The influence of interpretations of islam on girls' access to secondary school education in Mombasa and Kwale districts, Kenya

This study sought to investigate the impact of the interpretations of Islam on girls' access to secondary school education in Mombasa and Kwale districts. The study shows that in principle, Islam grants equal rights to both genders. Hence the theory of inlrinsic inferiority of llie female gender is not supported by Islamic discourse or the biological di ffcrentiation between the sexes. The highly stereotyped i111age1y of a subonlinatecl Mtislim woman is perpctuated and propagated by [mis] interpretations of the teachings or Islam regardi,!g the status of women in society. These [mis]interprctations are a product of, and beholden to cultme proclivities of individual Muslims within particular sociocultural milieus. · · The study further demonstrates that Islam attaches equal importance to the education of girls as of boys. This implies that Islam is not the cause of gender imbalances in access to secondary school education. On the contrary, some [mis ]interpretations of the teachings of Islam on the place and role of women in society influence the importance attached to the education of girls. Within the context of the .colonial Kenyan society, the study has demonstrated that the racial education policies influenced not only the development of Muslim education in general but that of Muslim girls in particular. lt is evident that gender imbalances in
education provision and opportunities existed during the colonial period. Largely, within the colonial context, the development of education tended to favour boys than girls. Therefore, girls' education did not develop at the same pace with that of boys'. The colonial education policies also reinforced some cultural beliefs, traditions and practices - that .ascribed an inferior status to women - which were unfavourable to the education of girls. Hence, it is argued that the colonial legacy disadvantaged the development of Muslim girls' education. This has dogged and partly continued to shape the development of Muslim girls' education in the two districts.