Educating a female-child in Namibia: A threat or a developmental step forward

Abstract

There is a concern over the high level of education among women that could potentially endanger a country’s economy, lower fertility rates and disadvantage men. This phenomenon was coined as “pink education” by a Hungarian report and assumed that an increase in female graduates could make women less likely to marry and have children and disadvantage men. In Namibia, commentators constantly claim that boys are in danger as they are lagging behind their female counterparts. This study aimed to discuss the educational achievements of a girl-child in Namibia, despite deeply rooted patriarchal attitudes and societal norms presenting significant barriers for women. By applying a descriptive analytical approach, findings from this study showed a steadily higher female enrollment rates at both primary and higher education levels in Namibia between 2022 and 2025. Similarly, the number of female graduates was higher (61%) compared to their males counterparts. Thus, these findings should not be seen as an advantage for females in education but rather taken as a key highlight for the need for sustained inputs to create boy/male-friendly environments to boost their enrollment and performance in schools and educate communities to understand the value of girls’ education versus societal expectations.