Why should we educate our daughters? .

Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance. It is a basic human right entitled to every single individual living on planet earth. It is the precious key for unlocking the golden door of a lasting freedom. Countless number of nations was freed from the agony of slavery when they obtained the extraordinary power of knowledge. It was through knowledge that people became well aware of their rights, and they could no longer be fooled.

As a matter of fact, education is not equitably distributed among the members of our societies, our dear daughters being the most affected.

Statistics in Somaliland show there is a huge discrepancy in the number of girls who attend school as opposed to boys. About 37% of children attend school in Somaliland - about 108,000 children of whom only 33.8% (36,524) are girls, and that approximately 60% of girls drop out of education by the end of primary school. Five years down the line very little has changed since then. (UNICEF, 2005)

Somaliland has one of the lowest secondary level girls’ enrolment rates in the world. Currently less than 2% of girls attend secondary school. (AET, May 2010) These statistics come up because we often send our sons to school but rarely allow our daughters to exercise the same right. This can be attributed to, among others, some ruthless cultural practices that put men before women. Unfortunately these cultural practices are contrary to the teachings of Islam.

There are, however, a good number of parents who have understood the importance of educating their children regardless of gender. But this article is aimed at those who have unfairly sent their sons to school and decided to keep their daughters in-doors.

It is very important for us all to comprehend the teachings of our religion (Islam) particularly how it encourages the acquisition of knowledge. For instance, our prophet (PBUH) said:”knowledge is obligatory upon every male Muslim and female Muslim.” So this makes it compulsory on every able parent to provide education for all their children without any exception.

The act of denying our women the opportunity to live an educated life is violation of a basic human right. An educated woman has the potential to build, not only a successful family with triumphant children, but a nation that stands on its feet.

The women make up the backbone of every society in the world and the success of these societies can be determined from how empowered their women are. A good example is the role played by our women in our lives. You can remember how our mothers courageously stood up for our survival after the civil wars rendered most of us orphaned.

They worked as housewives, went out to cover our livelihood, and at the same time took us to school where possible despite all the odds. Our mothers have taken a lion’s share in re-building our nation. In addition, women were the source of peace in olden Somali society, where they served as the antidote for extinguishing the fire of hostility and enmity between clans.

Regrettably, this group of people has been left ignorant of who they really are. We decided to keep them in our homes so that they simply do the household chores for us. What did this result in? The so called “Women’s Rights Activists” have taken advantage of their vulnerability brainwashing them, and using them against us, so that our society falls into a hole of indecency and immorality. They were made to believe that they are being oppressed and denied of their rights. This is not their fault. It is us who made them vulnerable by not educating them.

Every parent needs to know that the world of today is not really a safe place for an uneducated woman. I am saying this because life is not simple these days. For example, there is a continuous psychological warfare that has already infiltrated us, victimizing our women and children. A warfare that has made women throw away their culture and social identity. Once women are gotten to, children follow their suit. So, at the end of the day, we lose both.

More so, there is no way a woman can be fooled if she is educated. I mean she can pursue any profession and at the same time be a successful decent mother. How many times have you seen a job advertisement in one of the local news papers, or other media channels where they usually say at the end “women applicants are highly appreciated” Do you know what this means? Most of these international organizations take advantage of our women, giving them a false understanding of their position in the society. They apply a false pretext that they want to create carrier opportunities for women. But it is beyond that if you did not know.

It seems that most of us have failed to give our daughters the education that they need; consequently, they tend to compromise a lot in their religion and culture. They fall prey to every antisocial element that is hostile to them. She cannot stand up to defend herself because she is so naïve that she cannot figure out what is detrimental to her. But an educated woman knows where she is safe and where not. All in all, if one wants to protect his daughter, he should educate her.

Statistics indicate that women outnumber men in all most all the countries in the world including Somaliland. So if we do not educate them, the illiteracy rate will always remain high and so will the development of every other aspect of life. I know none of us wants that to happen. So let us create conducive environment for them to acquire knowledge that will save them both in this world and the hereafter.

Last but not the least, every child has a right to education. Let us build a bright future for our sons and daughters, to ensure a better tomorrow for a better nation. Let them go to school together and have the same opportunity in every part of life. Then only will our communities thrive for a remarkable triumph. There will, then, come out parents who support each other in building a better tomorrow for their children.

Written by: Mohamed Hamud Abdi.

(Kampala International University, School of medicine -Western Campus).

Source: Somalilandedu.