The importance of Girl-Child Education in Nigeria cannot be underrated, over the years, human rights activists have advocated for girl children to be educated.
Females in Nigeria have a basic human right to be educated and this right has been acknowledged since the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights in 1948.
If you are still contemplating the importance of girl-child education in Nigeria, read this article on the importance of girl-child education in Nigeria to gain more insight
About Girl-Child Education In Nigeria
In the colonial era, there was notable gender inequality in education. Girls’ enrollment figures in school were very low throughout the nation compared to that of the boys.
However, many people believed that a woman’s place is at home and that she belongs to the domestic space, and this kept many girls away from acquiring education.
Before 1920, primary and secondary education in Nigeria was established by voluntary Christian organizations, and boys were the main participants while girls were restricted by their parents.
However, after much planning by the United Nations, UNESCO, and other organizations, there was the implementation of free and compulsory Universal Primary Education in the 1970s for both boys and girls.
However, with the government’s intervention and public revival of interest, parents began to enroll and keep their girl children in school.
Also read: Importance of Immunization in Nigeria
Challenges Of Girl-Child Education Nigeria
Girl children are still not getting adequate education due to various cultural and socioeconomic issues in Nigeria.
These challenges have thwarted the future of many girl children and have relegated them to the background.
However, below are the challenges of girl-child education in Nigeria.
1. Culture, Values, And Tradition
Nigerian society is a patriarchal society where importance and value are placed on a boy child, and that is why marriage can be dissolved because of a wife’s inability to bear male children.
One of the prominent cultural beliefs that have thwarted girl-child education in Nigeria is the belief that a girl child belongs to the domestic space where she takes care of the family.
In many cultures, people believe in male superiority and female subordination, and this has created an imbalance in boys’ and girls’ participation in school.
Various religious practices in Nigeria have relegated women to the background. They portray women as being inferior to men and this has given men more privileges than women.
Gender stereotyping has become standardized within the family unit. Many religious practices make families believe that women are subservient to men, and therefore cannot thrive without them.
This has made many families place importance on the male children because they are believed to be the breadwinners of the family while the women are the homemakers.
3. Early Marriage Practices
The practice of early marriage in some parts of Nigeria has created an imbalance and boys’ and girls’ participation in school.
Thereafter, the woman’s role has been restricted to sexual and commercial labor; satisfying the sexual demands of men, working in the fields, grooming babies, and preparing food.
Women in Nigeria experience more poverty than men due to the lack of priority placed on female education, and the practice of early marriage has further impoverished women and subjected them to statutory discrimination.
4. Cost Of Education
The higher cost of education in Nigeria has made some families send only the male children to school leaving the female behind.
Many families believe that their girl children would be married off and their husbands would take care of them while the male children need to be educated to be able to cater to their family.
Importance of Girl-Child Education in Nigeria
The importance of girl-child education cannot be underrated. Every child should have the right to education despite gender.
The most essential element of employment opportunity is education, especially higher education. with education, women would be gainfully employed to become independent.
However, below are the importance of girl-child education in Nigeria.
1. Girl-child education in Nigeria empowers and improves productivity in society.
2. Girl-child education increases women’s involvement in politics and enables them to contest for positions in government, and contribute effectively to the governance of society.
3. Girl-child education in Nigeria enables women to understand issues relating to women and to intelligently proffer solutions to such issues.
4. Girl child education enables women to raise their voices to be heard especially to demand equality and fairness on issues that concern them and their families.
5. With female education, women can speak out or take legal action when they face domestic and sexual violence.
6. Girl-child education enables women to embrace safe sex thereby reducing the level of sexually transmitted diseases.
7. Girl child education has a significant role to play in the development of a steady, wealthy and healthy nation resulting in active, productive, and empowered citizens.
8. Educating girls encourages the independence of the girl child and reduces social differences.
9. Girl education in Nigeria brings about rapid fast socio-economic growth in a nation.
10. Education gives women the enthusiasm to acquire knowledge, values, attitudes, competence, confidence, independence, and skills.
11. Girl-child education in Nigeria enables women to seek medical care, ensure their children are immunized, be better informed about their children’s nutritious requirements, and embrace good sanitation practices.
12. Children of educated women have higher survival rates and tend to be healthier and better nourished.
13. Girl-child-educated makes women knowledgeable when it comes to making decisions about their life and that alone has reduced the prevalence of child marriage.
14. Girl-child education produces educated mothers who will, in turn, educate their children, care for their families and provide their children with good nutrition.
15. Educating girls translates to better health for the children, and a reduction in child morbidity and mortality.
That is all on the importance of girl-child education, read to the end to know why you should love your children, equally and also educate your girl child.