Education

A massive barrier to girls' education is full time work at an early age. And when I say full-time work, I mean household chores at someone else's house. And when I say early age, I mean as young as 5. At the age of 5, many girls are excited. Some are excited thinking about their future in school. Will they fit in? Will they like the teachers? What will they be doing all day that now they have to spend 8 hours at this institution their parents are singing praises of? Some are excited for the social life. Will I make friends? Will I be invited to birthday parties?

Muhammad Ali Jinnah was once quoted saying, “No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you”. This statement plainly depicts how Pakistan has strayed away from the foundations it was built upon. We as a nation must acknowledge the significance of Quaid’s words. We must accept with fervour and passion the significance that girl’s education yields.

In Pakistan educating a girl particularly in rural areas is a bigger challenge. It is also important that girls learn in school and feel safe. They must get all the prospects and equal opportunity to complete all levels of education and attain knowledge and skills which are necessary to compete in the current job market. Girls' education is a strategic development priority. Educated women are better acquainted with nutrition and health, have fewer children, are late to marry, they have chosen to be mothers whenever they want.

In Pakistan, the gender gap has made the country vulnerable to all the circumstances that are being faced in the education sector generally and at the secondary education level in particular. According to the reports of the World Bank, in 2018 the net enrolment rate of females in secondary education level was 34.184% against the primary enrolment rate that stood at 61.567%. On the other hand, the male enrolment rate in secondary and primary school was 76.272% and 67.575% respectively (World Bank, 2020). That makes the male’s ratio more than half of the female’s population in secondary schools.