When it comes to women empowerment in India, it’s an unfortunate truth that even today, girls, especially in rural areas, are still suffering in many forms. Their plight can only be understood by understanding the depth of discrimination rooted in our culture and society. Patriarchal monopoly deprives a large number of girls of education. There are almost 165 million girls over the age of 15 who are still illiterate. Only 49% of girls are enrolled for secondary education, while the rest remain in darkness forever. The discriminations are such deep-rooted that a girl child has to overcome barriers to even claim her right to education. So, we must understand the factors at play here if we intend to change the scenario.
Reason to Empower Female Education
When you invest in girls’ education, there are multiple benefits. It is no secret that proper education gives us the power to make informed decisions that affect our health, wealth, and social status positively. As a result, our families along with society benefits from it. After all, you can only achieve true progress in any society when all genders are equally educated and provided with the scope for education. If we’re to build the economic structure of this country, we have to invest in female education. Let’s not forget that a girl child’s development also majorly impacts the economy. How so, you may ask. Well, a person can increase their chances of earning by 25% through education. Now you do the math. An educated workforce is always a better-enabled one, irrespective of gender.
Benefits of Female Education That Go Beyond Career Building
Did you know that an educated girl has 3 times less chance of catching HIV or any other STD? Not only that but also educated women have a higher chance of living a healthier life resulting in having healthier children. They would also have a better understanding of their rights and reciprocate the same opportunities to their daughters as well. When you invest in your girl child’s education, you help them elevate not just their status but the general status of all women in our society. Educated women lead to educated progeny that is also the future of the country. So not only are women alone benefitted, but the positive outcome continues through generations, instigating a chain-like process.
Return on Investment on Girls’ Education
Did you know that providing just a single extra year of education to girls can increase their gradual income by 10-20%, which is a higher return than the 5-15% for boys? It’s a well-known fact that West Bengal promotes the holistic development of female children and encourages them to get educated, find employment, and live an overall better life. Enabling the girls in society with better skills and deeper knowledge, the best schools in Kolkata practice what they preach. Therefore, planning to admit your girl child to the best school in Kolkata may not be a problem. There are plenty of such institutions, especially on the CBSE board. But the parents also need to develop a better understanding to better the situation in this country.
Some Positive Side Effects
It has also been researched that educated women tend to marry later and conceive fewer children. This is a huge step in controlling the population growth in the country. Also, as the dependency ratio will fall, per capita income is bound to grow. This in return, will increase the saving rates forcing the economy to expand.
Education is not just an entitlement for women; it is an underlying factor – crucial for the very establishment of this country. From providing financial assistance to enabling a better future in terms of socio-economic standards, education for the girl child has many positive consequences. By advocating gender issues at the grass-root level, women are empowered across all economic standards. And improvement in the education quality of women is the first step to achieving this goal.
