Noluthando Honono

Canadian Jesuits International (CJI) has invited Noluthando Honono to be the main speaker for its campaign this fall, which will focus on girls’ education in the Global South.

A postgraduate law student in South Africa, Honono has been actively involved in campaigns in her country and in the African continent to ensure that girls and women are not denied their right to education. Honono has participated in the Bakhita Partnership of Education launched by the Jesuit Justice and Ecology Network-Africa, and the student-led Right to Education campaign in South Africa.  

CJI asked Honono some questions about the importance of girls’ education. Here are her reflections: 

 

 

Why is girls’ education important?   

 

Girls' education is important in creating a well-rounded society. Girls need to have access to skillsets that are built within formal schools so that they can develop themselves and contribute to society. The independence of young women relies on them being able to use these skillsets to secure their own economic freedom. This spares them from abuse in the name of being provided for. It is extremely important that they can provide for themselves and nurture generations that are just as self-sufficient. When young women can take care of themselves, they are less likely to be subject to forced marriages, female genital mutilation, sexual assaults, and advances in exchange for financial favours 

Beyond that, girls’ education will help build communities that embrace the innovations of young women. 

  

 
From your experience, how does girls’ education affect their agency in the world?   

 
Being the oldest sibling has given me a significant amount of responsibility. Being equipped with education and being someone who used learned skillsets to develop myself has allowed me to meet those responsibilities in assisting my siblings in their own education.  

Education allowed me to assist other young people in gaining access to institutions of higher learning. While I was in undergrad, I participated in the Right to Learn Campaign, which helped applicants get into universities. 
Education gives young girls a voice that allows them to push those in positions of power to listen. It also allows them greater access to opportunities, economic and otherwise. It is, ultimately, the greatest key to agency. 
Education is important, but opportunity is just as important. Employment and other change-making opportunities must be made available to young women. These opportunities must amplify their voices and assist them in creating policies that speak to the challenges of young women. 

 

What are the most common barriers to girls’ education? 
Financial barriers and, probably most true for African nations, parents who never had access to education and therefore don't understand the value of education. South Africa has recurrent protests from university students who can’t afford the prohibitive cost of education. In many parts of the continent, girls are forced into early marriage instead of being educated. 

South Africa has made some strides in providing some access to opportunities for higher education. These include the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) which, for a category of students, is converted from a loan to a bursary. However, a significant portion of young people don't gain that access because they don’t qualify under the set criteria even though affordability is the biggest issue for them.  

 
 
What would it take to overcome these obstacles? What role can civil society play to help address these barriers?   

  

In terms of financial barriers, I believe civil society and governments need to band together to ensure quality education for all. There must be a policy and funding response to a lack of access due to money. There needs to be a concentrated effort at helping change cultures that make it hard for girls to get an education. 

 
What gives you hope that these barriers can be overcome? 
 

The campaigns and focus that have been put on education offer hope that all these initiatives will come to fruition and have a great impact on all people. Some of these include #FeesMustFall, a student-led protest movement in South Africa to stop fee increases and to change the function of the NSFAS to accommodate more students. There are also governments that actively push to have learners in school at primary and secondary levels, and NGOs that work in rural areas to provide education for the most underprivileged. 

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