Education is a milestone that plays a critical role in shaping an individual’s beliefs, life perspectives, and opportunities.
Thus, for women, particularly in developing countries, education is a powerful echo chamber for women to challenge the status quo and break the wall of stereotypes.
Education provides knowledge and skills and fosters confidence, critical thinking, and opportunities for women to engage in various forms of advocacy. By addressing gender stereotypes, encouraging inclusivity, and promoting self-expression, education paves the way for women to become strong advocates for gender equality and social change.
“Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.”
Oprah Winfrey
Recognizing the importance of education as an echo chamber for women is vital for advancing the cause of gender equity and empowering women to contribute to a more just and inclusive world.
Paradoxically, in developing countries like the African ones, investments in women’s education are more tangible than in Western democracies.
A clear example of a project devoted to women’s social uplift is the one carried on by Sylvia Nansat Nwantu-Julde in 2017, teacher and Principal of Government Secondary School Mangu, Nigeria.
Partnered with the Girls Empowerment and Mentoring Scheme (GEMS), she started a club to empower her young girls and her students.
As described by the teacher herself, girls in her specific region of Nigeria often lack awareness of their rights and face barriers such as patriarchal norms and early marriage, putting them in vulnerable positions.
This initiative has been launched to address these challenges, empower them with opportunities, and help them understand their potential and learn how to protect themselves from violence.
Sylvia said that she has seen remarkable changes in the girls who are members since they are aspiring for professions that seemed possible for only a privileged few, and they have learned to speak up for themselves and others. Then, she finishes saying:
“I tell you, mindsets are gradually changing here and the impact is evident.”
To conclude optimistically, the evidence that the system of investments in education in Africa, especially for women, works, can be shown through the example of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) election for a new President in October 2023. The four candidates that have come forward for the position are all women, all from Africa – a historic first.