The number of Yemeni girls whose parents keep them out of school remains scandalously high. Many are unable to complete – or even begin their studies – due to family poverty, which forces families to prevent them from attending school. But it is also due to the influence of tradition, which, in many families, dictates that girls do not deserve an education because they are inherently incapable of learning, whereas it is considered essential for boys.The situation is at its most severe in Yemen’s rural areas. Some 24 percent of girls in villages are educated, while 69 percent of their male counterparts are educated, according to the Arab Human Development Report for the year 2005-2006. In urban areas, 59 percent of girls are educated, versus 84 percent of boys.
Source: Yemeni Observer (Yemen), November 6, 2007
