Gender-Based Violence and Educational Development of Children in Northern Nigeria

Despite the overarching significance of education in the world today, numerous children in Northern Nigeria have been denied education due to socio-cultural practices. There is a reasonable need to emphasize the importance of educating children for societal development. This study explores the culturally influenced gender-based violence practices and their effects on the educational development of children in Northern Nigeria. The study employed qualitative method and conducted 62 semi-structured interviews, comprising of twenty-eight (28) teachers and thirty-four (34) parents of primary and secondary school children in gathering data. The study discovered that there are high practices of early child marriage on the girlchild and child labor on the boychild as two forms of gender-based violence perpetuated on children, which affects the children’s educational development in the region. The study suggests the need for more societal sensitization about child marriage and child labor. Also, more efforts should be directed toward educating people about the importance of education and placing a high value on it.