Primary School Is Not Enough: Proposal for Safe and Affordable Secondary School for Girls in Malawi

Xanthe Scharffa

Abstract:

Girls in Malawi face innumerable challenges to their education and are far less likely to graduate from
secondary school than boys. Research shows that secondary education benefits girls, their future families, and their communities immeasurably. Still, there is no program in Malawi that makes secondary school affordable for disadvantaged girls. Having achieved near 100 percent primary school enrollment for all children, Malawi needs a campaign to promote secondary education for girls in order to capitalize on past progress, help girls break out of poverty, and promote a healthier and more productive nation.

About the Author:

Xanthe Scharff is the founder and executive director of the Advancement of Girls’ Education (AGE)
Scholarship Fund, which empowers girls to continue their education through scholarships for secondary
education. Ms. Scharff is a Ph.D. candidate at the Fletcher School, where she focuses on education policy
reform in post-conflict states. Prior to founding AGE, Ms. Scharff worked with CARE Malawi, the United
Nations Mission in Sudan, and the World Bank in Washington, D.C., and Peru. Ms. Scharff extends her
sincere gratitude to civil society and other stakeholders in Malawi who provided key input to this article,
especially Zikani Kaunga of the Creative Centre for Community Mobilisation.

Link to Full Article:

Primary_School_Is_Not_Enough-_Proposal_for_Safe_and_Affordable_Secondary_School_for_Girls_in_Malawi.pdf