Sexual Violence and Girls’ Education in South Africa

Kelly Hallman, Population Council

Sexual violence is reported to be a large problem in South Africa. Such encounters bring psychological trauma, social stigma, and the risk of pregnancy, HIV, and STIs. Qualitative interviews indicate that rape survivors find it harder to concentrate on school-work after the assault; many lose interest in school and some leave school altogether. The effects of such experiences on girls’ progression through school and educational attainment have not been well quantified in South Africa. These relationships are explored for young women age 14-24 using data from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Findings indicate that girls enrolled in school have much lower reported rates of sexual debut, pregnancy, and forced sexual encounters. Examining school attendance and educational attainment by history of sexual experience, young women who have been forced to have sex are significantly less likely to be attending school, and have lower educational attainment and more school delays.