How Girls Achieve by Sally A. Nuamah

Author:Sally A. Nuamah
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harvard University Press

The Value of College for Girls in Ghana

It’s obvious that in Ghana it is a significant achievement for girl students to graduate from secondary school and to be accepted into college. Still, when I present my research at American institutions, I often get asked, “How many of these girls who make it to college—if they graduate—will actually get a job?” The truth is, many probably will not. This is a country that continues to struggle with high levels of unemployment, and young women often get the short end of the stick. Nonetheless, a degree certainly improves their odds of employment.

However, the question brings to the light the differences in how college is perceived in the United States and Ghana. In the United States, students go to college as the first step toward a career. In fact, it is nearly impossible in the United States today to earn a livable wage without a two- or four-year college degree. In recent years, as more US students have graduated and have been unable to find meaningful careers, especially jobs that match their skills or are in their intended career path, major discussions have arisen about the utility of higher education altogether. Even though higher education has acted as a path toward gender equality in the United States, structural inequities in the workplace, from the invisible glass ceiling to pay inequities in salaries, have been obstacles for women in the corporate world. The obdurate nature of these obstacles raises questions about whether the success women have experienced in the United States is equivalent with its intent.

In Sub-Saharan African countries like Ghana, the utility of going to college, particularly for girls, is often framed differently. At the societal level, educated women are more likely to immunize their children, less likely to contract HIV, and more likely to reinvest in their family’s education. Their children are more likely to survive past the age of five, and more likely as well to get married and have children later.16 The societal benefits, therefore, also play an important role in making a case for the value of attending college that extends far beyond getting a job. At the individual level, college is seen as a mechanism of social mobility. Many factors make college an attractive option for girls. They meet many new people, learn how to live independently, and become more highly respected in their communities.

The experience of college graduates in Ghana stands out because the country has a long-standing national service program in which college students are required to work for the government for one full year within two years of graduation. The students are offered a very modest monthly stipend for food and transportation. The experience helps them gain skills and develop connections with potential employers. While there are a lot of challenges with the program related to finding quality positions to fit graduates’ interests and skill sets, the program assures girls and their families that if they graduate, they are guaranteed employment for at least one year after college.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.