Editor In Chief

Elsie Ijorogu Reed

Managing Editor and Coordinator
Kirthi Jayakumar
Contributors
Belinda-Rose Young
Federica Busiello
Miriam Bentham
Renee Grozelle
Designer
Kirthi Jayakumar

By: Belinda-Rose Young

Education has the undeniable ability to change
the lives of those who seek it. Components of it,
such as literacy, can impact the future of
individuals everywhere. Indeed, it is through
education that people come to: learn about the
world; discover their passion(s); communicate
opinions and ideas; enjoy leisurely material; and
enrich their everyday lives. To deny education is
to deny a person the opportunity to develop
intellectually, emotionally, and socially, thus
leaving a physically mature, yet hollow individual.


According to UNICEF and UNESCO, of the 115
million 6 to 12 year olds out of school, 60% are
girls (as cited in Women Deliver, 2014) and only
30% of all eligible girls are enrolled in secondary
school. Worldwide, there are 163 million illiterate
children, 63% of whom are female (as cited in
Women Deliver, 2014).

There are many factors that contribute to the
internationally low school attendance of young
girls. Many of the barriers to education stem from
a lack of financial resources. These include, but
are not limited to fees for: school tuition;
transportation; books; uniforms; and sanitary
napkins (UNICEF, 2011; Women Deliver, 2014). In
addition to the pronounced costs associated with
education, cultural biases may exacerbate the
issue of negating a girls right to education. This
can be seen when parents choose not to send
their daughter to school because, culturally, girls
are expected to work at home and join their
husbands family at marriage. Due to this gender
role expectation, it is not seen as a loss if girls
remain uneducated (Women Deliver, 2014).

A decision to keep their daughter at home may
also occur if parents can only afford to send either
their son or daughter to school. It should be
known that the intent of this article is not to
disparage cultural ideas, but to point out social
The Link between Economic
Empowerment and the Education of
Young Girls
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June 2014
norms that potentially limit that very societys
ability to grow. A way in which the culture may be
limited is by its indirect support of poverty.
Internationally, women are disproportionately
impoverished, yet are valuable assets to economic
growth; as their inclusion in the workforce can
lead to stable economies (Canadian Executive
Service Organization [CESO], 2013)

In addition, provision of financial resources will
not only better the employed women, but also
their families and communities as research shows
that economically empowered women tend to
invest into both areas (Soroptimist, 2013). To be
economically empowered means to have the
opportunities to generate income and the power
over your own finances. Indeed, the reciprocal
nature of economics and education is visible. For
education provides the skills necessary for
employment, and it is the same financial gain
from employment that can be used to pay for
education of children. Thus, it would behoove
societies everywhere to consider how fees
associated with primary and secondary education
may be mitigated or eliminated for its own
betterment and longevity.

Education is a right that should be enjoyed by
everyone, but its particularly weighty for girls and
women as it is not only an entry point for other
opportunities, but it has a ripple effect on the
development of societies at large (UNFPA, n.d.).
With this knowledge, the 1994 Cairo Consensus
recognized and put forth that universal primary
education should be a Millennium Development
Goal for 2015 (UNFPA, n.d.). Though great strides
have been made to close the gap, there is still
much to be done. Through economic
empowerment of women, there is hope to
achieve this communal goal.

www.deltawomen.org ereed@deltawomen.org 2
By Federica Busiello

Early marriage, often referred to as child
marriage, is defined as the marriage of a child of
less than eighteen years of age, and is a globally
widespread practice. While boys are sometimes
married early as well, early marriage mostly
affects girls, who are often married to men at
least a decade older.

According to UNFPA, up to 4,615,000 Nigerian
girls will be married as children by 2030. Globally,
it is estimated that 142 million girls will be
married by 2020.

