Female Education In Pakistan
It’s an African proverb that; ” If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.”
From this statement, we can presume the importance of female education but unfortunately in Pakistan up to some extent female education is not encouraged. In fact, it is supposed to be a wastage of time and money.
The main reason for this misconception is the patriarchal authority of men over women and some dated traditions. Though nowadays many parents have realized the importance of female education, but still in some rural areas girls are not allowed to go outside for education. They are confined to stay behind the threshold of their house. Though the literacy rate for boys in Pakistan is also very low, for girls it is alarming. About 44 percent of boys and 56 percent of girls in Pakistan who should be in a school are not there. Barriers to female education are mentioned as:
1) Early marriages: In some rural areas the concept of early marriage is hindering the further education of many female students. In fact, 21 percent of girls got married on their 18th birthday whereas about 3 percent got married at the age of 15. Currently, the government of Pakistan is taking legal actions to raise the minimum age for marriage up to 18 years in order to protect these girls.
2)Islamic misconception in some people: Some people think that in Islam education for females is not allowed which is a misleading cause by some extremist people. They think that female education is contrary to Islamic law and they also not accept the western-style schooling system. In 2007, the terrorists began a violent stream of attacks in Pakistan. As a result, 900 girls’ schools were closed, ending the education of more than 120,000 girls.
3)Rural areas schooling girl faces many problems: In rural areas, the problem of low literacy rates are exacerbated. Many rural areas do not have access to usable facilities, an adequate number of teachers, or basic supplies such as chalkboards and books. In many cases, girls cannot afford transportation and cannot make the long journey on foot to the nearest school. In some rural villages, the nearest school is 93 miles away. In 2015, the literacy rate for girls in rural areas was as low as 38 percent; although, the numbers have been slowly increasing. That same year, 69 percent of girls were literate.
4)Education in Pakistan is underfunded: The Pakistan government legally guarantees the right for all children between the ages of five and 16 to attend school. However, funding for education is low. In 2010, the government granted only 10 percent of its funds to the education system. Comparably, the government spends seven times as much money on military purposes. Due to ill funding, schooling infrastructure is falling apart and teachers are often unqualified.
5)Poor communities face more barriers regarding education: Many poor families do not have the funds for schooling costs. Most government-owned schools in Pakistan are free, but the families are responsible for paying for books, paper, and clothing. Many families cannot afford school supplies. However, educating girls helps to stimulate the economic growth in these Pakistani communities. Increasing women’s education by just one percent would result in a .3 percent increase in economic growth.
These are the root causes of the pathetic situation of education in Pakistan. For the elimination of these problems, the Government of Pakistan has taken some measures. The budget for education has been increased. Facilitations of transport are provided in rural areas. Moreover, the government is providing free scholarships for needy students.
Hopefully, Pakistan will overcome its problems in the near future. Inshallah.
Written By: Aashir Zia