Gender Inequality #2 Girl Child Education in Africa
In my previous post on gender inequality I discussed gender inequality and it societal effects on both male and female genders, in today post I will be writing about gender inequality and it adverse effect on the Africa girl child education.
Education is a gateway to civilization and a pathfinder to human revolution, an empowering weapon to realising ones potentials. A process where children acquire knowledge, self empowerment and realize their potentials, talents and also their weakness and vulnerabilities.
The iconic Nelson Mandela once wrote "education is the greatest weapon that can change the world if adequately given to people of the world. Education is one of the fundamental human right of the girl child, Universal Declaration of Human Right article 26 which was adopted and enacted by United Nation states
- everyone (including girl child) has right to education and this must be free at least in the elementary and primary stage.
Many governments are signatories to this declaration and have adopted it for it citizens but have failed to realized the societal vulnerabilities of the girl child.
Biologically the girl child is the female offspring from birth and up to 18years the teen age or adolescence. (Mclay, 2013)
Academically (using the Nigeria/West Africa Examination Council curriculum) this age age span across
0.5 - 5years - Creche or pre-nursery and nursery
6 - 12years - Primary
12 - 18years - Secondary
At this age the parents or guardian are the custodian of the girl child who enshrine morals, characters and values and are responsible for her domestic needs etc.
Image credit itix
The societal equity gap between the girl child and sons in Africa is alarming, often in Ethiopia girl-children are abducted for marriage at an infantry age of 8years, over times in Nigeria and across West Africa girl-children are been transported from rural areas to urban areas and cities as house helps (domestic servants) and some times even exported overseas to Europe to work as sex slaves (prostitution) for their masters, as reported by Human rights reports on human trafficking 2015.
A 2013 UNESCO reports shows girl-children account for 60% of the estimated 113 million children not in school, Africa and South Asia host majority of this figures.
Africa patriarchal system is constructed to favour the male child over the girl-child because it believe the male child maintain the family heritage and lineage. Some backward cultural practices across Africa, poverty, diseases has hampered the girl-child access to education. The girl-child suffers the most societal vulnerabilities and most cases are made to believe girl-children are the less valued members of the world especially Africa.
If a man for whatever reason has the opportunity to lead an extraordinarily life, he has no right to keep it to himself. Jacques a legendary filmmaker once said, it's pertinent girl-child deserves such right through education and societal equity.
Image credit @prettyprisca
The world has/is evolving and we ought to give the girl-child the necessary education, rights and equity. There is a saying "educate a man you educate an individual, but educate a woman you educate a nation. Children are the leaders of tomorrow and women are the bed-rock of which the pillar of every family is built on, the closest parent to the children and comforter of her husband, thus the girl-child education is sacrosanct and non negotiable
In Nigeria lately, it's difficult to find a house help (domestic servant), this is due to the awareness of parents and guardians in recognizing the virtue and usefulness of the girl-child education. Africa needs to do more on the girl-child education to ameliorate the present continental situation of out of school girl-children.
In my next series I will be writing about gender inequality and it effects on political limitations or about religious practices, if you like this post kindly upvote, resteem and follow @prettyprisca to read more of my subsequent posts.
Thank you
I think our dear country is now waking up to these challenges and taking steps in the right direction. There is hope for us but we still have a long way to go. U have my vote @prettyprisca
Thank you @tojukaka is my pleasure
Quite educative @prettyprisca Africa needs to do more on girl child education and education of it people generally, i believe both genders suffers the poor government despotic education policies however.
Yes both genders suffers but figures from all researches including UNESCO, UNICEF, Human rights reports on girl-child education etc shows girld-children suffers the most and represent 60% of out of school children. Let's use situations in Nigeria for example, how many boys do you see as house helps (domestic servants) in urban homes in Nigeria?
This is not imaginary but estimated facts, Africa needs to do more.
Thanks for reading through @austinofana
Generally i think you concerntrated your research on your what you chose to learn, is there a figure for the numbers of male child that are into child labour, hawking on the streets and numbers of male children from the easterns part of Nigeria that are learning trades under their masters instead of going to school etc.
Of course the girl-child suffers this governmental failure but also the boy-child has it own fair share of the suffer head. I agree Africa needs to do more to ameliorate the situation we find ourselves today.
@austinofana we will agree to disagree on this. Yes the male children in eastern Nigeria and other parts learn trades under their master instead of going to school, in learning such trade in about 5-6yrs they own their own business ventures and start exploring and make money which inturn raise their societal relevance. But how about the girl-children?
have u seen house girl who get settled and own her own business?
girl-children get married off at infantry age of 8-13yrs, does this inccease the girl child societal value or relevance?
some Africa cultures believe male children maintain the family lineage and heritage, does this make girl-child less human?
So many questions to ask you @austinofana, is not just the government failure but Africa perception of the girl child as second class human is mentally and psychologically derailing.
Please take a swift push from your position on this