Teaching Negotiation Skills to Young Women in Zambia and Afghanistan

In many societies that favor men, women have long had to use the small amount of money and influence they possess with great care. A research project in Zambia shows that this skill can be taught. For more than ten years, a team of female scholars from the United States has collected data that suggests teaching young women how to negotiate can change their future.

The project began when Professor Corinne Low, who teaches economics at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, met with Zambian teachers and parents. They wanted to know why many girls did not go to secondary school. Low and her colleague Nava Ashraf held focus groups with girls and families in several villages. The girls said they wanted to study, but they could not convince their parents to pay the fees. The parents said they trusted their sons to support the family, but they feared their daughters would get into trouble with boys.

Low and Ashraf decided that the girls could learn the same negotiation skills that MBA students use in the United States. They designed a curriculum that would help the girls talk to their parents and other adults. The curriculum was written by local young women who had finished school and who had helped create the lessons. It was tailored to fit the local culture and language.

The program was given to groups of 12‑ and 13‑year‑old girls. The girls received 12 hours of negotiation training over three weeks. The training was delivered by the local young women who had written the lessons. It was not a single lecture; it was a series of two‑hour sessions that taught the girls how to listen to the other person’s point of view and how to find solutions that worked for both sides.

The training also taught the girls to respect the hierarchy that exists in many Zambian families. The girls were told that if they wanted to ask their parents for money, they should show respect. They could kneel, address their parents formally, or wear a traditional wrapper called a chitenge. The teachers laughed when they heard the idea of teaching girls to kneel, but they also understood that the girls had no power in their homes. The goal was to give them tools that would help them succeed in the real world. The girls learned that showing respect could open doors. They practiced saying thank you, using polite titles, and listening before speaking.

The negotiation lessons taught the girls to ask questions, to listen, to find common ground, and to use respectful language. They practiced role‑play with classmates. Professor Low said, “When a girl learns to see the other side’s concerns, she can find a solution that works for both.”

To see if the negotiation training made a difference, the researchers also gave a control group of girls “empowerment” classes. These classes were taught by the same coaches, but they did not include the negotiation lessons. The researchers followed both groups for many years.

The results were clear. The girls who had the negotiation training stayed in school longer. They were more likely to finish college. They were also less likely to marry a man who was much older than them. The parents of the girls in the negotiation group reported that their daughters were more respectful, did more chores, and were more understanding. The parents said that the girls had improved relationships with them.

The researchers plan to do a 15‑year follow‑up with the original cohort, who are now in their 20s. The negotiation curriculum has also been added to the Zambian school system. It has been used in other countries as well. The curriculum also includes lessons on budgeting and saving.

The NGO Free to Run has taken the same curriculum and adapted it for online classes. About 1,200 girls in Afghanistan have taken the classes. The girls live in a country where the Taliban limits their opportunities. Sana Mahmud, the charity’s global programmes manager, says the curriculum helps the girls manage their mental health and gain small freedoms. The girls learn how to negotiate with their parents for small things, like permission to visit a friend. Some girls have even gone to the market or done errands. When Taliban members stop them, the girls can use the negotiation skills to explain why they are there. Mahmud says the feedback from the girls has been amazing.

The online classes used video lessons, quizzes, and discussion forums. The girls could practice negotiation with peers in a safe space. Sana Mahmud said, “The girls feel more confident when they can talk to their parents about small requests.”

The research shows that teaching negotiation skills can help girls in difficult situations. The wider economic and political system still matters a lot. The situation in Afghanistan is still bleak. But giving girls skills that help them protect themselves and pursue their goals is a wise investment for the future. The goal is to break the patriarchy and give girls the power to shape their own lives.

The study also shows that parents change when they see their daughters succeed. A mother in Zambia said, “I used to think my daughter would not finish school, but now she is studying at university.”

The study in Zambia shows that teaching young women how to negotiate can have a long‑term impact on their lives. The same skills have helped girls in Afghanistan find small freedoms. The research suggests that empowering girls with practical skills is an important step toward a more equal world.