What does it mean to be a girl? Through the eyes of a Tanzanian teenager

Now, my posts are usually updates about events I've done, but this post is a little different. This post is about gender equality in Tanzania through the eyes of those who it effects most... teenage, educated Tanzanian girls.

I asked my students to write an essay last week, like I do every week.

I thought about this prompt out of the blue and thought it would be good for my students to really think about. The prompt was:

“What is means to be a girl in Tanzania.”

 I then rephrased it to ensure understanding:

“Because I am a girl, I must do/be…”

“Because I am a girl, I cannot do/be…”

As I began reading, some of their answers were so powerful, that I decided to jot them down and let the world know what they think.

Some  answers were heartbreaking…

“I know I cannot do complex work because I am a girl” – Milka Minyekile, age 16

“I know I cannot play after school because I am a girl”- Milka Minyekile, age 16

“I cannot choose the subject I want to study, because people are thinking that girls cannot study science subjects” – Antumie Makoga, age 15

“Because I am a girl, I know I cannot have time to rest. I have a time of doing work.” – Valieth Wemah, age 16

“I know I must struggle in order to accomplish my goals.” – Valieth Wemah, age 16

“I must be obedient” – Valieth Wemah, age 16

“Because I am a girl, I cannot marry. But a boy can marry me.”- Melina Mlowe, age 17

But some girls had a different outlook…

“ I know I must study hard, because in our society, the number of girls who are educated is low. Because I am a girl, I must study hard in order to reduce the number of uneducated women.”- Milka Kinyekile, age 16

“In order to help a girl in her life, the government must be supportive in how she can get her basic human rights.”- Milka Kinyekile, age 16

“I know I must study hard. When girls study hard, it helps society and goes against the local/tribal belief that a girl is special for marriage and cannot study.”- Antumie Makoga, age 15

“I know I must go against our traditional beleifs. A girl must do this because in society, a girl does not have a chance to make decisions because our society believes that girls have no good ideas.” - Antumie Makoga, age 15

“To be a girl is to attend well in academic issues, so as to stimulate other girls to do so in order to get first priority in political, social and business matters.”- Vicky Malekela, age 16

“To be a girl means that you must stand on various matters that you believe are good.” - Vicky Malekela, age 16

“Because I am a girl, I know I must be confident.”- Lidia Sniga, age 16

Living in a culture for the past year where women are treated far from equally has been very challenging, but after reading the latter of the comments, it is now clear that Tanzanian women of the upcoming generations realize what they deserve and how they should be treated. I hope they never lose their fighting spirit, because they definitely inspired me.