AFRICAN CITIZEN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION - EMPOWERING THROUGH YOUTH EDUCATION

The panelists consisted of Dr. Belinda Archibong, assistant professor of economics at Columbia University, Dr. Ugochi Ohajuruka, founder of Health Aid for All Initiative (HAFAI), and Kayode Ajayi-Smith, Director of African Citizens Development Foundation.

Though the gap enrollment is almost closed, the gap in completion rates still remains quite high.
Ohajurka explains, "a woman must be healthy before she can be empowered"; and so, the basic need of health must first be met in order for girls to stay in school. HAFAI focuses on the importance of sanitation and hygiene for girls. Many young girls drop out of school once their periods begin. They don't have access to feminine products, so they choose to stay home when they do have their periods. Missing a week of school each month leads to falling behind in classes and eventually dropping out. More so, health facilities are far from communities, they are not free - and when health is unaffordable, people turn to spiritual help, which brings attention to problems of ignorance - and there are many issues with the quality and quantity of technology - there isn't enough money for proper machines. 

The economy plays an important role in ensuring a full education for young girls. Archibong explains, "on the demand side, parents tend to keep boys in school and make the decision to marry off their daughters". The solution is a more structured policy with more social protection. So there needs to be something on the supply side that lowers the cost of girls attending school. Archibong explains, in economic terms, "to lower the cost where there is an economic shock".

Ultimately, it's the parents' attitude towards educating their daughters that plays the most significant role in economic gains through education. A solution to shifting attitudes is mentoring. Have parents who have invested in their girl child speak to other parents who face the decision of what to do with their daughter's path to education. The hope is to create a safe space for girls to learn technical skills, soft skills, and life skills, all in a space that encourages girls to be vocal about gender based violence and to also increase the participation of women in leadership positions.