New evidence from a research project in Zambia indicates that teaching young women negotiation skills can have a lasting impact on their economic future. Data gathered over more than a decade by a team of female US academics suggests that these skills can be learned.
Groups of 12- and 13-year-old girls participated in 12 hours of negotiation classes over three weeks. Follow-up analysis shows that these girls continued to experience economic benefits more than 10 years later.
Compared to a control group, girls who took the negotiation lessons tended to stay in school longer, were more likely to graduate from college, and were less likely to marry a much older man. The curriculum emphasised understanding another person's interests and problems rather than viewing them as an adversary.
Professor Corinne Low of the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, involved in the project from its start, noted that initial focus groups revealed girls were keen to attend secondary school but struggled to convince relatives to pay fees. Parents of the girls who received training later reported improved relationships, with girls being more respectful and understanding.
The approach has since been integrated into the Zambian curriculum and replicated in other nations. An adapted version is currently being used by the NGO Free to Run in online classes for approximately 1,200 girls in Afghanistan, where it is helping them manage mental health and achieve small freedoms within their households.