Nurture not nature? How young women can learn to better wield economic power
A research project in Zambia demonstrates that teaching young women negotiation skills can significantly improve their long-term economic prospects, leading to higher education and better life choices.
Intelligence analysis by Gemini 2.5 Flash
New evidence from a decade-long study in Zambia reveals that a short course in negotiation skills for adolescent girls has profound, lasting economic benefits. By learning to understand others' perspectives and respectfully advocate for their needs, these young women are more likely to stay in school, graduate college, and avoid early marriages to older men.
Imagine you really want to go to a fun club after school, but your parents say no. This story is about how some girls in Zambia learned special ways to talk to their parents, not by yelling, but by understanding what their parents worry about and showing respect. It's like learning how to trade your chores for extra playtime, but for bigger things like staying in school. Because they learned these talking skills, they ended up going to college more often and had more choices in their lives, like a superpower for talking!
Analysis
Zambia Project
The research project initiated in Zambia over a decade ago offers compelling evidence that economic empowerment for young women can be nurtured through specific skill development. Initially, the Zambian government sought to understand barriers to girls' secondary school attendance. Focus groups revealed that girls were eager to learn but struggled to convince parents to cover fees, often due to parental perceptions that sons would provide more reliable future support. This insight underscored a fundamental misunderstanding in family relationships, prompting the development of a negotiation curriculum.
The curriculum, delivered by local young women, focused on teaching 12- and 13-year-old girls to approach negotiations not as adversarial contests but as collaborative problem-solving exercises. A core tenet was understanding the other party's interests and problems, fostering a more empathetic and effective communication style. This approach, while seemingly counterintuitive in its emphasis on respecting existing hierarchies, proved instrumental in improving family dynamics and securing parental support for girls' education.
Prof Corinne Low
Prof Corinne Low, an economics professor at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, has been a central figure in this groundbreaking project since its inception. Her expertise helped shape the curriculum, which adapted negotiation principles typically taught to MBA students for a very different cultural context. Low emphasizes that the most crucial insight imparted was shifting the perception of a negotiating partner from an "enemy" to someone whose perspective needs to be understood to tackle problems together. This collaborative mindset was key to the girls' success.
A striking aspect of the curriculum, as highlighted by Low, was its pragmatic acknowledgment of generational hierarchies prevalent in Zambian society. Rather than advocating for outright defiance, the program taught girls how to demonstrate respect—such as kneeling or wearing traditional attire—while making their requests. This nuanced approach, which Low humorously notes might seem ironic for an empowerment program, was vital for improving parent-daughter relationships, with parents reporting increased respect and understanding from their daughters.
Free to Run
The success of the Zambian model has led to its replication and adaptation in various other countries, most notably through the NGO Free to Run. This organization has implemented an adapted version of the curriculum in online classes for approximately 1,200 girls in Afghanistan, where opportunities for women have been severely restricted by the Taliban regime. While the immediate prospects for economic advancement are limited in such a grim context, the negotiation skills are proving invaluable for managing mental health and achieving small, everyday freedoms.
Sana Mahmud, Free to Run's global programmes manager, notes that these skills empower young women to negotiate within their households for minor permissions, like visiting a friend. Crucially, the training also equips them to safely navigate interactions with Taliban members when stopped in public, enabling them to articulate their reasons for being out. This demonstrates the profound adaptability and resilience of these negotiation techniques, offering a vital tool for agency and safety even in the most oppressive environments.
Key points
- A decade-long research project in Zambia showed that 12 hours of negotiation classes significantly improved young girls' long-term economic prospects.
- Girls who took the classes were more likely to stay in school, graduate college, and avoid marrying much older men compared to a control group.
- The curriculum emphasized understanding the other party's perspective and collaborative problem-solving, rather than adversarial negotiation.
- It also taught girls to respect existing generational hierarchies, using culturally appropriate methods to show deference while making requests.
- The approach has been incorporated into Zambia's curriculum and adapted by NGOs like Free to Run for girls in Afghanistan, helping them manage mental health and achieve small freedoms.
The successful replication of this negotiation curriculum in various contexts, including challenging environments like Afghanistan, suggests its potential for widespread impact. If these programs continue to expand, they could significantly empower young women globally, leading to improved educational attainment, greater economic independence, and stronger family relationships, ultimately fostering more equitable and prosperous societies.
Despite the proven benefits, the article acknowledges that existing societal hierarchies and patriarchal structures, particularly in regions like Afghanistan, can severely limit the extent of economic advancement achievable through negotiation alone. While the skills offer personal agency and small freedoms, systemic barriers may prevent full economic empowerment, highlighting the need for broader societal and policy changes alongside individual skill development.
