[ Déperdition de la scolarisation féminine dans les classes de 3ème et de 4ème des écoles secondaires en milieu rural - Défis sur le développement durable: Cas du territoire de Kabongo, Haut-Lomami, RDC, de 2022 à 2025 ]
Kabongo Nshimba Napoléon1, Ngoy Nshimbi Johnly2, Ngongo Mbwese Majoie3, Kaboba Ilunga Patrick4, and Kasongo Ilunga Gracia5
1 Departement Informatique, Institut Supérieur Pédagogique, Kabongo, Haut-Lomami, RD Congo
2 Département des sciences de santé, université de Malemba-Nkulu, Haut-Lomami RD Congo
3 Departement Technique, Université Don Bosco, Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga, RD Congo
4 Departement Technique, Institut Supérieur Pédagogique, Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga, RD Congo
5 Département des sciences techniques, université Don Bosco, Haut-Katanga, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2026 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
School dropout among girls in rural areas is a major obstacle to sustainable development, as it perpetuates poverty, reinforces gender inequalities, and limits women’s economic empowerment. This phenomenon results from several interconnected factors that gradually lead to school abandonment. One of the main causes is household poverty, which often forces families to prioritize child labor over education, particularly for girls. Early and sometimes forced marriages, as well as adolescent pregnancies, are also significant factors contributing to school interruption, especially in contexts of social and economic vulnerability. The school environment further exacerbates the problem. In rural areas, long distances between home and school, the lack of institutions offering attractive technical or vocational programs, as well as insecurity and harassment, discourage continued education. Cultural factors also play a key role, including the low value placed on girls’ education and the low literacy levels of parents, which limit their ability to support schooling. The consequences are significant. Economically, illiteracy restricts access to stable employment and confines women to informal and low-income jobs. Financially, it reduces their participation in savings systems and microcredit opportunities. From a health perspective, it leads to lower use of maternal and child healthcare services, increasing health risks. Ultimately, it contributes to an intergenerational cycle of poverty and exclusion. To address these challenges, several solutions are proposed, including awareness campaigns targeting families and communities, financial support for vulnerable households, improvement of school infrastructure through nearby schools and boarding facilities, as well as teacher training and remedial education programs.
Author Keywords: school dropout, girls’ education, rural areas, gender inequality, empowerment.
Kabongo Nshimba Napoléon1, Ngoy Nshimbi Johnly2, Ngongo Mbwese Majoie3, Kaboba Ilunga Patrick4, and Kasongo Ilunga Gracia5
1 Departement Informatique, Institut Supérieur Pédagogique, Kabongo, Haut-Lomami, RD Congo
2 Département des sciences de santé, université de Malemba-Nkulu, Haut-Lomami RD Congo
3 Departement Technique, Université Don Bosco, Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga, RD Congo
4 Departement Technique, Institut Supérieur Pédagogique, Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga, RD Congo
5 Département des sciences techniques, université Don Bosco, Haut-Katanga, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2026 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
School dropout among girls in rural areas is a major obstacle to sustainable development, as it perpetuates poverty, reinforces gender inequalities, and limits women’s economic empowerment. This phenomenon results from several interconnected factors that gradually lead to school abandonment. One of the main causes is household poverty, which often forces families to prioritize child labor over education, particularly for girls. Early and sometimes forced marriages, as well as adolescent pregnancies, are also significant factors contributing to school interruption, especially in contexts of social and economic vulnerability. The school environment further exacerbates the problem. In rural areas, long distances between home and school, the lack of institutions offering attractive technical or vocational programs, as well as insecurity and harassment, discourage continued education. Cultural factors also play a key role, including the low value placed on girls’ education and the low literacy levels of parents, which limit their ability to support schooling. The consequences are significant. Economically, illiteracy restricts access to stable employment and confines women to informal and low-income jobs. Financially, it reduces their participation in savings systems and microcredit opportunities. From a health perspective, it leads to lower use of maternal and child healthcare services, increasing health risks. Ultimately, it contributes to an intergenerational cycle of poverty and exclusion. To address these challenges, several solutions are proposed, including awareness campaigns targeting families and communities, financial support for vulnerable households, improvement of school infrastructure through nearby schools and boarding facilities, as well as teacher training and remedial education programs.
Author Keywords: school dropout, girls’ education, rural areas, gender inequality, empowerment.
Abstract: (french)
La déperdition scolaire des filles en milieu rural constitue un frein important au développement durable, en maintenant la pauvreté, en renforçant les inégalités de genre et en limitant l’autonomisation économique des femmes. Ce phénomène résulte de plusieurs facteurs combinés qui conduisent progressivement à l’abandon de l’école. Parmi les principales causes, la pauvreté des ménages occupe une place centrale. Elle oblige souvent les familles à privilégier le travail des enfants au détriment de la scolarisation, en particulier celle des filles. Les mariages précoces et parfois forcés, ainsi que les grossesses adolescentes, constituent également des causes majeures d’interruption scolaire, surtout dans les contextes de vulnérabilité sociale et économique. L’environnement scolaire joue aussi un rôle déterminant. Dans les zones rurales, la distance entre le domicile et l’école, le manque d’établissements proposant des filières techniques attractives, ainsi que l’insécurité et le harcèlement, découragent la poursuite des études. À cela s’ajoutent des facteurs culturels, notamment la faible valorisation de l’éducation des filles et le faible niveau d’alphabétisation des parents, ce qui limite leur accompagnement scolaire. Les conséquences sont multiples. Sur le plan économique, l’analphabétisme limite l’accès à des emplois stables et enferme les femmes dans le secteur informel. Sur le plan financier, il réduit leur participation aux mécanismes d’épargne et de microcrédit. Sur le plan sanitaire, il entraîne une moindre utilisation des services de santé maternelle et infantile. Enfin, il contribue à un cycle intergénérationnel de pauvreté et d’exclusion. Pour y remédier, plusieurs solutions sont proposées, notamment la sensibilisation des familles, le soutien économique aux ménages vulnérables, l’amélioration des infrastructures scolaires avec des établissements de proximité, ainsi que la mise en place de programmes de formation et de remédiation pour les enseignants et les élèves.
Author Keywords: déperdition scolaire, éducation des filles, milieu rural, inégalités de genre, autonomisation.
