Even with so many generational changes, women are still undervalued. They continue to work more, earn less, and are underrepresented in leadership positions. They have a very in-distinctive position in our economy and are yet an indispensable part of the society. Yes, education and knowledge empower women. The only way a society or nation can move forward, and aspire to economic growth and development is not just through education but especially education among their women citizens.
Legal restrictions have prevented around 2.7 billion women from exercising the same employment choices as men. Despite the progress, no country can claim to have achieved gender equality, particularly in the education system. Training needs to be provided to girls to have them participating in national development. This type of training can only be provided if the wide gap that exists in their participation in scientific and technological training when compared to men is reduced.
We’ve witnessed a tremendous improvement of women’s condition throughout the world in recent times. If I take India for example, considering its a developing country, it has huge brawls among its political, religious and administrative organs which ultimately results into a blocked development and, with no surprises here, the worst effect is always seen on women’s condition. The access to education has been one of the most pressing demands of women’s rights. Government has done its best to ensure that women’s literacy rate keeps growing.
What the RTE failed to acknowledge, and therefore address, and the most pressing reason as to why girls have been unable to go to school in India is housework. Around 40% of 15 to 18 year old girls were out of school and among them almost 65% were engaged in household work. Underprivileged girls are shouldering the burden of care and housework when their mothers step out to work to substantiate the family income. Girls are now more aware of what they want to wear or what they want to do with their lives but this burden of housework is what stops them from staying in school and working for their dreams. According to a report from 2018, household work accounts for 85% of the time women in India spend on unpaid care work.
Currently, Indian women contribute only 18% to the country’s GDP- one of the lowest in the world- and only 25% of India’s labor force is women. India could add a whopping 770 billion dollars to the country’s GDP by 2025 by encouraging girls to study and participate in the workforce.
The challenge here is, we saw this one coming, changing social mindsets. Housework should be shared between all the genders and yet however open-eyed, informed or advanced we believe we are, in most of our houses, housework is done by the women in the family. Daughters and mothers spend their time in kitchen cooking or cleaning whereas sons and fathers waste their time lazing around. This is regardless of how educated these women are. Availability of free and affordable alternate caregivers for working women and modernizing the education system all over the country is a desperate requirement.
However, by measures like - making education compulsory and free to a girl child till the age of fourteen and some reservation in public sector exams, the literacy rate has been higher than that of male literacy rate. In 1971 only 22% of Indian women were literate, by the end of 2001 54.16% female were literate. The growth of female literacy rate is 14.87% as compared to 11.72 % of that of male literacy rate and is on a growing path.
Children living in poverty face many barriers to education, but the stakes are especially high for girls. Globally, there are 130 million girls who are not currently enrolled in school. According to the world bank, poverty is the most important factor in deciding a girl’s future. Poverty decides whether or nor a girl can access education which will result in the less likeliness for them to experience domestic violence at home and will also decide their level of psychological well-being. Household chores are the reason behind their lack of interest in not only India but globally. Forced domestic work creates a lower self-esteem in girls. Globally girls spend 40%more time performing unpaid chores (cooking, cleaning, and collecting water and firewood) than boys. Another reason behind skipping classes is menstruation and the cultural shame attached to it. In some parts of Nepal, menstruating women are seen as impure by the community and are baished to their huts during their cycle. And finally there are conflict and crisis-affected areas where girls and women encounter more obstacles to attend school. Around 39 million girls in countries affected by armed conflict or natural disasters lack access to quality education. For example, In South Sudan, 72% of primary school-aged girls, do not attend school, in contrast to 64% of primary school-aged boys. Similarly, in Afghanistan, 70% of the 3.5 million out-of-school children are girls.
What’s being done about this? Global Goal 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all, especially girls and women, by 2030. UNICEF is prioritizing girls secondary education initiatives that tackle discriminatory gender norms, and address menstrual hygiene management at schools. Malala Fund and Education Cannot Wait are also investing safe learning environment, supporting gender-responsive education programs and amplifying girls’ voices.
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