Shikshan IS Education

Challenges of Identifying Needy Girls: My Personal Experience.

In the summer of 2006, we cousins raised money for 15 scholarships in Kumta. Emphasizing girls education, we allocated scholarships to 10 girls and 5 boys at the Shanbhag High School in Kumta. While the school is named after our grandfather, we have no role in its management. For more on our involvement with the School, see post on my personal blog here. I asked the school management to identify students in the school based solely on need. A few months later (October 2006), the school provided a list of students for consideration. Surprisingly it had 14 boys and 1 girl, very different from our emphasis on needy girls.

When asked about this discrepancy, I was told, “We don’t have any other needy girls in the school.”

I knew from previous visits, the gender ratio in the school is nearly even; also, the school management was giving me an honest opinion and specifically excluded girls who could afford tuition. Why did we have so many more needy boys? Where were all the needy girls? I was disappointed, but realized there were probably cultural dynamics at play and we needed more ground work to identify needy girls. Certainly they were there, but below our radar. We froze the scholarships and did not give to any student in 2006. I felt horrible for not supporting the needy boys, but could not come to grips with the skewed gender ratio.

Where are the needy girls?
After much reading on the priorities of poor families in India, as well as statistics from the United Nations, I finally came upon the answer.

I called my contact at the School and said:

“I know where the needy girls are! Just ask the needy boys on your list, where their sisters are!”

Poor parents send their daughters to either work the fields, work as maids, or help around the house, while the boys go to school!

Poor Families Make Choices
Needy families make seemingly wise (but flawed) decisions based on their current and future economic welfare. Sons, who contribute to family wealth, are sent to good schools. Even if it means scrounging and borrowing; or in many cases, simply enrolling in the school, paying a minimal deposit and constantly pleading with management to forgive delinquent fees.

The girls are put to work as maids and help around the house. Or, the girls are sent to local government schools teaching in the local vernacular language, for free. Thus, even if the girls do go to school, they end up with significant drawbacks in furthering their education and importantly, their job prospects. See, the poor families perceive no incentive in spending valuable resources on educating girls. After all, the girls will get married and go to their husband’s house. It is the boys who are expected to bring home a bride and also help take care of parents in their old age.

Guided by this understanding the school management made a tremendous effort to recruit needy girls. Firstly by asking families of needy boys for their siblings, and secondly, by actively spreading the word in the community.

Making Progress
For the 2007-2008 academic year, we made significant progress and identified 6 girls and 10 boys and gave them scholarships (see details here).

This was not a perfect solution, but it provided our team with a firm understanding of the cultural challenges in this area. Now, we have put in motion means to identify and recruit needy girls. Along the way, we will support needy boys as well. As we continue this work, you are welcome to join us.