Challenging Gender Roles

     After school every day I tutor four students who want to get better in English. I give them workbooks and about an extra hour of homework every day. We meet after school to go over their assignments and I teach them the material for the next assignment.  I am currently tutoring four students, but two really stand out.  A boy named Othman in Form 2 and a girl named Glory in Form 4. Both are advanced and the top students in their class.  When I got to my site, I realized that they were often bored in class because they understood things long before their peers.  So I started tutoring them to give them a more challenging and interactive learning experience.  They are also the leaders of English Club, an after school club I started for students who wanted to practice English in a fun, informal setting.  I am just the faculty supervisor, but the students lead the group, plan meetings/ activities, etc.  Needless to say, Glory and Osman are the students I spend the most time and they have even come to my house for dinner on occasion.

     On Wednesday, Osman told me that he had a surprise for me and Glory.  He wanted to cook dinner for us!  After school he went to the village market and bought rice and vegetables, then he came to my house and cooked.  We had a delicious meal of rice with spinach and vegetables.  He prepared our plates, served us, then cleaned up my kitchen and mopped my floors. I was in shock the whole evening!  I had to take photos just to convince myself this actually happened. Gender roles are deeply rooted in this society.  Men do not cook or clean if there is a woman present and they certainly do not serve food to the women.  The fact that Osman was serving us was also surprising because he is Muslim, and I have found that Muslim men are the most traditional.  My Headmaster once told me that if I had male and female students over to my house, the girls should clean and serve the boys their meal first.  So I am guessing that this would not make him very happy.  However, I love that I am teaching my male students to respect women and help around the house at an early age.  Osman promised that when he was married, he would help his wife with cooking and cleaning.  And Glory said that she expected her husband to help with household chores.  Its refreshing to feel like I am having a positive influence on these students.

Osman cooking dinner.  He wouldn't let us help him at all.

Mopping my floors

Our dinner

Me and Glory

Osman and Glory