Role of Gender Equity Policy on Girls’ Completion Rates in Public Secondary Schools in Rwanda

Abstract

This study assessed the role of gender equity on girls ‘completion rates in public secondary schools in Kicukiro and Gicumbi districts in Rwanda. Grounded on social justice theory, the research adopted a pragmatist paradigm, a quantitative research approach, and a descriptive research design. Data were collected through questionnaires from 260 respondents, who were selected as an estimated sample size using Slovin’s formula as a statistical tool. The collected data in this study were analyzed through descriptive statistics with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 21). The findings revealed a positive correlation between gender equity and girls' completion rates, accounting for 22.2% of the variation in completion (R² = 0.222). The study concludes that there were positive perceptions of gender equity in public secondary schools, highlighting supportive environments for girls' education in Rwanda. The study recommends enforcing robust anti-harassment policies, expanding affordable education for low-income female students, and increasing female teachers' representation to promote gender equity in education.