What an alarming situation it is that today, millions of girls from all over the world never go to school. They are desisted from going to school without any fault on their own part. The girls are more affected by poverty, disease, and violence than boys. They are more expected to do housework than schoolwork. And, even if they do get the opportunity to attend classes, they’re first to drop out, long before their brothers. But these girls desire to go to school, these girls are ready to go to school, and today they’re more likely than ever to succeed.
It is the fundamental right of every body to acquire education which has been recognized since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. The right to free and compulsory primary education, without any distinction and of good quality, has been reaffirmed in all most important international human rights conventions. Many of these same instruments encourage, but do not guarantee, post-primary education. These rights have been more elaborated to tackle issues like quality and equity, moving forward the matter of what the right to education means, and exploring how it can be achieved. As a minimum: states must make sure that fundamental education is available, accessible, acceptable and adaptable for all. The right of girls to education is one of the most significant of all rights because education plays a vital role in enabling girls and women to make safe other rights.
Gender discrimination in education is extreme. Girls are less likely to access school, to remain in school or to achieve in education. Education helps men and women claim their rights and realize their potential in the economic, political and social arenas. It is as well the only most powerful way to lift people out of poverty. Education plays a particularly significant role as a foundation for girls’ progress towards adult life. It should be an essential part of any strategy to address the gender-based inequity against women and girls that remains prevalent in several societies.
The poverty, gender inequalities and economic growth are the main reasons which make the girls’ education very important. However, it is a smart investment for developing countries to reap these benefits fully; they require unleashing the potential of the human mind. Educating all their people, not just half of them, makes the majority sense for future economic growth.
Systematic keeping out of women from access to education and the labor force translates into a less educated workforce, inefficient allocation of labor, lost production, and as a result diminished progress of economic progress. Evidence across countries suggests that countries with better gender equality are more possible to have higher economic growth.
Cultural and traditional values stand between girls and their prospects for education. The attainment of girls’ right to education can address some of societies’ deeply rooted inequalities, which condemn millions of girls to a life without quality education and, therefore, also all too often to a life of missed opportunities. Improving educational opportunities for girls and women helps them to develop skills that allow them to make decisions and influence society change in key areas. One reason for denying girls and women their right to an education is hardly ever articulated by those in charge: that is their fear of the power that girls will have through education. There is still some resistance to the idea that girls and women can be trusted with education. Education is also seen in some societies as a fear of change and now with globalization, the fear becomes even greater fear to lose the cultural identity, fear of moving towards the unknown or the unnecessary, fear of dissolving in the many others.
Educating girls and women is a significant step in overcoming poverty. Discrimination and poverty are not unavoidable. Fundamental education provides girls and women with an understanding of basic health, nutrition and family planning, giving those choices and the power to decide over their own lives and bodies. Women’s education leads directly to better reproductive health, improved family health, economic growth, for the family and for society, as well as lower rates of child mortality and malnutrition. It is also a key in the fight against the spread of HIV & AIDS.
Compared with two decades ago, more young people are incoming school, completing the primary level, and pursuing secondary and tertiary education. In low-income countries alone, average enrollment rates in primary education have surged upwards of 80 percent, and primary completion rates are now above 60 percent. Outstanding accomplishments have been made towards achieving gender equality at all levels of education. Since 1990 the ratio of girls to boys enrolled in school has risen at all levels of education. The most momentous increase in girls’ education enrollment in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia has been at the primary education level. In countries in East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the increase in girl’s education has been at the secondary education level while in countries in Europe and Central Asia, girls’ enrollment has raised most at the tertiary education level.
Although most developing countries have made significant development in reducing the gender gap in school enrollment, considerable gender gaps remain.
The benefits of women’s education go beyond higher productivity for 50 percent of the population. More educated women also tend to be healthier, participate more in the formal labor market, earn more income, have fewer children, and provide better health care and education to their children, all of which eventually improve the well-being of all individuals and lift households out of poverty. These benefits also transmit across generations, as well as to their communities at large.
Keeping in view the circumstances and facts as explained and discussed above it is concluded that the girls’ education is inevitable because it is impossible for any country to make progress without it.
