500+ Words Essay on Girl Education, Importance of Girl Education
Education is the basic and essential need for every single human in the world, irrespective to their gender, caste, religion or race. It doesn’t only improve the knowledge of a person but also enhance his/her quality of living. In this developing world, education is the primary base of life.
If we look at the 2011 census, India is one of the most populated countries. However, the rate of girl education is quite low at 65.46% of the total female population, where the male literacy rate is around 82.14%. It is troubling and sad to see these numbers in a nation where women are considered as goddesses.
Benefits of Girl Education
Girls have an equal right to education as boys. Educated girls can make quality choices from a far better range of options. Educating girls will save lives and build firm family connections. Educated female population boosts a nations’ productivity and fuels economic growth. Few countries lose about $1 billion every year of their GDP due to less literacy among its female population.
Girl Education leads to Economic growth
Education for girls improves productivity and adds to economic growth. Globally, the number of women in the formal job is comparatively less than men, but studies show there are economic advantages if they are permitted to join the working force.
Educating girls and young women improves a country’s productivity and contributes to economic growth. An educated woman can get a better job with higher wages, and this will affect the gender imbalances in the workforce.
Girl Education raises Health Knowledge
That’s very much obvious that educated women will be very much concerned about the health and they will understand the necessity of sanitation, nutrition and immunity of their children which will make their children less vulnerable to diseases like diarrhoea, pneumonia and malaria or from malnutrition. A survey conducted by UNICEF states that a child born from a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive past the age of five.
Girl Education will lead to few child marriages
Better educated girls are less likely to be married during their childhood. They are more probable to have possibilities for a healthier and more flourishing life for themselves and their family members. Educated girls strengthen skills, knowledge and confidence to make bold decisions including if, when and whom to marry. Being in school also supports the attention that girls are still children and are not ready to get married.
Girl Education will develop skills to become future leaders
Educated women could be excellent leaders in politics and other organisations, whether joined or elected as they are psychologically and mentally better than men in many aspects. If women are chosen as leaders in politics, then they will focus on issues like poverty and health as they are more understandable than men. But unfortunately, the number of elected female representatives in our cabinet is just 6.
Barriers to girl education
Poverty and Child Labour – Girls from the most deprived and rural households get encountered with the disadvantages because their parents are less educated and don’t know the importance of education. Rural communities have fewer support systems or people who will make their parents informed about the importance of education; due to this, girls mostly have to work or manage their households.
Child Labour is also a significant cause which deprives the girls of being educated as they have to work from a very early age due to poverty as agricultural labourers or domestic servants and their employers won’t enrol their names in a school.
Conservative mentality of few people – Few narrow-minded people consider that educating a girl is useless and a complete waste of money and time because they think that after their marriage education won’t contribute a bit in their lives and they are also afraid that an educated girl would become independent and will bring shame to their family.
Child Marriage – Every year around 15 million girls get married before the age of 18, which is about 40,000 girls every day. Marriage affects and interrupts their education, and they don’t get enough knowledge to stand against abuses like domestic violence, and they cannot contribute to end poverty in their families. Over 60% of the girls getting married don’t even have formal education.
*Other factors like a safe environment for girls to study and disabilities among girls also raise a question before sending them to schools.
Steps taken by the government to encourage Girl Education
There are various steps taken by the government to increase net enrolment ratio of girls like giving scholarships to the meritorious students, offering free of cost education in the government schools and colleges, offering free of cost mid-day meal in the government school, arranging campaigns to promote the importance of education and establishing initiatives like the “Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan”.
Conclusion
Educating a girl isn’t just their right, but it is also a part of the development of our society. Women can make this world a better place, and if they are given the opportunities to prove themselves, no doubt that they will do something incredible. Few women like- Malala Yosafzai are the living examples and inspiration for the girls who want to study and do something revolutionary.