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Rebecca Coleman

Abstract

In West Africa, girls’ enrollment in primary and secondary schools has significantly increased since the 1980’s; however, there is still a great disparity between male and female enrollment and participation. This paper will cover the lasting influences of the gap between male and female education accessibility in the country of Guinea. Issues such as teen marriage, gender based violence, funding, and infrastructure will be discussed. Alternatives to address these issues will be compared, focusing heavily on what the Guinean population can accomplish themselves, without generous help from the outside. Solutions to this problem include addressing the cultural bias against putting girls in school, eradicating gender based violence, bettering infrastructure deficiencies, and increasing female role models. This paper combines personal experience as well as empirical research to provide the solutions to this problem. Recommended solutions are: addressing the cultural bias against girls in school, eradicating gender based violence, improving infrastructure, and increasing the presence of female role models.

Author Biography

Rebecca Coleman completed her Masters Degree in Community and International Development in July of 2016. This article is a version of her final research thesis. Her research interests include women’s rights, particularly in West Africa, on topics such as education, FGM (female genital mutilation), and child marriage.

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