In Nigeria, almost half of married women were
married before they turned eighteen, one in five
were married by age fifteen. Women living in
rural areas marry earlier that those living in urban
areas. Poverty is a key factor, as 66% of girls
among Nigerias poorest 20% are married early,
against 12% of girls in Nigerias richest quintile.
Lack of education is another risk factor; the
median age of marriage among women with no
education is as low as 15.5 years.

Aside from poverty and lack of education, reasons
for early marriage include traditional beliefs and
practices; the belief that a marriage will increase
the social status of the family and the girl, and
create and improve bonds among tribes, clans
and villages; concerns by the family to preserve
the girls virginity and chastity, and protect her
from sexually transmitted diseases.

However, early marriage disrupts a girls
childhood and affects both her future and her
health. It is a grave human rights violation, of a
girls rights to education, freedom from violence,
reproductive rights, access to reproductive and
health care, employment, freedom of movement,
and the right to consensual marriage.


Early marriage robbing girls of their
future
Child marriage often ends a girls education
prospects and reduces her life choices, as she
becomes financially dependent on her husband. A
girl leaving such a marriage is vulnerable poverty,
and at risk of being shunned by her family and
community. The health risks of early marriage are
particularly high. Early pregnancy is high among
child brides; in Nigeria, for example, sixty two
percent of married girls younger that nineteen
have already began childbearing. Childbirth is the
main cause of death among adolescent girls in
developing countries. Girls physical immaturity
makes it more likely for labour complications to
occur, which, together with the lack of efficient
emergency obstetric services, puts girls at risk.
Obstructed labour can result in obstetric fistula, a
condition that causes incontinence, which in turn,
will cause not only pain and infections, but also
shame and rejection by the community. Children
born of early pregnancy are also at higher risk of
illness and death: children born to a girl under 18
are 60% more likely to die within their first year
than children born to women over nineteen.

Early marriage puts a girl at risk of sexual and
emotional abuse, which can have devastating
mental health consequences. Early sexual
relations also put girls at higher risk of STDs,
particularly HIV and human papilloma virus (HPV),
the cause of cervical cancer.

Early marriage is a practice that must end. In
Nigeria, the Child Rights Act (2003) prohibits
child marriage. However, while laws are a first
step, social change is still necessary. Policies and
programmes are required to promote change in
the communities, through awareness raising,
community education, engagement of local and
religious leaders, and parents. Girls themselves
must also be empowered with information, skills,
support networks, economic support and
incentives, and access to quality education. Girls
who marry later will have a greater chance of
educating themselves and exiting poverty,
creating in turn, a better chance for the next
generation.
SOURCES:
Federal Government of Nigeria (2004) Country
Report on Violence Against Children
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/CRC/docs/s
tudy/responses/Nigeria.pdf
Girls not Brides, Child Marriage Around the World:
Nigeria, Accessed on 06 June 2014
http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/child-
marriage/nigeria/
Human Rights Watch (2013) Q & A: Child Marriage
and Violations of Girls' Rights
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/06/14/q-child-
marriage-and-violations-girls-rights
International Centre for Research on Women
(2006) Child Marriage by the Numbers
http://www.icrw.org/files/images/Child-Marriage-
Fact-Sheet-By-The-Numbers.pdf
International Centre for Research on Women
(2013) Solutions to End Child Marriage - Summary
of the Evidence
http://www.icrw.org/publications/solutions-end-
child-marriage-0
National Population Commission (NPC) [Nigeria]
and ICF Macro. 2009. Nigeria Demographic and
Health Survey 2008. Abuja, Nigeria: National
Population Commission and ICF Macro.
http://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR222/FR222.pd
f
National Population Commission (NPC) and ICF
Macro. 2009. Nigeria Demographic and Health
Survey 2008: Key
http://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/SR173/SR173.pd
f
Nour, N. M. (2006) Health Consequences of Child
Marriage in Africa
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC33
72345/
Population Council (2004) Child Marriage Briefing
Nigeria
http://www.popcouncil.org/uploads/pdfs/briefings
heets/NIGERIA.pdf
www.deltawomen.org ereed@deltawomen.org 3
By Miriam Bentham
Education is transformative. It is the key to
poverty reduction and is the least expensive
and most effective way to tackle inequality
most significantly, female inequality. This is
due to the ripple effect of female education
on future generations. Educated girls marry
later. They have fewer children. Children born
to educated, older women are often healthier
and are encouraged to remain in education
themselves, and so the positive cycle
continues. Inequality and rising education
levels cannot coexist.

