The value of an educated bride

Weddings are a celebration, and this is no exception in Guinea.   

In rural areas of Guinea, a woman’s worth is determined by her marriage.  However, in villages where School-to-School works, a well-educated woman is not always worth much as a bride.  When it comes to marriage, parents are often inconsistent in their support for educating their daughters.  The general tone is:

Men and their families may be wary of a girl more intellectual than them.  (A parent)

In Guinea, the ideal age for a girl to marry is between the age of 14 and 18.  If she is receiving an education, that range becomes 18 to 30, so as to give her the chance to finish her studies.  Already, this extra time allows women to be a healthier, better mother.  

Yet, in an interview with a community leader, he expressed that a women who refused to marry is a failure.  A successful man requires an education; he is one with a good job, who supports his family and represents his village.   A successful woman manages the household, respects her husband, home, and community leaders, follows rules and traditions in order to represent her village.  Guineans are yet to draw the connection between these skills and education. 

The case of South Sudan gives us hope though.  Traditionally, a high dowry has always been paid by the groom’s family to the bride’s.  A boy’s family might pay 50 cattle (worth thousands of dollars) to its in-laws.  However, in recent trends, the more education a girl has received, the more she is worth- sometimes as much as 200 cattle.  It is also now common practice for men's parents to refund girls’ school fees to their parents at the time of marriage.  It is seen as an investment, a value. 

In communities where School-to-School works in Guinea, the message that a girl should be educated has reached most communities, but is yet to really sink in.   As you can see in the table below, Guinea has one of the highest rates of early marriage in the world. 

Table courtesy of The Girl Effect www.girleffect.org

When asked why girls’ should be educated, responses are mostly positive, but usually in very general terms. For example:

It is knowledge that solves all problems in life.  (A parent)

Education will prepare her for her future.  (A parent)

And many relate an education to good behavior:

It teachers a girl to abstain.  (A leader)
One who is educated knows how to behave.  (A parent)

It is as if community members know that education is good, but are not quite sure why.  And that is where School-to-School comes in.  Community sensitization workshops aim to teach community leaders exactly how an education prepares a woman for the future and why each additional year of education makes a difference.  As a result, perhaps more parents will pay their daughters’ school fees.  A chief might ask his son to marry an educated woman.  Another leader might allow his daughter to choose to finish school before she marries.  

It is these things that show a community what a girl’s education is worth.    Worth the school fees, worth the wait.  Worth a small donation.  Worth it to her family, her future husband, her future children, or herself.