Education in Africa - Women's Education

Women's Education

A positive correlation exists between the enrollment of girls in primary school and the gross national product and increase of life expectancy.

In 2000, 93.4 million women in Sub-Saharan Africa were illiterate. Many reasons exist for why formal education for females is unavailable to so many, including cultural reasons. For example, some believe that a women's education will get in the way of her duties as a wife and a mother. In some places in Africa where women marry at age 12 or 13, education is considered a hindrance to a young woman's development.

Women's education is sometimes corrupted by sexual violence. Sexual violence against girls and female students affects many African education systems. In Sub-Saharan Africa, sexual violence is one of the most common and least known forms of corruption.

Read more about this topic:  Education In Africa

Famous quotes containing the words women and/or education:

    “[When asked: “If women voted, would they not have to sit on juries?”:] Many women would be glad of a chance to sit on anything. There are women who stand up and wash six days in the week at 75 cents a day who would like to take a vacation and sit on a jury at $1.50.”
    —Anna Howard Shaw (1847–1919)

    “The Supreme Court would have pleased me more if they had concerned themselves about enforcing the compulsory education provisions for Negroes in the South as is done for white children. The next ten years would be better spent in appointing truant officers and looking after conditions in the homes from which the children come. Use to the limit what we already have.”
    —Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960)