Nowhere else is the equalising power of
education more evident than in Islamic
fundamentalists fear of it. To groups like Boko
Haram and the Taliban who believe the
womans place is in the home, to be married
young with children; to live domestic lives and
covet modesty and virtue above all else
education poses the biggest threat to their
ultraconservative ideals. Educated women are
more independent; they are less likely to
abide by traditions that repress them and
keep them subservient to men.

In Afghanistan, Taliban militants have thrown
acid on girls for daring to go to school. In
Pakistan, they shot Malala Yousafzai for
speaking up about girls rights to education.
More recently, an extremist group called
Tanzeem-ul-Islami-ul-Furqan has threatened
girls schools in Balochistans Panjgur district.
These groups proclaim that womens
inferiority is divinely decreed, quoting their
own extremist brand of Sharia law. But this
barbaric interpretation bears no relation to
the concept of Islamic law found in Islam's
scripture, or in the example of its prophet.


www.deltawomen.org ereed@deltawomen.org 4
Education: inequalitys antidote
The 276 girls currently held by Boko Haram were
kidnapped under a belief summed up in the
groups name, which translates to: Western
education is sinful. Its leader, Abubakar Shekau,
confirmed that the girls, on track to becoming
Nigerias next lawyers, teachers and doctors, were
kidnapped because the education they were
receiving at Chiboks government girls secondary
school was haram.

Shekau branded the girls pursuit of their dreams
and destinies sinful, and in the same breath
declared that he would Give their hands in
marriage because they are our slaves. We would
marry them at the age of 9. We would marry them
at the age of 12.

Why are Islamists so scared of girls and their
educations?

The answer is an edifying one: Because girls grow
up. They grow up to become surgeons,
biochemists, astronauts, teachers, lawyers, and
journalists. They spread their knowledge and the
power it brings to other girls who spread it further
still.

It is the potential of these girls that terrifies
extremists, because a nation of educated women
is one where the threat of men with guns and
toxic beliefs holds little sway. Education is more
transformative than fundamentalism and is more
powerful than artillery.

As international outrage over the kidnappings
swells in protests from Dakar to London, Glasgow
to Los Angeles, we all look to Nigeria hoping for
the girls safe return and are left with more reason
than ever to fight for their right to education.

By Renee Grozelle
In most developing countries the investment in
aiding the expansion of girls education is an
important issue (Patience, 2013). Nigeria has
been noted as facing numerous challenges in
addressing the issue of gender disparities in
primary and secondary education (Geo-JaJa,
Payne, Hallam & Baum, 2009). Although
education is important, a large number of
women in Nigeria are still excluded (Aja-Okorie,
2013). It is through education that individuals
are better able to claim their rights and realize
their potential in social, economic, and political
arenas (Aderinto, 2001; Ucha, 2010). An
important question is consistently raised: Why
are Nigerian girls failing to attain an education?
Research has suggested that the primary
reasons that inhibit girls from going to school
have been linked to religious misinterpretation,
economic and poverty issues, and early
pregnancy and marriage (Dauda, 2007; Ozele,
2007).

