetoric and reality. Some policymakers still hold beliefs that blocks progress towards gender equality in the education sector. Achieving meaningful change requires shifting both policies and cultural attitudes above all stigmas. At a Global Education meeting at Fortaleza, it saw governments around the world making commitments to ‘remove barriers to gender equality through education’. The difference between rhetoric and reality has been witnessed across African countries, Zimbabwe included. The value of educating girls in Zimbabwe in many ways has dwindled as families cry foul, using economic crisis as the resultant effect of turning a blind eye as girls of school-going age roam the streets vending to feed their families; a responsibility which is not their making.

Policymakers think Schools should Promote Gender Equality

The value of the girl-child education might be one of the least controversial policies in the world. Not everyone, with the exception of the Taliban, follows this policy to the letter; specifically, our policymakers who are especially preoccupied with pushing their personal agendas that leave constituencies vulnerable and suffering because of lack of funding in the education sector. Therefore, not everyone in African Parliaments and leadership follows through to its logical conclusion that girls should have the same opportunities as boys. In most countries, policymakers think men should have more rights to the job than women. Others think that a mother working is bad for their children. Policymakers push for ‘schools should promote gender equality’, rather than pushing for government funding specifically for a girl child. Despite strong support for gender equality theory-wise, there is minimum African support for actual equality of the sexes. To truly support girls’ education, policymakers must go beyond rhetoric, while others endorse the principle of gender equality. The majority belief still contradicts with the notion of equal educational opportunities for girls, and even women. This reflects on broader societal challenges. It negates progress to the girl-child for them to realise their full potential.

Conclusion

Achieving real gender equality in Education requires a concerted effort by policymakers for states to allocate funds to girls’ education. It also needs an effort to shift not just policy frameworks but cultural attitudes as well. This also means going out of the country’s way to deliberately challenge biases, promoting and equipping girls with the necessary skills, knowledge, tools, and funds they need to succeed and break barriers that are infinitely growing as societies are constantly changing.