Over the past couple of years, Covid-19 has caused students around the world to suffer from school closures and slowed academic progress. This has had a disproportionate effect on girls, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

In Ghana, 97% of students re-enrolled in schools after they reopened. However, 60% of those that did not enrol were girls. A similar study in 2021 found that in Kenya, 16% of adolescent girls did not re-enrol compared to 8% of boys.

The financial burdens caused by Covid-19 contributed to fewer girls re-enrolling, as many families could not afford to send their children back to school. The uptake of labour activities exposed young girls to gender-based violence in what is known as the “shadow pandemic.” During Covid-19, women experienced sexual harassment and violence at a heightened level.

Additionally, the increasing number of pregnancies among adolescent girls has prevented many from returning to school. In the Machakos country of Kenya, 4,000 student pregnancies were documented within 5 months of schools closing.

Some countries such as Rwanda have school policies that aim to include pregnant students and adolescent mothers. However, other countries have bans on pregnant students.

Tanzania administered pregnancy tests and expelled pregnant students, before announcing in 2021 that students who are pregnant or young mothers may re-enrol in June 2022. Togo and Guinea are now the last countries in Africa with bans on pregnant learners.