Before we become women, we are first girls. As a girl child my siblings and I were made to watch the 9pm news and that was how I knew Eugenia Abu, Cyril stober, Frank olize and so on. I read the book “the Famished Road” by the Nigerian author, Ben Okri when I was just in primary three. I remember reading the book “Every Women” when I was about 13 years. So questions about the human body, for women from menstruation to menopause, I had read and understood issues and could even talk to my friends about them. I remember when I saw my menstrual period for the first time, I was in the school and I handled the situation perfectly since I was in a boarding school and had no one to ‘lecture me’ (my mom already did that). I also remember watching Derenle on ‘Kidivision 101’, Funke Akindele on ‘you need to know’ and Olu Jacobs on ‘third eye’…..where are these TV programme?…..just wondering.
I grew up reading newspapers, magazines such as Hints, Papa Ajasco, Ikebe Super (I had aunties who bought them, definitely not my parents) I read them all. My reading made my understanding of geography very easy because I read about countries, their capitals, their currencies, culture, languages, food, beliefs and so on and whenever I am engaged in a conversation with someone or persons, they think I have travelled all over the world (even when I had not crossed border lol). I also think my reading helped in defining my career as a development/ public health person because the more I read about health, gender equality and violence against women and girls the more I wanted to understand why these issues exists and the more I want to create solutions to these issues.
Education does something different and spectacular to the human mind. It transforms your thought pattern and brings the world to your fingertips. An educated mind cannot live on its own it lives with others and in other worlds. Education helps you understand the complexities and uniqueness of people, human society and their actions therein. Education is much more than mathematics and English. It is more than just writing tests and examinations.
It is important to note here that I learnt a lot as a growing girl child through reading and watching people around me and that greatly influenced the young woman I have become. Girls should be exposed to literatures, armed with life skills and engaged in intelligent conversations. Sometimes culture limits girls’ abilities to engage themselves responsibly; they are not allowed to go to school, learn about the bodies, engage in conversations with members of the opposites sex other than their fathers, eat poorly, read books, think for themselves and plan for their future.
This is 2015 and gender inequality still exists. Statistics show that girls’ rights are not upheld and girls’ education still remains a big issue. Gender violence is regarded as a lifestyle in some parts of the world and poverty helps to keep these issues in check. Bills protecting the rights of women, girls, young people and persons with disability are yet to be passed into law. The world moves two steps forward and some countries move two steps backward.
We all know the amazing strength of a woman and how one woman’s education can transform a community. Let us push for girls’ education in our communities, let us support girls and women to go to school and be productive the society. Women and girls need our support and encouragement for the much needed change to occur. Investing in girl child education is critical in alleviating poverty, improving the health indices and economic development.
For girls, education means that they can wrap the world round their fingers, be confident, assertive and be productive. There’s no better feeling than this.
Sharing is like food to my soul. Please Share This:
Jayne Whyte's Portfolio 
Leave a comment