It is estimated that out of the 121 million
children globally that do not attend school, 65
million of them are girls (Jaulmes, 2007). Access
to fundamental education has remained low in
Nigeria, specifically in northern states (Geo-JaJa,
Payne, Hallam & Baum, 2009). Studies have
shown that fewer than 20% of women living in
the North East and North West area of the
country have gone to school (Jaulmes, 2007).
Through education, women can be given better
opportunities and will be provided with a more
in-depth understanding and knowledge
surrounding their reproductive and legal rights
(Akpotor, 2009). Girls are given essential life
skills through education, increasing social
participation and self-confidence (Dauda,
2007).


www.deltawomen.org ereed@deltawomen.org 4
Education
DISCRIMINATION
Throughout the world women are subjected to
subordination and discrimination in society
(Geo-JaJa, Payne, Hallam & Baum, 2009).
However, research has suggested that the
subordination of women is higher in developing
countries (Aderinto, 2001; Herz & Sperling,
2004). Education has been viewed as an
essential element of empowerment and
liberation for women in Nigeria, increasing
womens status in public and domestic spheres
(Akpotor, 2009; Patience, 2013). In Nigeria,
social inequality significantly impacts the
content and provisions of girls ability to stay in
school and attain an education (Jaulmes, 2007;
Ucha, 2010). Male decision making and
authority, definitions of masculinity, economic
inequality between women and men, and
restricting gender roles significantly contribute
to discrimination against women at the social
level (Aderinto, 2001). Although some progress
has been made in achieving gender equality in
education, there are still a large number of
countries that are far from accomplishing this
task (Herz & Sperling, 2004). Gender biases
continue within classrooms through learning
materials and textbooks that portray men and
women in stereotypical roles such as women
being portrayed as doing housework and taking
care of the family while men are shown playing
sports and working (Dladla & Moon, 2002).
Moreover, the interactions and practices of
teachers can impact students perceptions of
gender roles (UNICEF, 2007).

SOCIAL AND FAMILY
Dominant social and economic rationale
causes the investment in sons education
instead of daughters which intensifies
gender disparities (Aderinto, 2001; Dauda,
2007). Daughters are viewed as being less
valuable once they are educated as they are
A countries development benefits from providing
girls with a proper education and empowers
communities and individuals (Herz & Sperling,
2004). School management committees should be
created with the help of community participation
and involvement (Dauda, 2007). Existing curricula
should be reviewed and plans to implement
gender sensitivity in teaching (Dladla & Moon,
2002; Jaulmes, 2007). More female teachers are
needed in order to mentor girls and serve as role
models (Aderinto, 200).

REFERENCES
Aderinto, A. A. (2001). Subordinated by Culture: Constraints of Women in
a Rural Yoruba Community, Nigeria. Nordic journal of African studies, 10(2),
176-187.
Aja-Okorie, U. (2013). Women Education in Nigeria: Problems and
Implications for Family Role and Stability. European Scientific Journal, 9(28).
Akpotor, J. (2009). Promotion of Gender Equality and Women
Empowerment: A Millennium Development Goal. Gender and Behaviour,
7(2), 2504-2516.
Dauda, R. O. S. (2007). Female Education and Nigeria's Development
Strategies Lots of Talk, Little Action?. Indian Journal of Gender Studies,
14(3), 461-479.
Dladla, N., & Moon, B. (2002, July). Challenging the Assumptions about
Teacher Education and Training in Sub-Saharan Africa: A New Role for
Open Learning and ICT. In Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning.
International Convention Centre, Durban, South Africa, Open University.
Ebigbo, P. O. (2003). Street Children: The Core of Child Abuse and Neglect
in Nigeria. Children, Youth and Environments, 13(1), 22-31.
Garba, P. K. (1999). An Endogenous Empowerment Strategy: A Case-Study
of Nigerian Women. Development in Practice, 9(1-2), 130-141.
Geo-JaJa, M. A., Payne, S. J., Hallam, P. R., & Baum, D. R. (2009). Gender
Equity and Women Empowerment in Africa: The Education and Economic
Globalization Nexus. In Race, Ethnicity and Gender in Education (pp. 97-
121). Springer Netherlands.
Herz, B. K., & Sperling, G. B. (2004). What Works in Girls' Education:
Evidence and Policies from the Developing World. Council on Foreign
Relations.
Jaulmes, C. (2007). Information Sheet Girls Education: Nigeria Country
Office. Nigeria: UNICEF.
Ozele, A. (Director) (2007, November 4). Cultural Paternalism and the
Challenges of Educating Nigerian Women. Annual Meeting of Religious
Education Association. Lecture conducted from, Boston, Massachusetts.
Patience, O. (2013). Open Distance Learning: An Imperative to Womens
Educational Status and National Development: A Study of Bende Local
Government Area of Abia State Nigeria.
Ucha, C. (2010). Poverty in Nigeria: Some Dimensions and Contributing
Factors. Global Majority E-Journal, 1(1), 46-56.
Ukpore, B. A. (2009). Sustainable development in Nigeria: Roles of women
and strategies for their improvement. Journal of Sustainable Development
in Africa, 10(4), 268-283.
UNICEF. (2007). Whats the Difference?: Confronting Factors that Affect
Gender Equality in Education. UNGEI.

