According to a survey released on October 11th, International Day of the Girl Child, adolescent girls informed researchers that they want and need better education, access to health care and less impoverished and threatening living situations to be able to contribute to their society and also survive.
For many girls in various developing countries across the world, what happens during the ages of 13-15 is crucial in determining their future.
“They’ll often drop out of school when they’re forced to become sexually active or forced to marry. It’s an abrupt change from being seen as a child to being seen more as a woman without having any of the experience, education, access to information or resources that would actually prepare them for healthy adulthood,” said Ann Warner, lead author of the report and senior gender and youth specialist at the International Center for Research on Women.
Of all the girls interviewed as part of a study conducted by researchers working with local partners and NGOs in places such as Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Indonesia, and Rwanda, education was the topic most discussed. Often girls expressed a similar view, regardless of their country, that education was a tool they could use against getting married.
At the primary school level, there has been significant progress made over the past years, especially for girls. However, for many families the financial burden of education becomes an issue that often must be critically examined.
One student, Filipina expressed, “My problem is the tuition fee. We have to choose between school and a bag of rice.”
Another issue still prevalent within education sectors of the developing world relates to vast corruption. A Nigerian girl confessed, “I have to hawk (sell goods) to earn money to pay the corrupt fees that teachers charge.”
Creative Commons Love: ILRI on Flikr.com
Written by Ashleigh Brown