Social transformation through women’s education

It is not about women alone, but the whole nation

Proper education and edification can stir up change in concepts and behaviours of certain individuals, and such change of notion and conception can help initiate a desirable and effective society as well as a nation. Educated minds help enlighten new pathways and options for a better and bolder society. Furthermore, education induces rational thought, consistency, independence and self-determination in the personality of an individual. Doubtlessly education plays a pivotal role in societal changes, but to strengthen and secure our community we need to educate our women. Therefore we must impel our society to put an end to barriers faced by females, struggling for their education and learning.

A society with better-educated females thrives more than the one with illiterate and lowbrow females. When 10 percent of girls go to school, the GDP of the country rises by an average of three percent whereas not educating girls costs millions to a country. Educated females with higher education tend to get a well-paid job, have better employment choices, more working privileges. Consequently, they reinvest more in their families and communities, which shatters the poverty chain. whereas uneducated and illiterate females do not benefit from such beneficial factors and continue to face poverty and misery.

Every woman is far stronger and more capable than she thinks.  A woman with power and education cannot only flourish but can also conquer the world with her abilities. By supporting each other we can help someone prosper. If Pakistan ends the gender gap in education and manages to achieve the goal of educating and empowering the women of Pakistan, then together as a nation we can harness our countries failures and weaknesses, but we also need to change ourselves first, by getting rid of stringent mindsets and rituals and by promoting women’s education and giving each woman her right to an education

Education gives power and also enhances self-confidence in females. They have a better understanding of their rights, roles and healthy living. An educated female ultimately knows how she can effectively utilize her freedom beneficially and constructively by attaining her full capabilities. Education helps females unearth some of their leading qualities and skills. Educated females are more aware of their surrounding conditions and sufferings and are more likely to take a step towards improving and enhancing them.

Through education females prefer to speak out for themselves alone, can put forward solid evidence for the decisions they made and can oppose, resist and raise voices against domestic violence and sexual abuse and are less likely to be subjected to such violence. Whereas uneducated females are more exposed to such violence and can barely raise their voices against abuses and are less aware of coping and responding to such violence.

Educated females usually marry four years later than their estimated age of marriage and have fewer children, which somehow reduces the rapid population growth. Such females are less likely to die during pregnancy, give birth to healthy children and are more concerned about the health of their families such as their nutrition and immunisation, so their children are less likely to die from any preventable diseases or malnutrition.

The role of an educated female as a mother is no greater than any other. An educated mother can edify the minds of the next generations. They can provide more confidence and support to their children, making them more aware of the world and their surroundings. Educated mothers are more likely to promote the education of their children, can better nurture their children, participate more in decision-making in their households and have a better plan and understanding for the future consequences. But when it comes to uneducated mothers they have a higher rate of dying during pregnancy, give birth to ailing children, usually, give birth to more than three children, do not have any awareness about health and treatments, while their babies are less likely to get a full course of vaccination and are malnutrition due to which they do not survive for a longer period. In the last four decades the global increase in women’s education has prevented more than four million child deaths. Uneducated women barely ponde the idea of the education and the future of their children.

Khadija Bilal
Khadija Bilal
The writer is a freelance columnist

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