Home Institution

University of Oregon

Publication Date

Fall 2013

Program Name

Cameroon: Social Pluralism and Development

Abstract

This paper is the product of a study on the ultimate impacts that education can have on the lives of Muslim women in the city of Ngaoundéré, Cameroon. Women in the North of Cameroon have been confined within traditional gender roles that have been in place for generations, due to deep ties with culture and religion in the region. This research explores Muslim women’s opinions on the impacts of the modern education system in place in the city. In addition it looks into the impacts that this education can have on different aspects of a woman’s life, including her relations with her husband, her economic impact and independence of work, the advantages and disadvantages she has faced in life, as well as her plans for the future education of her children, particularly her daughters. I conducted this research by surveying fifty women of all different age ranges and varying levels of education. What I found was that regardless of a woman’s level of education, she emphasized its importance and had high hopes for the education of her children. Furthermore, the importance of work and financial independence was stressed by nearly every woman I spoke with. Finally, I found that mentalities are changing in Ngaoundéré. Young marriage for girls is slowly phasing out, and many husbands were in fact the ones encouraging their wives to work and continue their education.

Disciplines

Civic and Community Engagement | Community-Based Research | Education | Educational Sociology | Family, Life Course, and Society | Gender and Sexuality | Inequality and Stratification | Place and Environment | Politics and Social Change

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