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Gender inequality has eaten up many nations. It is found in every institution and in all spheres of life. We have gender inequality in the family, religious houses, political world and even in the education realm. Gender inequality is the unequal treatment given to individuals based on their gender or sex. It is obvious that even in homes, boys are preferred to girls; the female gender is being subordinated by the male gender everywhere. This is one of the major problems that confront women and girls in the society. Female education is frowned upon in some society, they are being discriminated against in education, politics, labour markets, decision-making process, and health. This hinders freedom in choice making and self development.
Girls are known to be carriers and mothers of nation. They should have equal access to education so as to be good mothers and produce good future generations. Single sex education that has been dominant in the society should be stopped. Despite the fact that the women rights organizations and feminists are campaigning for equal rights and also preaching the importance attached to female education, gender inequality is still dominant. Female’s educational level in the society must be improved. They should not be restricted to some level or aspect of education. Freedom to choose any career of their choice should be given to girls. They should also be encouraged to attain the peak of educational ladder.
In some countries, being a female serves as the barrier to access to education. This prevents their learning process and inhibits all round development. Some religions and cultural backgrounds discourage female education. In these societies, women are seen as weaker vessels, sex objects and kitchen’s managers. Many of them are betrothed at birth; members of such societies believe that the place of a woman is in the kitchen, with major roles in family management, farming and child bearing thereby no need for formal education. Attention is given only to the male children in terms of formal education. In some places, girls do not go to school at all but instead are married off at tender ages. They are seen in the house taking care of children and husband, tending the gardens, farming on their father’s and husband’s lands and marketing. Their male counterparts are sent abroad, to cities for studies where they forget their source and abandon their wives in the villages. Although they are not to be blamed, because nobody wants to be with a mediocre in this century. In order to reduce the level of heartbreaks, disappointment, the female children also need to be given equal chance of education.
Furthermore, poverty, illiteracy and ignorance do not allow some parents to send their wards to school especially the girls. Children from poor family backgrounds drop out of school and help to sustain their families. Female children do this a lot because of their caring nature and social roles attached to their gender. They engage in menial jobs and other activities in order to meet the family’s needs and send their brothers to school. Some illiterate parents have this belief that sending a female child to school is a waste as they will eventually drop their family’s name when they marry and end up in the kitchen. Governments should provide a means to reach out to girls by providing good schools coupled with experience teachers. Scholarships should be given so as to support them to any point or level of their choice. Symposia should be organized to educate the parents on the need to send their female children to school.
Gender gaps in education have serious disadvantages. The female children are deprived of their fundamental human rights. They also face lots of challenges in labour markets. They are undermined to be weak in the work world. They are being deprived of jobs. Many female talents have been washed down the drains due to this. Lack of education does not give rooms for many girls to brush up or develop their aptitudes and talents and thus many of them go to the graves with their skills. This has a way of affecting the development of a nation.
The national economic interest is affected by gender disparity in education. This is because the large number of the population needed for the growth and development of the nation are without the required and necessary skills. Studies have shown that two-third of the illiterate adults are women. The higher the number of uneducated girls, the higher the level of illiteracy, this is not safe for the well being and development of the country. Uneducated women tend to bring up ill-mannered and also uneducated children. Children look up to their mothers as role models. A woman has the greatest influence on their children. When mothers are uneducated, the future generations will be evil and faulty.
Educate a boy and educate a person, educate a girl and educate a nation. When a mother is educated, her generation is already educated. She gives the best legacy to her children and there will be an improvement in the standard of living. The social and economic aspects of the nation will b affected. Female education reduces early marriage, maternal and infant mortality. A female child in school delays her getting marriage till she finishes her studies. Educated mothers are enlightened on how to care of themselves during pregnancy. This helps in maintaining the health of the unborn child and the mothers which reduces the number of still births and maternal mortality. They also help to reduce high population rate through the means of family planning. Reduction in population reduces the stress on national resources which in turn aid the development of a country.
There will be increase in women’s participation in politics, finance management and decision making in a country when female education is encouraged. It will help the government to make progress as women are believed to have foresight and gift of planning for the future. There will be high number of women as ambassadors and representatives of the country. This will help the country and improve the country’s image outside the country. The presence of powerful women in the government will aid quick implementation of gender equity, decrease in domestic violence thus favour the women world.
Governments, parents, guardians should empower the women by giving them access to good education, politics, employment, decision-making and opportunities of equal participation in the society, they should be given chances to head organizations. Gender gaps in work places should be reduced; this should be so because women can also do well and even better in jobs that are believed to be masculine. Women should not be restricted to jobs like secretary, typesetting, matron, hotels attendants, teaching and the likes but they should be given opportunities in sectors like engineering , airlines and places like mining, steel , chemical and automobile industries.
Women are seen as second option, any contributions made by women are scrutinized while those of males are happily accepted. This ought not to be so, equal importance, respect, prestige should be given to the female gender because what a man can do, a woman can do better. There should be gender equality in all sectors of life, equal rights to education should be given to the girls. A nation with high inequality experiences high level of unequal development. This is so because the female folks are also important in the growth and development of the nation.
The act of subordination and subjugation should be put to halt. Girls should have access to, within and through education.
Female Education is the way forward……
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Love the article and very educative.