DUSHANBE, September 11, 2008, Asia-Plus — Tajik Journalists’ Union has hosted a seminar to discuss ways to promote girls’ education in Tajikistan.
The event, staged by Tajik Journalists’ Union in cooperation with the UNICEF CO Tajikistan, has brought together representatives of media and high school students.
According to Ms. Mira Mitra, a Child Development Project Officer from UNICEF Bangladesh, one the most important problems facing education sector in Tajikistan is girls’ enrollment in secondary school. “Of Tajik girls who enter the fist grade, only 75 percent finish the 11th grade, while as far as boys are concerned, 90 percent of those who enter the first grade finish high school,” Ms. Mitra said, noting that this problem is typical for regions of Asia and Africa.
According to her, the problem is that both in Tajikistan and in Bangladesh, it is considered inexpedient to invest in girls’ education. There is a stereotyped view that such investments are unproductive because girls marry and leave for other family. It is necessary to break such mistaken stereotypes, Ms. Mitra said.
“Today’s meeting is the first one and we have invited schools students itself and representatives of media, the second seminar will be conducted with participation of parents in rural areas,” she said.
