The importance of education is incontrovertible. Its significance has long been dilated upon. Education equips one with the necessary tools in order to lead a respectable and peaceful life in this world. However, what deserves greater attention is the need to educate girls. There are many factors that make the education of girls indispensable in this day and age. Women are being empowered in today’s world after decades of pain-staking efforts. Although the West has progressed considerably in this matter, the developing countries in the East still deny girls their right to education.Not only the advantages of enlightening girls but also the issues that proliferate because of lack of attention towards educating girls are highlighted below.
Recently, one of my aunts went through a nerve-wracking divorce. Her husband abandoned her with two kids under the age of ten and left her with almost no money. It took her a few weeks to overcome the trauma and get back on her feet again. She was able to obtain a high-paying job at a respectable organization on the basis of her accountancy certification. Her kids experienced no gap in their studies and the situation returned to normal in no time at all. It was her parents’ decision to educate her that had helped her secure her life. She is now running a household while taking care of two dependents. She also puts some part of her salary into a savings account in order to keep providing financial support to her retired parents. Her education has saved three lives from being completely ruined. She did not have to live on State-provided benefits nor did she have to beg her relatives to provide for her.
On the other hand, my friend narrated the story of one of her cousins living in India. She had not been educated from the very beginning and lived an unlettered life. She was given into marriage by her parents at the age of eighteen. Immediately after marriage, her husband started beating her. She was one of the most unfortunate victims of domestic violence, yet she had to suffer quietly because her parents were not willing to support her and her kids while she herself was not capable of obtaining a well-paid job. She still continues to suffer for the sake of her kids. Same is the case in the neighboring country of Pakistan where female literacy rate was 35.2 percent in 2009 while the male literacy rate was 61.7 percent (Latif 424-439). Moreover, the female literacy rate was 25 percent in rural areas of Pakistan (Latif 424-439). This is an irrefutable evidence of the millions of other women who are suffering silently because they have not been equipped with education.
Moreover, a woman also has to later fulfill her role as a mother. There is no denying the fact that the influence that a mother has on a baby is much greater than the father. A baby learns the language of the mother, the habits of the mother and studies every manner of a mother with every passing day. An illiterate mother who has a habit of spitting or does not know how to dress properly is bound to pass on those habits to her child. However, if the same mother was educated, she would have taught her child the best etiquettes and the most appropriate way to communicate from the very beginning. One educated mother can, therefore, make a difference in this world by influencing all her kids. Thus, a girl’s education leaves a more lasting impact and is, therefore, all the more important. If not more, than at least equal attention should be given to the education of both daughters and sons by the parents.
There is also an observable link between the education of a girl and the age at which she gets married. Discouraging the early marriages of girls is one of the major goals of developing countries in order to solve the over-population crisis. It is also a concern for public health departments.General observation can lead one to the conclusion that girls who show enthusiasm and find the means to obtain quality education tend to get married at an appropriate age. I have also perceived that mothers who are well-educated themselves realize the need to provide the best possible education to their daughters and hence, are an important influence in discouraging early marriages. Christine, Stone and Kahando support this point of view by doing extensive research on the correlation between the two factors (533-555).
In the recent past, several women have stood up to raise their voices regarding their right to education. A pertinent example is that of Malala Yousafzai who has recently been endowed with the Nobel Peace Prize. While women have launched several successful crusades in the West, it is extremely unusual for a girl from Pakistan, a country torn by terrorism, to fight the militants through power of the pen. Her story of the refusal to bow down in front of the forces of terrorism and her decision to take up the cudgels for education of girls is an awe-inspiring one (Yousafzai). It is also extremely encouraging to note that her parents were investing in her and supporting her from her childhood, something unusual for those living in the rural areas of that country as usually, only the sons are provided this treatment.
Thus, all is not deplorable and the world is changing for the better. Voices are being raised and parents also realize how they can prevent lives from being ruined just by providing equal treatment to both sons and daughters. Some stories send chills down one’s spine while some stories inspire the world to stand up for education of girls
Works Cited
Latif, Amna. "A Critical Analysis Of School Enrollment And Literacy Rates Of Girls And Women In Pakistan." Educational Studies 45.5 (2009): 424-439. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.
Smith, Cristine, Rebecca Paulson Stone, and Sarah Kahando. "A Model Of Women's Educational Factors Related To Delaying Girls' Marriage." International Review Of Education / Internationale Zeitschrift Für Erziehungswissenschaft 58.4 (2012): 533-555. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.
Yousafzai, Malala. I am Malala.New York, NY: Little, Brown, & Company, 2013.Kent Library Catalog. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.
