We believe that the role of women is foundational to families and the community. Investing in a young woman’s education will not only have a significant impact on her life, but will influence the larger society.
Why is this so?
On an individual level, the impact of an education is clear. According to the World Bank, an additional year of secondary school will increase a young woman’s eventual wages by 15 to 25 percent. More schooling means greater potential for a successful career.
On a community level, there is similar consensus about the importance of education. Women typically invest the vast majority of their income into their families, which means that more education now helps shape the health and well-being of families to come. In other words, there is a direct relationship between the women of today and the generations of tomorrow.
In spite of these communal benefits, young women face remarkable challenges in progressing past primary school. According to Maryam Yussuf, Commissioner of Education in Zanzibar and a supporter of S4Si, there is a dramatic decrease in female student enrollment between primary and secondary school. This is due to a mix of increased household duties, early marriage, and a family’s poverty level. At the university level the numbers are even more skewed. There is a crisis in women’s access to education.
On a more personal level, we at S4Si recognize that as college students we enjoy the privilege of an education. Therefore, we want to provide this same opportunity to other students who deserve to stay in school. The S4Si Scholars are our peers, and like us they dream of being doctors, engineers, and teachers. This organization is our effort to share the chance for an education.
A woman in the developing world will reinvest 90% of her earnings into her family’s well-being, compared with 35% for a man.