August 2, 2005

Poverty behind female illiteracy in Yemen

UPI

SANAA -- Yemeni women are forced into illiteracy and poor education basically due to poverty and early marriage, a study published on Tuesday indicates.

The study conducted by the private "Dali" research center covered 361 families in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.

It said that some 5,800 girls drop out of school in the Sanaa province each year due also to poor education levels, the high cost of education and preferential treatment for boys, whereas education is reserved for males in case of limited family resources.

The study said that 1.2 percent of the girls in the survey left school to work and help their families earn a living, 7 percent because of illness in the family that incurred extra expenses, 15.2 percent married at an early age, 15.1 percent due to problems within their families and 5.2 percent were kept at home to help their mothers in housework.

The study stressed that the illiteracy of mothers plays a great role in discouraging girls to seek an education. It said that the mothers of 91 percent of the surveyed girls have little or no education and never worked outside their homes.