An educated girl could change the world

There are still people who feel that there is no real importance of girl child education – they are of the opinion that educating boys is far more important, because eventually, they will become the breadwinners for the family. There are several examples of gender disparity, particularly, when it comes to education. All over the world, there are 129 million girls who are out of school, out of which 32 million are of an age where they should be attending primary school. Out of all the countries in the world, only 49% have been able to attain gender parity when it comes to primary education.  

It is important to remember that educating a girl can not only transform her life, but the lives of those around her, including creating an impact at much larger levels. When there is an investment made towards educating girls, there are so many benefits:

• There is an increase in national growth rates, because child mortality as well as maternal mortality rates fall
• The number of child marriages reduces
• There is an economic impact, because the girl too can earn and contribute financially 

Let’s first take a look at the main reasons why girls are forced to stay or drop out of school:

• Poverty has to be one of the primary reasons – sending a child to school, even a government or aided school, requires some amount of money. When finances are limited for a family, the obvious choice becomes the son, because the parents see him as the eventual breadwinner and supporter for the family. 
• Even though the world is progressing, many people are still unable to comprehend the benefits of female education – they would rather relegate her to household chores or working as domestic help, because uneducated parents are not able to see her as anything more than a burden. 
• The legal system of India states that girls have to be 21 years and above to be married, however, child marriages are still prevalent and girls are married off at the age of 15 and 16, because families think that it would be one mouth less to feed. 
• For several girls, school might be a reality, till the time they reach their menstrual age, post which, they are often forced to drop out. This could either be due to a lack of information or the lack of proper toilet facilities in their school premises. 

Now that we have understood the major problems, it’s time to move onto why it is imperative that girls get an education too: 

• Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of girl child education would be the fact that they can impact not only social, but also economic and health-based standards. When a girl gets a proper education, she is able to become a contributing member of the society. There is also no denying the fact that with an education, these marginalised women will be able to build better futures for their own families. 
• When girls are accorded a good education and some form of skill development, their chances of improving their monthly as well as lifetime earnings are increased drastically. With more money in hand, they can have an improved lifestyle and can have some savings for the future too. 
• The chances of educated girls getting married at really young ages are less, which means that they will get married at an age where they are physically and mentally ready to take that next step in life. Being educated, they will also realise the importance of not having children in a hurry, having their babies delivered under the supervision of a qualified doctor or medical practitioner, keeping a gap between each child and not having too many children either. 
• Educated women often make better mothers, because they understand the importance of nutrition and good health. Not only will they be able to take care of themselves, they will also be able to raise healthier children – they will know the importance of good food, vaccinations and proper hygiene as well as health care. 

On 29th of July, 2020, the Union cabinet of India gave its consent for the National Education Policy 2020, which has the goal to make education truly inclusive. It states that early education is imperative, but innumerable children from socially and economically challenged families are not able to benefit from the same. Just like what Educate Girls has been trying to do for all these years, the NEP also wants to ensure that young girls who come from disadvantaged or marginalised backgrounds are offered an equal opportunity in terms of education, because there is merit and importance of girl education in India.

At Educate Girls, we truly understand and are able to comprehend the importance of education for girls, which is why our constant endeavour is to bring as many girls as possible, back to the world of learning. Our focus is on rural areas and the highly marginalised sections of the society, where access to education might be difficult. By opening the opportunity of education for them, they also get a  chance of an improved life. Your donations go a long way in enabling our team to reach out to a larger number of girls and help build a better nation and a better world!