Abstract
Africa is grappling with poverty and unemployment. Virtually every sector of the economy is underdeveloped. African females can significantly contribute to the improvement of socioeconomic conditions in Africa considering their active traditional and historical roles in development. However, most females are not entering the formal sector of the economy and indeed the professions because of lack of or inadequate education. Many do not go to school and most do not go beyond elementary education. A significant number of girls drop out of school due to unplanned or unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDs. This paper proposes reinvigoration of virginity rituals as a strategy for enhancing girls’ participation in education and formal wage sector employment. The paper argues that revitalized virginity rituals will serve as a sociocultural incentive for girls to stay longer in school, qualify for participation in formal wage labor force and contribute more meaningfully to national development. Revitalized virginity rituals will result in a healthier African society in that it will significantly reduce sex-related vices including unplanned and unwanted teen pregnancies, complications associated with abortion and childbirth to under-aged adolescents, STIs and HIV/AIDS. The study is informed by a review of extant literature and data on women and development, women and reproductive health, women and education, and virginity rituals in Africa. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n1s1p155
Highlights
Contemporary African societies grapple with numerous development challenges
On most socioeconomic development indicators including poverty level, formal sector employment, health, and education, Africa lags behind other continents (Population Reference Bureau (PRB) 2015 World Population Data Sheet, 2015; United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, African Union, African Development Bank Group & UNDP MDG Report, 2014)
African women have traditionally contributed to the development of African societies as resource managers, community servers, reproducers of human capital and producers of goods and services in the informal sector (Boserup, 1970; Chinery-Hesse et al, 1989; Vickers, 1991, Nnazor, 1998, 1999)
Summary
On most socioeconomic development indicators including poverty level, formal sector employment, health, and education, Africa lags behind other continents (Population Reference Bureau (PRB) 2015 World Population Data Sheet, 2015; United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, African Union, African Development Bank Group & UNDP MDG Report, 2014). The significant contributions of African females to national development, especially in the informal sector are well documented (Boserup, 1970; ChineryHesse et al, 1989; Nnazor, 1998, 1999; Vickers, 1991; United Nations Economic Commission for Africa et al, MDG Report, 2014). In the contemporary knowledge- and technologically-based economy, females in Africa are not sufficiently prepared through education and training to contribute to national development. The reality is that most women and girls in Africa are not entering the formal sector of the economy and the professions because of lack of or inadequate education. Several key factors keep many girls out of school or make it difficult for them to complete college, this paper will focus on sex- and reproductive health-related factors that limit their participation in education
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