“It makes more sense to educate a boy”: Girls ‘against the odds’ in Kajiado, Kenya

Within a conceptual framework of Sen's capability approach, the paper explores aspects of girls’ retention in Kajiado schools, Kenya. Drawing on a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 24 girls in four schools, the paper discusses the ‘unfreedoms’ the girls experience in relation to environmental, infrastructural and economic constraints, as well as the personal unfreedoms they experience in relation to their gender. The study found that despite these constraints, girls’ retention was linked to their zeal for education and to the part played by key people, supporting and encouraging them and sometimes acting as catalysts for change.

► We use Sen's capability approach to explore girls’ retention in Kenyan schools.
► Using qualitative methods we interviewed 24 girls in four schools.
► Retention is affected by environmental, infrastructural, economic and personal factors.
► Girls remain in school because of their zeal for education and high aspirations.
► Family and community members encourage, support and act as catalysts for change.