I am reading Women as Learners by Hayes and Flannery as part of a research paper that I am working on. The significance of gender in adult learning and the stories of the women who could not finish high school when they fell pregnant and then had to go back to school after they had had their children and working part-time. What a challenge!

Men have it easy.  I know there will be a lot of debate but this is the reality in Samoa. There is so much pressure on women to perform well in all areas of life. Education, child rearing, domestic duties, church, and community members as well as having a career. Culturally and socially, are we supporting women? Are we doing the work that needs to be done for women to succeed?

This can look different for everyone. It starts in the home. Today, as an adult student in higher education, do we have support for mothers and grandmothers in adult learning? Do you know how hard it is for an adult woman to go back to university after years of being a stay-at-home mama, giving herself to everyone, especially her family? While men easily advance in their careers, women face many challenges when trying to do the same. Even then we are still expected to do everything else, preparing children for school, balancing home and work life as well as trying to learn.

The story of Marilyn in the book resonates with many of us. Her story is one of hardship and struggle. A black woman born in the 1940s whose passage was marked by her pregnancy and marriage at the age of seventeen. The focus of her learning shifted dramatically, from being in high school to learning to be a wife and mother. Her story captures the fear and helplessness she felt in the face of what happened to be an immense learning task.

After she overcame her fear of going back to school, she enrolled in college (university) to study English and writing. Later on, she was forced to quit school again when her husband began to see her education as a threat. She began to read the bible and got involved in door-to-door ministry.  She learned about international ministries and helping people. When her husband again became threatened by her activities, she divorced him and now had three children to support.

The story continues with snippets of Marilyn’s life as an adult learner and the hardships she faced as a black woman in a white world. She experienced blocks in school, workplaces, and even in church. So as education providers, teachers, husbands, and children, how are we helping women in their further pursuit of education? Are we offering to look after children, help with daily chores, and sacrifice social time to help? What does this look like? Sharing responsibilities should be the norm today.  Enjoy the rest of your week Samoa.

Enid Westerlund is a regular columnist for this newspaper. She is an aviation specialist, business consultant, author and loves teaching children to read on the weekend.