Effects of Gender Norms and Stereotype on Girl-Child Education and Well-Being Among Secondary School Students in Gwagwalada, Abuja

Abstract background:Gender norms and stereotypes have a pervasive influence on individuals worldwide, impacting both boys and girls from a young age. Conformity to these societal expectations can have detrimental effects on their potentials and achievements across various aspects of life, including education and career opportunities. Girls, in particular, are often more significantly affected by these norms. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the impact of specific norms that adversely affect girls in order to implement preventive measures and evaluate the progress made in addressing these issues. Method: A cluster sampling technique was used in selecting 316 student cutting across two schools, one public and one private secondary school. Also, a self-administered questionnaire comprising of 4 sections and a total of 46 objective structured questions was administered to each respondent to fill after following due process. Result:A total of 316 questionnaires were administered, and all were successfully retrieved, resulting in a response rate of 100%. The age of the respondents ranged from 8 to 18 years, with the majority falling within the age group of 11-13 years (52.5% ).In terms of awareness, 74% of the respondents demonstrated good awareness of the norms and stereotypes, while the remaining 26% had poor awareness. Regarding perception, 87.6% of the participants had a good perception, whereas 12.4% had a poor perception. In relation to attitude, 90.8% of the respondents showed a positive attitude towards the various gender norms and stereotypes, while 9.2% exhibited a negative attitude. Regarding Effects of gender norm, 32.9% admitted that their performance was affected by household shores, 14.6% missed school due to menstruation related issues, 35.8% do not participate in extracurricular sporting activity Conclusion:A study found that secondary school students have a high awareness of gender norms and stereotypes, along with a strong belief in gender equality. The study also showed a significant relationship between students class, age and their awareness, attitudes, and perceptions of gender norms and stereotypes. Students scored high overall, but scored lower in areas related to occupation, leadership, house chores, and assertiveness. The study also discovered a high level of student engagement in sports and extracurricular activities, with positive associations between participation in these activities and encouragement. Additionally, the research revealed that students academic performance could be affected by time spent on household chores, and some faced challenges related to menstruation.