Girls' education and marriage

written Monday, 9 July 2007

 

 

I talked with my counterpart recently about the very low level of girls' education in the village and throughout Senegal.   He said of course part of the problem is money - if a family can't afford to educate all the children, then preference is almost always given to the boys.  But he said it is also because families worry that if a girl is educated, she is more likely to refuse to marry the person her parents choose for her, particularly if the chosen husband is less educated than she is.   Educated women are also less attractive as wives to many men because they are less likely to let the man be the uncontested boss of the house, as he is traditionally supposed to be.   Not surprising informatiion, but it still depressed me.

 

But I was cheered up when my sister who just had the baby and who never went to school, told me taht she wants all her kids (including the girl) to go to university.   I hope they do.