For almost everyone under the age of eighteen in the United States, there is a basic everyday routine from Monday through Friday. Anyone under the age of eighteen wakes up, goes to school, and repeat. In most states, it is illegal to drop out of school before the age of sixteen, but that is besides the point. The point is everyone goes to school. Many other countries are not as fortunate as the United States in terms of having a tax funded public school system. In impoverished nations like Nigeria, school is a luxury that only the elite can afford, usually choosing to send the boys to school. But, what about girls? Girls and education are two words that do not belong together in the majority of the world. In most culture, girls are still bound by traditional gender requirements as mothers and wives; their sole purpose to fulfill the needs of others. With that being said, education for girls is not the option it should be, especially in rural Nigeria. When looking at this matter from a Western perspective, it may appear that this issue is one-sided, not controversial. It only seems logical that countries should be forcing citizens to send their daughters to school. Despite the apparent logic, the issue is quite complicated due to the cultural dynamics and traditions of Nigeria. Imagine living in a rural village, hundreds of miles from the nearest paved road. The word "school", even the idea of "school" is as realistic as a fairy tale. Because the concept of school is so elusive, it becomes second nature for girls to accept their predetermined role in society. Additionally, for the few girls who are able to enroll in school, they face constant danger from Boko Haram, a terrorist group opposing the Western educating of girls (CNN). With the threat of terror and expensive school fees, many parents find it safer to keep their girls at home. 

From my standpoint, girls should not be forced to choose between education and cultural obligations, like child marriage, as the benefits of an education alter one's entire life. Education for girls is a necessity that needs to be implemented in countries like Nigeria. For instance, there are almost 58 million who do not attend school worldwide, and if those 58 million girls could be educated, the repercussions would be monumental (A World at School). It would essentially create a waterfall effect on world improvement. A girl goes to school, obtains a job, earns money to provide for herself and her family, and boosts her country's economy. For example, "if young Nigerian women had the same employment rates as young men, the country would add $13.9 billion to its GDP annually" (The Girl Effect). Aside from economic benefits, there are health benefits to education as well. By going to school, a girl "lowers her risk of contacting HIV/AIDS, being a victim of sex trafficking, and having children she is not ready to have" (The Girl Effect). Overall, the education of girls has the potential to reduce world poverty and help struggling nations achieve much needed stability. Personally, I consider myself qualified to speak about this matter because I have been involved with education organizations for impoverished nations like Uganda and Nigeria in both high school and college. I also attended an all-girls high school where our theme senior year was girls' education. Therefore, I have studied the issue of girls' education extensively over the years. And most importantly, as a girl who has been lucky enough to receive an education, I can only do my best to help other girls have the same opportunity as myself. 

In regards to the education of girls, there are extensive benefits for girls, especially when it comes to their health. In many rural villages in Nigeria, child marriage is a normal occurrence as almost "15 million girls worldwide are married before they turn eighteen" (A World at School). Because it is common for girls to be married to much older men, childbirth has become a leading cause of death for girls and young women in Nigeria (Wolfe). If a girl attends school, she is likely to be married at an older age which increases the longevity and healthiness of her life. Although the female menstrual cycle is a rather hushed topic across the world, it is particularly taboo in rural villages to the point where some girls spend that time of the month in complete isolation. Because there is a lack of restroom facilities and proper hygiene products, girls who are in school are forced to miss several days a week every month. Over time, they become so behind in their studies they are forced to drop out. One way to combat this issue is by creating specific feminine hygiene products for girls in these environments. The organization Days for Girls creates sustainable feminine hygiene products for girls so they do not have to miss school. In 2015, this organization visited Gembu, Nigeria and changed the lives of young girls because their biological functions no longer interfered with their education. Because of these health benefits associated with education, there is a definitive positive correlation between educating girls and their overall well being. 

Equality genders is an issue prevalent across the globe, but especially concentrated in third world countries like Nigeria. In those nations, women are viewed and treated as second class citizens or even objects. So, educating girls is considered a waste because a girl's only purpose is to serve her husband and reproduce. The belief of women as inferior mainly stems from old Islamic views of women. It is believed "that parents who sent their daughters to school were regard to abuse the Islamic faith since girls were expected to learn only their religion and to marry" (Csapo, 1981). The very idea that women could amount to being more than a wife or mother was unheard of and sacrilegious. Unlike how women have rights in the United States, foreign governments life Nigeria's does not strictly enforce fair treatment of men and women. So, even if a girl wanted to go to school, she would be prohibited by her family. And because of the cost of school, most families choose to pay to educate their sons over daughters for these very same reasons. In Nigeria, the government does not have the tax power to create a public school system. Even if school taxes were implemented, the majority of the nation is too far below to poverty line to be able to pay. For instance, if a family was able to afford to send a child to school and chose to send their daughter, the additional cost of books, food, uniforms, and shoes often becomes too much of a financial burden. Many families ultimately end up pulling their daughters from school because of fluctuating incomes and they can no longer afford the school fees for that year. According to the World Inequality database, Nigeria is ranked eleventh for highest percentage of poor females who have never attended school. Among girls aged seven to sixteen, only 51% have never attended school. Nigeria is also ranked 30th for the average number of years of education poor women aged seventeen to twenty-two at four point one years (World Inequality Report). With those daunting statistics and the subpar view of women, education women is not normal by any means in Nigeria. 

