Exploring the Impact of Cultural Beliefs and Practices on Women's Education in Northern Nigeria

Authors

  • Temitope Yewande Faculty of Education, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
  • Ayokunumi Olawunmi Faculty of Education, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55885/jerp.v3i1.191

Keywords:

Cultural beliefs, Cultural practices, Women's education

Abstract

This research was designed to investigate the influence of cultural practices on education of the girl child in Northern Nigeria. Due to the purpose of the study, an exploratory qualitative case study approach is adopted and data collected via immensely flexible interviews in form of Questionnaires and Diaries and participant observation with pre-teen and teenage girls out of school, educationists, community and governmental officials. Coded indice was adopted in analyzing data concerning cultural beliefs and practices that hampers girl child education. It revealed that effective education was also a challenge owing to current societal practices that includes early marriage and gender roles regarded to girls, and economic status were the key challenges faced by girls in education. The study therefore called for a multi-sectoral approach to tackling these barriers; the need for economic empowerment for women, reducing cultural prejudice against women as well as promoting women’s political representation.

References

Abera, M., Nega, A., Tefera, Y., & Gelagay, A. A. (2020). Early marriage and women’s empowerment: the case of child-brides in Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. BMC international health and human rights, 20, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12914-020-00249-5

Austrian, K., Soler-Hampejsek, E., Kangwana, B., Wado, Y. D., Abuya, B., & Maluccio, J. A. (2021). Impacts of two-year multisectoral cash plus programs on young adolescent girls’ education, health and economic outcomes: Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya (AGI-K) randomized trial. BMC Public Health, 21, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-12224-3

Azuh, D., Fayomi, O., & Ajayi, L. (2015). Socio-cultural factors of gender roles in women’s healthcare utilization in Southwest Nigeria. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 3(4), 105-117. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2015.34013

Dahiru, M. (2020). Challenges of teaching literature-in-English in secondary schools in Borno and Yobe, Nigeria. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 3(12), 233-244. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijllt.2020.3.12.27

Dahlvig, J. E., & Longman, K. A. (2020). Women's leadership in higher education: Addressing glass ceilings and sticky floors. The Wiley handbook of gender equity in higher education, 29-52. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119257639.ch2

Geleto, A., Chojenta, C., Musa, A., & Loxton, D. (2018). Barriers to access and utilization of emergency obstetric care at health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of literature. Systematic reviews, 7(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-018-0842-2

Godsil, R. D., Tropp, L. R., Goff, P. A., & MacFarlane, J. (2016). The effects of gender roles, implicit bias, and stereotype threat on the lives of women and girls. The Science of Equality, 2(1), 14-15.

Halkias, D., Nwajiuba, C., Harkiolakis, N., & Caracatsanis, S. M. (2011). Challenges facing women entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Management research review, 34(2), 221-235. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409171111102821

Jayachandran, S. (2021). Social norms as a barrier to women’s employment in developing countries. IMF Economic Review, 69(3), 576-595. https://doi.org/10.3386/w27449

Kainuwa, A., & Yusuf, N. B. M. (2013). Cultural traditions and practices of the parents as barriers to girl-child education in Zamfara State Nigeria. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 3(11), 1-8.

Mabunda, S. N. B. (2020). Exploring boys’ perspectives of masculinity and gender inequality before and after participating in the Hero Empathy Programme (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pretoria).

Michau, L., Horn, J., Bank, A., Dutt, M., & Zimmerman, C. (2015). Prevention of violence against women and girls: lessons from practice. The Lancet, 385(9978), 1672-1684. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61797-9

Mshelia, I. I. H. (2021). Gender Based Violence and Violence against Women in Nigeria: A Sociological Analysis. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 5(8). https://oi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2021.5837

Odok, G. E. (2020). Disruption of patriarchy in northern Islamic Nigeria. Gender, Place & Culture, 27(12), 1663-1681. https://doi.org/10.1080/0966369X.2019.1693346

Ozowuba, G. U. (2021). Religion, Education, and the Girl-Child: A Study of the Relationship Between Religion and School Enrolment of Girls in Northern Nigeria (Faculty of Education and Business Studies, Department of Humanities, Religious studies). University of Gävle

Pia, K. (2015). Barriers in teaching learning process of mathematics at secondary level: A quest for quality improvement. American Journal of Educational Research, 3(7), 822-831. https://doi.org/10.12691/education-3-7-5

Sabar, W., Rahim, A., & Hastuti, D. R. D. (2022). Gender education in the practice of women's agricultural laborers in Enrekang Regency. JIPSINDO (Jurnal Pendidikan Ilmu Pengetahuan Sosial Indonesia), 9(2), 154-163. https://doi.org/10.21831/jipsindo.v9i2. 51641

Savari, M., Sheykhi, H., & Amghani, M. S. (2020). The role of educational channels in the motivating of rural women to improve household food security. One Health, 10, 100150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2020.100150

Shahin, M., Ilic, O., Gonsalvez, C., & Whittle, J. (2021). The impact of a STEM-based entrepreneurship program on the entrepreneurial intention of secondary school female students. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-020-00713-7

Sheehy, A. (2022). Promoting gender equality in primary schools through teachers’ reflections upon their own constructions of gender and the implicit messages that they may convey to pupils (Doctoral dissertation, University of Worcester).

Umubyeyi, A., Persson, M., Mogren, I., & Krantz, G. (2016). Gender inequality prevents abused women from seeking care despite protection given in gender-based violence legislation: A qualitative study from Rwanda. PloS one, 11(5), e0154540. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0154540

Uyanga, R. E. (2009). The Disadvantage in a Culturally Diversified Society: Focus on the Girl Child in Northern Nigeria. International Journal of Diversity in Organizations, Communities, and Nations, 8(6), 1. https://doi.org/18848/1447-9532/CGP/v08i06/39672

Windels, K., & Mallia, K. L. (2015). How being female impacts learning and career growth in advertising creative departments. Employee Relations.

Yewande, T., & Olawunmi, A. (2023). Exploring the Impact of Cultural Beliefs and Practices on Women's Education in Northern Nigeria. Journal of Education Review Provision, 3(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.55885/jerp.v3i1.191

Downloads

Published

2023-05-01

How to Cite

Yewande, T., & Olawunmi, A. (2023). Exploring the Impact of Cultural Beliefs and Practices on Women’s Education in Northern Nigeria. Journal of Education Review Provision, 3(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.55885/jerp.v3i1.191