Published by participants in the  Certificate in Journalism program

of the African Virtual University-Indiana University of Pennsylvania Partnership.

The African Star

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Early marriage is hindering girl’s education in Somaliland

While the number of parents sending their daughters to school has increased  since 1980 only

one percent of the girls  complete university education.

 A teacher at Farah Omar Secondary School, Yasin Mohammed, said the number of girls

enrolled at first grade is as high as the boys. But the number of  girls 

decreases as they approach the upper primary school. 

The teacher said  that many girls are married at an early age.

But, Fatuma Mohamed an education officer in Hargeisa says it is not only marriage which 

causes high dropout rates among the girls. 

Fatuma said economic problems is another factor 

that causes girls dropout  from school. She said poor families who cannot pay school 

fees will only send boys to school.

The education officer said single mothers would send their boys to school, and leave 

the daughters behind to do household works.

Asha Omar, who dropped out from school several years ago said that she left school at grade 

seven to help her mother with household duties.

Asha says she is not happy to have terminated but circumstance forced her. “Look my 

mother is ill and there is no one to cook for me and my two younger brothers there was no

alternatives” said Asha.

Our community has a bad notion about educating girls. Many would argue that there was 

no need to incur a lot of expenses on girl education since obviously she will get married and 

start cooking for the man who marries her.

According to Unicef 2003-2004 reports only girls say early marriage, economic

problems and the community misunderstanding of  the importance of girls’ education are the 

reasons for the  dropout rate among  girls.