www.deltawomen.org ereed@deltawomen.org 4
less likely to listen to their husband, father, or
brother (Aja-Okorie, 2013; Geo-JaJa, Payne,
Hallam & Baum, 2009; Jaulmes, 2007).

Negative attitudes toward female education held
by some parents increases the difficulty women
may experience in trying to obtain an education
(Akpotor, 2009). Gender stereotypes also exist
within the education system causing gaps in
enrollment between boys and girls (Herz &
Sperling, 2004; Ozele, 2007). Gender biases
cause barriers for women achieving education
(Dladla & Moon, 2002; Ukpore, 2009; UNICEF,
2007).

JOBS
Focusing on the reduction of poverty is rooted in
obtaining educational rights of women and girls
(Herz & Sperling, 2004). An important step
toward ensuring economic development and
overcoming poverty can be made through
educating women and girls (Geo-JaJa, Payne,
Hallam & Baum, 2009; Ucha, 2010). When
women are not given access to proper education
it significantly reduces their chances of obtaining
higher paying jobs (Akpotor, 2009; Ukpore,
2009). Social stigmatization and stereotypes
held about specific professions being male and
female forces a large majority of Nigerian women
to take lower paying jobs such as nursing,
secretary, and cleaners (Aderinto, 2001; Dauda,
2007).

FUTURE INNITIATIVES
One of the most important strategies for
improving the role of women in sustaining
development is providing education to girls to
increase their involvement in the nations
economy, society, and policies (Herz & Sperling,
2004; Patience, 2013). Furthermore, educating
girls is seen as a way to liberate them from
poverty (Geo-JaJa, Payne, Hallam & Baum, 2009;
Ukpore, 2009). There needs to be a combined
effort given towards alleviating girls poverty and
increasing education (Garba, 1999; Ucha, 2010).


DELTA WOMEN DRUMBEAT BEGINS!
Delta Women Drumbeat, our very own Magazine went live! It was launched
in Nigeria with Elsie Ijorogu-Reed, our CEO and Founder being in the Delta
State for the official launch. Four people namely Anthonia Oguah, Olutosin
Adebowale, Gabrielle Ijorogu and Rita Okoye received awards for their
selfless service to people. The colourful unveiling of Drumbeat, attracted
many personalities such as: Orodje of Okpe kingdom, His Royal Majesty,
Major General Mujakperuo (RTD), Chief Mrs. Onokpasa, Chief Dominic
Oneya, Otunba Dino Melaye, Lanre Ogunkoya, Pastor S. A. Olatunji, Barr.
Emuobenuvie Majemite representing Olorogun (Barr.) Fred Majemite and
Prof. Ayo Aruya. Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) factional Chairman Lagos, Don
Pedro Aganbi graced the occasion with three of his executives namely:
Thelma Okhaz, Mike Okon, Chi White.
www.deltawomen.org ereed@deltawomen.org 6