GIRLS EDUCATION
I remember so well speaking to children who had been through the genocide in Rwanda, speaking to children physically and emotionally scarred by conflict in Northern Uganda, speaking to children orphaned by AIDS, and when asked the question, “How can I be of help to you…what do you most want? They would all answer in identical terms, “I want to go to school.”
Stephen Lewis – Formerly the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa
Quote taken from “Race Against Time”
Access to basic education is a human right that is being inexcusably denied to millions of children in the world. A disproportionate amount of these children are girls. UNESCO reports that “77 million children are out of school” and “nearly one billion have little or no education…two-thirds of these people are women and girls” (Aikman and Unterhalter 2007 p.2). This information has been cited and agreed upon by such international bodies as UNESCO, UNICEF and The World Bank. These international bodies have argued that “girl’s education is critical to economic and human development, and it is regarded as the most effective development investment a country can make” (Rufa’i 2006 p.86).
Most of the research has identified the gap in girl’s education, and it “has been accepted the world over that education is the gateway to advancement” (Rufa’i 2006 p.106). The research that I have reviewed regarding barriers to education has produced some concurrent themes: early marriage, gender inequality, and lack of resources to send girls to school.
Although the UN has strived to have “Education for all by the year 2015” it seems unlikely that this goal will be obtained. Enrollment in some areas has increased but there continues to be “large disparities” and inequalities in enrollment, access and completion for girls (Heward 1999 p. 5). It has been argued that countries in Africa have seen the largest disparities. In the region that we will begin our work, Enugu State, Nigeria statistics confirm these statements- “About 7.3 million Nigerian children of primary school age remain outside the school system, of whom 62% are girls”(Unicef 2004). In 2001 the State of Enugu reported only 49.4% of girls participated in Basic Education(Rufa’i 2006 p.95).
Education is development. Data presented from Nigeria confirms that “more educated women had higher incomes,…better health and nutrition knowledge,…self concept, and less adherence to detrimental cultural practices, and had a higher mean age-at-marriage and age-atfirst birth”(Ene-Obong et al 2001 p. 327). I met young girls who did not have access to water, food, or proper healthcare, and when I connected with them about what they wanted from the organizations I worked with they consistently said they wanted schools fees, uniforms and books, knowing this was how they were going to break their cycle of poverty and dependance.
I argue that the failing mandate to provide “Education for all by the year 2015” can be attributed to the generalization and homogenization of the problem. The research and solutions should be focused on and rise of individual communities looking at “local knowledge versus context-free generalizations” (Taylor 1998, p. 358). W.E.A.P.O.N will strive to ensure that we do not bring our North American ideals and approaches to the table – rather we will listen to what the women and girls say they need to achieve their desired level of education, then help to provide it through funding, partnering and programming.
Written by: Brandy Svendson
