Issa Togola | March 14, 2024
News Brief
In Badialan 1, a popular district in Bamako, Mali, Jeff Kadiatou Tabouré leads the girls’ education initiative for the School Management Committee at a local school. And she has seen great results, as more girls spend more time in school, than on housework. This is a district where families’ modest incomes prevent hiring additional help for housework. Consequently, daughters often find themselves assisting their mothers at home. This means that girls have less time to spend on schoolwork. Mrs. Tabouré has organized meetings with parents, school authorities, and others to encourage them to reduce girls’ household duties so that they have time to study. Using volunteer teachers, a local school has offered evening classes for girls, and more girls are participating
This story was originally published in August 2021.
Early in the evening on a Thursday in July 2021, in Badialan 1, a popular district in Bamako, the capital of Mali, the clouds overhead are threatening to rain. Standing in front of a group of parents and teachers, Jeff Kadiatou Tabouré explains the importance of girls’ success for families and for the country. Mrs. Tabouré is the head of girls’ education for the School Management Committee at a local school called Amadou Ly.
In this district, women’s modest incomes do not allow them to hire people to assist with housework, so daughters help their mothers. This means that girls have less time to spend learning and doing schoolwork. This negatively affects their school performance, sometimes causing expulsion.
In 2021, Mrs. Tabouré was organizing meetings with parents, school authorities, and other stakeholders to encourage them to get involved with their daughters’ academic efforts. For her, this means reducing girls’ household duties so that they have time to study. She told Barza Wire, “Today, I help my community because I was able to continue my studies.”
Mrs. Tabouré is an example of the kind of success that educated women can enjoy in her community. She uses her own story to raise awareness about how girls have more time for their studies when they don’t need to devote as much time to household duties.
Djénèbou Dembélé’s daughters were students at Amadou Ly School in 2021. Ms. Dembélé says she has been involved in her daughters’ education. She explained to Barza Wire: “I didn’t give my daughter chores when she had to go to school. She only helped me during the weekend. I would also have liked her to take private lessons, but unfortunately I didn’t have enough money.”
Ms. Dembélé had the chance to go to school. But she could not continue her education because of an early marriage, and wanted her daughter to have a different fate. Thanks to her commitment, her daughters were succeeding in school. She said they were always in the top five of their class.
Alimatou Traoré, one of Ms. Dembélé’s daughters and in grade nine in 2021, said, “My mother encourages us a lot in our studies. When we are at home, she asks us to learn all the time.”
Local teachers also committed to easing girls’ household duties. Seydou Diarra, the director of Amadou Ly School in Badialan 1, and his colleagues organized at least one meeting a month with parents and traditional and religious leaders to encourage them to support girls’ education.
Mr. Diarra explained: “We make parents aware of the need to reduce the burden on girls so that they have time to devote to their studies. This is important for their academic success. In addition, the school, with volunteer teachers, organizes evening classes for girls at least four times a week.” These classes improved the girls’ education and reduce the time they spend on housework.”
Despite these efforts, there were many challenges in the fight to reduce girls’ domestic duties. Kadidiatou Coulibaly, a homemaker in Badialan 1 who lives with her husband and two daughters, who were both in school,said, “We don’t have enough money. My daughters sell my wares. They also help me with other activities. I am aware that this affects their studies. But I don’t have anyone else to help me.”
As for Mrs. Tabouré, she encouraged other mothers to support their daughters’ education. She said, “When girls fail, the whole community has failed, because it is our duty to ensure a better future for them.”
This resource is undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada as part of the DEFI project implemented by the consortium of Alinea, Farm Radio International (FRI), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and Education International (EI), in partnership with the Ministry of Education in conflict-affected areas in Mali.