Pakistan is a developing country. As a nation, we are going through a roller coaster ride at this point in time and with everything that is happening it falls on the shoulders on each and every individual to have a good look around and take charge where they can. Millennial i.e. our children are at make or break point and whatever the future has in store it will be Us, who will be accountable for it.
I am here to raise a voice for my sisters, my daughters to be, my young friends who are seeking opportunities to become better individuals by means of education that will benefit not only them but also the society in general. They dream and are determined to progress but wear shackles of traditional values, norms, safety concerns, lack of good opportunity, financial restraints that impede their growth and act as hindrances for them in achieving their dreams. No child is different from the other or is in any way superior to another, so they all must be provided with equal opportunities to help them achieve their dreams.
Girls are truly a blessing of Allah Almighty but due to cultural mindsets and societal norms they are differentiated which impedes their growth and therefore silently wait for a miracle i.e. to be rescued by any educated individual or organization to bring them closer to their dreams and aim of getting an education. We invest in various things like land/property with a belief that it will benefit us in the long run and would give us some relief in our retirement period so why are we, as a nation still reluctant to invest in the education of our girls? As the apothegm goes ” If you educate a man, you educate a man. If you educate a woman, you educate a Nation”. It’s time we accept this reality and invest in our girls to reap benefits it will bring us in our later lives like a decrease in child mortality rate and an increase in a much literate nation.
Girls education is a globally acknowledged topic, and it is centered towards the betterment of girls and their future, empowering them by providing the basic right of education and knowledge. Previously two decades ago there was no voice for girl’s education, but now people all over the globe are fully aware of the need to empower their women and by empowerment, I mean their basic rights and education. Statistically, education has progressed in Pakistan, with about 97 percent of children enrolled in a primary school in 2016. Of these, 79 percent of boys and 75 percent of girls survive up until the last grade of primary school (Academia magazine, Mughal Hassan, September 2018). This rate is, however, declining each year and it’s because young girls are not being enrolled as much as they should be, or are dropped out because of failure to meet school fee and necessities e.g. books, stationery, and extracurricular supplies.
Urban areas are much aware of girl’s education and are participating enough to educate them but the real issue is in rural areas where people themselves are not much educated and sadly they are not aware of the importance of their daughters’ education and the payoff it can bring them. We need a proper awareness campaign in such areas where parents and guardians can be enlightened about the urgency of educating their girls, and how positively it can impact them in the future. But alongside this, our government officials also need to play a part here with respect to monetary aspects. Proper funding and budgets should be declared for people who want to pursue education for their daughters but are unable to attain it due to monetary factors and likewise. It really is the time to invest in girls’ education because worldwide It’s advancing, and we as an emerging nation need to fill this gap of gender disparity that exists before it is too late.
Girls Education should be made a priority, and the issue should be addressed at the grass-root level. We must acknowledge the fact that this investment will reap good fruit for our country’s future not only nationally but also internationally, today and now is where we should begin focusing on the education of our girls. May Allah Bless our girls and our country.
