Socio-cultural factors influencing educational attainment among muslim women in Mumias Division, Kakamega, Kenya

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the major socio-cultural factors which influence educational attainment and subsequent occupation and occupational mobility of Muslim women in Mumias division, Kakamega district A sample of 120 Muslim female respondents drawn from two locations were interviewed over a period of two months The study found out that majority of the respondents who had attained low education had parents with low socio-economic status. It was further found that most of the respondents who had attained secondary education and above were in gainful salaried employment as opposed to those who had no formal education or only primary education School related factors were also found to positively influence Muslim women's educational attainment. However, cultural related factors were of less significance. The study concluded that, Muslim women were capable of attaining high education but they were inhibited by their parents' socio-economic status and school related factors such as respondent's age at enrollment, years completed at school and type of school attended. The study recommended that Muslim parents should be educated about the importance of western formal education to their daughters. This was based on the fact that most of the parents as found in this study were either illiterate or semi-illiterate and did not really value schooling for girls, instead preferred them to attain Quranic education The study also recommended that the Kenyan government in conjunction with the Muslim families ensure that children of both sexes have access to education and attend regularly without any excuses because-both Quranic school and Western IClrI11aI education have their own time for learning and value.