Sabra’s village has a primary school that is located less than 10 kilometres from one of the largest universities in the province. Despite that, Sabra’s story is the same as that of most girls and women in Pakistan who are still bound by traditions which limit their access to an education: because they are girls.
In Sabra’s village women have had little to do with anything outside the home. It is assumed that every girl will be a housewife and that they will look after the home; so girls don’t need to go to school. Across the country, girls’ enrolment in both primary and secondary school still lag behind those of boys.
But things were to change for Sabra: we would never wish for disasters, but sometimes these events can create opportunities. When Sabra’s village was badly affected by flood, a Child Friendly Space (CFS), or ‘tent classroom’, was erected. (These ‘tents’ aim to help children regain a sense of normality and stability after losing their homes and routines during emergencies. They provide both formal and informal learning, including life skills and child rights.)
Paradoxically whilst the flood wreaked havoc, it opened the door to education for Sabra. Villagers saw our female staff visiting regularly and teaching women and girls about health and hygiene. For many girls and women this was their first contact with formal education and it marked the beginning of many changes in the community’s thinking, including challenging some of the barriers to women’s access to education.
People began to appreciate that education for girls is as important as it is for boys. They realized that women are not born to remain at home. But, perhaps even more importantly, they learned that even if they preferred to stay home, education could raise their awareness of things which could help in daily life, such as self-protection and health.
“I used to force my mother to talk to my father about my education, but she couldn’t manage to talk to him on this. I was burning from the inside every day. I wanted to gain an education but my age was passing and it was creating more barriers for me to convince my parents,” Sabra remembers.
Sabra’s Mum, Bakhtawar says: “I knew my Sabra’s passion for education. But, as she was getting elder day by day, it became hard for me to ask for her to be enrolled in school. It was next to impossible when you [face] thinking like: ‘if girls and women go into school then who will take care of the house and the cattle?’ But thanks to God. You arrived in our village and talked about the gender equality which gave us confidence to talk to our men and they also realized that there is no difference between men and women. All these things lead us towards the new beginning and took us on the path of enlightenment”.
When parents saw that their children were happy about attending the ‘tent classes’ and noticed dramatic changes in their behaviour - such as improved personal hygiene - they were convinced.
The project is finished now, our staff have left the village, but almost every girl in the village is going to school and instead of reverting back to how things were before the flood, the village is running their own child protection centre.
Over 300 children, including 134 girls, have been registered in the child friendly space and most girls who are now of school age, including Sabra, are enrolled in local government schools.
“I want to become a doctor and it’s my dream to serve my community,” says Sabra. Her Mum couldn’t be prouder: “I don’t know how far Sabra will go to pursue her dream, but I am happy that a ray of brightness has been lit, which has put an end to a darkness we’ve been facing for centuries.”
- Literacy –Males: 69%, Females: 46% (Rural - 63% & 35%)
- Primary School Enrolment (age 5-9) –Boys: 69%, Girls: 56% (Rural - 76% & 59%)
- Secondary School Enrolment (age 6-16) – 80%. Boys: 64%, Girls: 36%
- Out of school (age 3-5) – 57%
- Illiterate Mothers – 66%
(Edited from a story by: Jatoi Attaullah)
