Teaching Girls to Negotiate: A Crucial Skill for Survival and Success

In patriarchal societies, women often find themselves at the receiving end of economic power dynamics. New research from Zambia suggests that this power imbalance can be bridged by teaching young girls the art of negotiation. A decade-long study has shown that providing 12- to 13-year-old girls with 12 hours of negotiation classes over three weeks has a lasting impact on their economic prospects.

The results are impressive: participants stayed in school longer, were more likely to graduate from college, and less likely to marry older men. This is a significant departure from the “empowerment” programs that often focus on abstract ideals rather than practical skills. The approach taken by Prof Corinne Low and her colleagues emphasizes understanding the other person’s perspective and tackling problems together.

This approach is far removed from traditional adversarial negotiation tactics taught in business schools. It resonates with trade union negotiators like Louise Haigh and Angela Rayner, who have used similar tactics to negotiate better outcomes for workers. One of the most intriguing aspects of this program is its acknowledgment of existing hierarchies.

Rather than ignoring or challenging these power structures, the curriculum teaches girls how to navigate them by showing respect and understanding the perspectives of others. This might seem counterintuitive, given the ultimate goal of female empowerment. However, as Low points out, “The reality is that these girls do not have the power in their household and we can’t pretend that they do.”

The program’s success has led to its incorporation into the Zambian curriculum and replication in several other countries. Most recently, an adapted version of the material has been used in online classes reaching over 1,200 girls in Afghanistan. Despite the bleak economic and political context, the program is helping young women manage their mental health and achieve small freedoms.

This raises a crucial question: what does this mean for our understanding of female empowerment? Is it enough to simply teach girls how to negotiate their way through existing power structures, or should we be working towards a more fundamental transformation of these systems?

Giving girls the skills to navigate patriarchal societies is essential. However, acknowledging that these systems are deeply ingrained and will not change overnight is also crucial. The work of Prof Low and her colleagues offers a valuable lesson: even in the face of overwhelming adversity, small victories can be achieved through negotiation and respect.

As we strive for a future where the patriarchy is dismantled, we must recognize the importance of incremental progress. By teaching girls to negotiate their way through existing power structures, we may not be dismantling these systems entirely but creating opportunities for individual women to survive and succeed in them.

This approach has been successfully adapted by Free to Run in Afghanistan, demonstrating its potential for scaling up. However, it also highlights the need for further support and investment in programs that provide girls with practical skills and resources.

Teaching girls to negotiate is not just a pragmatic solution but a crucial skill for survival and success in patriarchal societies. While we must continue working towards fundamental change, we cannot ignore the importance of incremental progress. By acknowledging the value of negotiation as a tool for empowerment, we may be surprised by the impact that small victories can have on individual women – and on our collective understanding of what it means to create a more just world.