Equal access to education is of high value as it creates new opportunities for socially and economically deprived segments of the population. It is believed that female education is associated with high level of development. There should be an inclusive approach adopted in terms of educating the female population, as without that it is not possible to achieve better and higher standards of living.Education should be prioritized as it plays critical role in the development of a country. Incase girls education is ignored we may see adverse impacts on the society and economy at national level.
In case of Pakistan, the states of affairs are upsetting as deprivation of education has lead to one of the lowest rate of women’s participation in the national labor force.Girls are confined in household chores and education is still considered irrelevant in many rural and urban setups. This is precisely the reason why mass awareness campaigns are needed to make parents realize the importance of educating girls.By investment in girls’ education there is a boost in income, both at the national and individual levels which will eventually lead towards economic prosperity.
The potential of millions of girls is at stake in Pakistan. The situation being faced by the nation is appalling as per statistics, 60% of Pakistan’s population consists of youth amongst which girls are in significant numbers. So, if we deprive this particular segment essentially from education it can lead to a devastating impact on the future of these girls. As a result it will be a great national loss which can impact the society and economy simultaneously.
Per stats, five out of every 10 children in Pakistan remain out of school. A report issued by World Bank revealed that 130 million children are out of school across the world, with a majority being girls. Barriers to girl’s education persist around the globe and the situation in Pakistan is no different. There is a saying that goes, “If you invest in a girl she will become a woman tomorrow and then she will invest in everyone else’’. Yet the investment is facing several hurdles.
A higher dropout rate is one of the biggest challenges faced by Pakistan in regards to girls. From the age of 5-9 years there are round about 22.15 million children amongst which majority reside in the rural area. A study of Ministry of Education estimated that 32% of children from age 5-9 years are out of school. In rural areas the primary school completion rate for the boys is three times higher than for girls; on the other hand it is twice as highin urban areas. Moreover, spreading awareness amongst the rural population is the need of the hour as it can improve the educational system in Pakistan. Outside the school system there are many other barriers to education which must be taken into consideration such as poverty, social norms, insecurity plus armed conflict and targeted attacks on schools.
Women are considered as an essential pillar for building a progressive society. Their role can be further modified if they are educated as they would be in a position to better tackle multiple challenges and hurdles faced by them. As Pakistan is still a developing country where the women population exceeds that of males but unfortunately the literacy rate of the nation is very low and lower in regards to women. Moreover, it is necessary to educate women to build a prosperous society and nation. As restricting and confining them stereotypical roles is not an option no more. Men and women should walk shoulder with shoulder which would divide the burden evenly. As women should be provided equal opportunities for participation are various levels. Last but not the least, no good results can be achieved till we restrict half of our population in the abyss of ignorance, rather an inclusive approach should be formulated where female are also on board with male in every aspect.
