“Our Sisters Too Matter”: Examining The Cultural Practices That Serve As Barriers To Girl-Child Education In Bolni In The Nanumba North District

Abstract The education of the girl-child has suffered many setbacks both in the past and at present. As a result, some girls are denied access while others are forced to drop out of school especially in rural Ghana. This study examined the effects of cultural practices on girl-child education in Bolni, a rural community in the Nanumba North District in Northern Region of Ghana. The study adopted a mix method research design and employed questionnaire in collecting quantitative data while in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and observation were used to gather qualitative data. One hundred and thirty six participants were sampled for the study. The study used descriptive and inferential statistics to determine the relationship between marriage arrangements and girl-child education. The findings show that Exchange, Betrothal and Traditional Boy/Girlfriend Relationship or preferred marriage arrangements all had negative effects on girl-child education. The roles girls played at home, during funerals and festive occasions also overburdened them and affected their attendance rate and performance in school. The study also found out that socio-economic and demographic variables such as poverty, large family sizes and distance to school among other factors posed challenges to girl-child education in Bolni. It is therefore recommended that government should enforce laws enacted against forced and early marriages as well as laws on compulsory basic education to pave way for all children to be in school.