INSIDER ISSUE
ENDING CHALLENGES IN
GIRLS’ EDUCATION
Gadri Pericles
“If you educate a man, you
educate an individual but if you
educate a woman, you educate a
whole nation,” says the Ghanaian
scholar Dr. Kwegyir Aggrey. This
statement still holds true to this
day. The same way, I believe
my commitments and efforts to
fight until all our girls and women
receive if not the best at least a
larger extent of education rather
than hawking the streets.
My name is Gadri Pericles, a young
leader and a strong advocate for
girls’ education. I am currently
enrolled at African Leadership
Academy 2017 in South Africa. I
will discuss some of the numer ous
practical challenges thwarting the
education of girls in many parts
of the world, especially the sub-
Saharan Region of Africa where
I come from and suggest some
practical solutions to remedy the
situation.
Many great women have
accomplished many great things
on earth. They are seen as role
models, mothers and great leaders
who have redefined society.
Prominent among them are Queen
Elizabeth of England, Chief Justice
Georgina Wood of the Republic of
Ghana, and Mrs. Theodosia Okoh,
a developer of the Flag of Ghana.
All of these great women share
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a common characteristic and it is
none other than the education they
received as girls. This then depicts
the wisdom in educating the girls
of our society.
Educating girls by my own
definition is to equip them with
the requisite skills, knowledge and
understanding that will enable
them to not only help themselves
but also their families, societies
and countries. Education is the key
to unlocking the great potential
locked within young women. It can
guide them to develop to their full
potential and as well put them on
the path of success in life.
Dr. Aggrey said that one educated
woman will yield to generations
of educated children especially
girls which will eventually create
a society of creative thinkers
and innovators to actually propel
nations for greater developments.
Educated women are healthy
and as adults they have healthier
children as they are more likely to
immunize them against childhood
diseases. Women who are
educated are less likely to be poor.
This is because they earn a living
from their professional jobs or their
own enterprises established from
their own creative initiatives. As
women become educated, they
aspire to become leaders and thus
expand the country’s leadership
and entrepreneurial talents. This
boosts the economic growth of the
country. It is clear that educating
women has numerous and
important benefits to the individual
and society at large.
Education is a right but it is still
beyond the reach of many young
people most especially young
girls. According to the Millennium
Development Goals (MDG),
children are supposed to have
access to education irrespective
of the challenges thwarting their
education. But what do we see
today? There are over 55 countries
in Africa which still record high
cases of girls’ illiteracy. This
has been a complete failure on
everyone’s part to get as many
girls as boys in school. This is
because a child without education
is more likely to be a girl than a
boy. So I ask, what are the causes
of the failures or challenges? Who
is causing them? What must be
done?
Admittedly, girls’ education has
been a challenge and countries
should make efforts to salvage
the situation. On July 2009, the
President of Nigeria, President
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