By Kelley Lynch and Heidi Good BENENA, Mali, 18 August 2011 - At
a public meeting in the village of Benena, in Mali’s Segou
Region, a gathering of women collectively shot their hands up in
the air when asked why girls’ education in their community had
been neglected in the past. Florence Koné, wearing a dress made
of colorful fabric to commemorate International Women’s Day,
stood up with a rush of enthusiasm. “You want to know why
previously we didn’t educate our girls?” she exclaimed. “I’ll
tell you. We were afraid they might get in trouble - maybe they
would get pregnant, maybe they would leave school.” |VIDEO:
UNICEF correspondent Bob Coen reports on the benefits of child-
friendly schools for girls in Mali. Watch in RealPlayer| As soon
as she sat down, Tangara Hawa Dembelé posited an alternative
answer to the question. “It’s because they were useful at home,”
she said. “Having them there allowed a mother to have a little
rest.” A greater understanding When UNICEF and its partners
started working in the vil