As mentioned earlier, the threat of Boko Haram is a valid reason behind why parents wont send their daughters to school in Northern Nigeria. Any attempts for education in Northern Nigerian is met with violent consequences from Boko Haram. In 2014, the group kidnapped 276 girls who attended school in Borno state. Now, in 2016, the majority of these girls are still in captivity and have most likely been sold into the sex industry. With the goal of "regulating girls to the household" (Hatch), Boko Haram encourages "customary practices, and ideologies that function together to systemically privilege boys and men, while disadvantaging girls and women" (Wolfe, 280). Part of this religious and cultural discrimination against girls and women severely restricts their freedom and the opportunities they have in life. The presence of Boko Haram continues to reinforce their anti-women ideals, making it more difficult to establish successful schools in Northern Nigeria. Although there is an abundance of information regarding the benefits and necessity of girls' education, it is crucial to acknowledge the controversial reasons surrounding it in Nigeria. Boko Haram is a terrorist group, but they oppose all forms of Westernization. Rather than suffer the fate of being killed or married off to a Boko Haram fighter, many girls in Boko Haram territories do not attend school for that reason.

With the power of an education, there is "a range of social benefits associated with schooling for girls, including higher wages  ...  use of more productive farming benefits  ...  and increased participation in politics" (Wolfe, 279). According to the Girl Effect, a woman invests almost 90% of her dollar earned back into her family whereas men invest an average of 35%. Because an educated woman is more likely to send her own children to school, she is able to help create a life for her family that helps them escape living in poverty. Besides benefiting her family, a woman who is able to expand her influence to her community as well. Meet Mama Joy, a woman from Lagos, Nigeria who owns her own restaurant and catering company. She "has been able to send six of [her] children to the graduate level in the university" because of her thriving business (Ehidiamen). She also has sixteen employees and so with her business, she is able to help her family, her community, and the economy. With 70% of Nigerians living below the poverty line, Mama Joy has defied the odds and is vocal about her beliefs that women should be more "industrious" and "not depend solely on the men." Her independent spirit is one shared by countless of other young girls who are inspired to make a career of their own just like Mama Joy. With Mama Joy, she is only one example of the type of future a girl can create for herself if she is equipped with the right tools. 

Similar to Boko Haram's traditional ideals for women, the rural villages of Nigeria tend to share the same views because they are so removed from the urbanization of cities. The concept of girls attending school would be revolutionary and scandalous to many because it is so rare. And following the way of the village is often easier than breaking the status quo so girls fall into being child brides and mothers for only their daughters to repeat the same cycle. Since women are not considered equal to men, it is not abnormal for them to not go to school and reside solely in the house. Many families fail to realize that earning an education does not compromise a girl's femininity and her role as a mother and wife. Education only delays the marriage process, a substantial factor in reducing the number of child marriages. And when considering how child marriage is illegal, it is only fair to the girls to give them the basic right to an education. All these factors contribute to why girls do not attend school, but none of them validate the fact that girls are not in school. 

 Once again, if staying in the home as all one has ever known, it is very difficult to imagine a different life. After being treated as property, it is hard for a woman to realize that she has a brain, she is smart, and she can learn. Girls who are not ecstatically wishful about going to school usually cannot conceptualize something they have never encountered or experienced before. Consider it like the Geico commercial, with the cave man living under the rock. He is happy and content under his rock and has no idea of the outside world. Therefore, he does not believe he is missing out on any life experiences or in the case of educating girls, basic rights. Once girls in Nigeria realize that education is a possibility, changing their future becomes tangible. It awakes their thirst for knowledge and the realization that they can be more than they ever dreamed of. So, even though some many argue that girls are benefiting from not attending school because they are being good family members and following tradition and culture, the positive impact of an education trumps all opposition. And the best part is, girls can still maintain tradition by getting married and having kids, but also earning an education. Many parents, according to the Nigerian study in Urubi, view marriage and education as an either or decision whereas it does not have to be. Although girls in Nigeria are still currently struggling to earn the basic right of an education, the awareness about the issue is spreading. Here in the United States, one can take steps to help educate these impoverished girls. Even at the University of South Carolina, an organization called Circle of Sisterhood works to raise money to build schools in rural villages. And on a simpler scale, one can donate money to organizations like One Girl and Unicef, who both support and fund the education of girls in destitute countries. Because education is so crucial to the betterment of the future, countries around the globe should strive to make an impact through education and work to create accessible education opportunities. For the millions of girls everyone, education should be a right, not a privilege. 

