Gender Education Importance & Women’s Education
Abstract: Education is a catalyst for social change and a condition for the achievement of fundamental human rights. It increases cognitive and non-cognitive skills, improves productivity, and provides individuals with a greater ability to further develop their knowledge and skills throughout their lives. It also makes women and men better equipped to secure steady, well-paid jobs and thus combat the risks of social exclusion. Furthermore, education can better prepare individuals to recognize and handle difficult situations. Economic independence makes it easier to leave a difficult situation, such as a violent home. At the same time, educated citizens — both women and men — benefit entire societies. They make substantial contributions to the economy and contribute to the improved health, nutrition, and education of their families.
Keywords: Pakistan Constitution, Gender Base choice, Women Pakistan education system, Gender Stereotypes, Gender-based violence at School, Women Leaving School, Poverty, Social, violence, corruption.
Introduction
Education is considered a key to success. Education not only helps in bringing awareness, in getting opportunities, in knowing the world but also helps in empowerment. It is also true that knowledge is not defined by what one studies in books, but it is gained from nature and nature. However, education defines the correct way to interpret the learning from the environment as well as nature that can enhance the awareness and brings knowledge ultimately which can be applied in every path of life. (King and Winthrop,2015). Education runs the systems, the economy, and the people. It has importance for education in Islam can be as shortly defined as the first revelation to Prophet (S.A.W) was about education. The prophet (S.A.W) Said “Education is not only the right but the duty of every Muslim, male or female”. Prophet (S.A.W) spent his life teaching the principles of Islam and the law laid down by Allah Almighty to the people around him. It is a wake-up call for those why to deny children, especially girls, the right to get educated. If we then come towards to the other big personalities then according to Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which use to change the world.
Ø Constitution of Pakistan about Education
Pakistan’s Constitution, framed in 1973, declared the country’s commitment to providing education for all. According to Article 25-A, “the State shall provide free and compulsory education to children between the ages of five to 16 years old” … (b) According to Article 37 -B. lays stress that the state will remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary education within the minimum possible period; © make technical and professional education generally available and higher education equally accessible to all based on merit”. Recently, through Constitutional Amendment No 18, free and compulsory education for children aged 5 to 16 years has been declared a fundamental right. Article 25-A of the Constitutions provides that: Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) which states that “Education shall be free at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all based on merit”.
The nation’s Founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his Inaugural address said. “There is no doubt that the future of our state will and must greatly depend upon the type of education we give to our children and how we bring them up as future citizens of Pakistan.”
· Types of Education in Pakistan
The Education system in Pakistan is generally divided into six levels. Preschool Education (for the age from 3 to 5 years), Primary Education (grades six through eight), High education (Grades nine and ten, leading to the secondary school certificate or SSC), Intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher secondary school Certificate or HSSC), and University programs and leading to Undergraduate and graduate degree. The literacy rate ranges from 85% in Islamabad to 23% in the Torghar District. The female literacy rate is 9.5%.
Ø (Education Policies in Pakistan) Contents:
· All Pakistan education conference, 1947
The first education conference was convened in 1947 under the supervision of Quaid E Azam. At Karachi on 27th November. He Provided the basic guidelines for future educational development. It was also emphasized to the people the sense of honor, integrity, and selfless services to the nation. He Said “Education is a matter of life and death to our nation. The world is moving so fast that if we do not educate ourselves, we will not only be left behind but also will be no more.”
· Commission on national education, 1959
The Commission on National Education was appointed by a resolution adopted by the government on 30th December 1958. The main reason was that the existing system of education was not adequate to meet the requirements of the nation. It was inaugurated by the president, MUHAMMAD Ayub Khan on January 5, 1959. The commission emphasized the importance of higher education, secondary education, primary education, secondary education, Adult education, education, physical education, religious education, the arts, education.
· New education policy, 1970
The New Education policy in 1970 was adopted by the cabinet on March 26, 1970. This policy was announced on November 28, 1969. It was recognized as an important factor in the creation of a democratic social order by ensuring equal access to opportunities for education.
· National Education policy, 1972
The President Of Pakistan ZULFIQAR Ali Bhutto, in his address to the nation on 15th March 1972 presents the policy 15 national education policy 1972 promotion of the ideology of Pakistan universal education first phase: 1st Oct 1972 education up to class VIII-free for boys and girls in all types of schools.
· National Education policy, 1992
The National Education Policy 1992 was another attempt to streamline the process of education which was the victim of various external and internal problems. So, this policy was designed by assessing future needs and demands of the country particularly in primary education and adult literacy.
· National Education policy, 1998
The National Education policy 1998–2010. Aims and objectives of education and Islamic education. Education and training should enable the citizens of Pakistan to lead their lives according to the teaching of Islam as laid down in the Qur’an and sunnah, to educate and train them as true practicing.
· National Education policy, 2009
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2009. Islamabad, Aug 20: The prepared by the federal government seeks the transformation of society along the lines of Islamic teachings and revitalizes the existing education system to cater to the social, political, and spiritual needs of individuals and society.
Ø “Role Of women Pakistan education system”
Pakistan is a developing country and has a large population. The noticeable factor is the women majority in the population of the country. It is a common quote that “There is a woman behind every successful man”. Defined the importance of women for any nation. It is a woman who gives birth to children, who look after them, and built a nation. It is also said that in a good nation, good women are required. Women play role in building nations, running counties, and economic systems eventually, an educated woman cannot only contribute to the economy, government but also as a good mother who makes her children do the same. Therefore, a young population with a major portion of females is a resource that if used wisely can help to bring benefits to the country in all terms. In Pakistan, the education level is very low. Many children are not going to school and are included in child labor. As for scientific research, women remain a minority, accounting for 33 % of researchers in the EU-28 in 2012. However, the proportion of women is growing faster than that of men (4.8 % annually over the period 2005–2011, compared with 3.3 % for men.
Gender Stereotypes,
Gender stereotyping occurs when a person is expected to enact a series of norms or behaviors based on their sex. Gender stereotypes refer to a cultural and socially constructed set of beliefs about what it means to be female or male. Gender stereotypes are complex and vary along the different and interrelated dimensions of traits, role behaviors, physical characteristics, and occupations. According to the European Parliament: traditional gender roles and stereotypes continue to have a strong influence on the division of roles between women and men in the home, in the workplace, and society at large, with women depicted as running the house and caring for children while men are depicted as wage-earners and protectors. young women students are expected to be more passive and inactive than boys … further studies in Finland and England found strong evidence that teenage girls are treated differently and expected to behave in ways that encourage good academic results but constrain personal development and autonomy.
Ø Gender-based choices across study fields
Different choices across study fields between women and men are still relevant characteristics of gender differences in education. The current share (2014) of people 30–34 with tertiary education attainment is 37.9 %. Among these, 42.3 % of women have attained a tertiary education compared to 33.6 % of men (2014). Women are, however, under-represented in some fields of study. Degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are much more prevalent among men, whereas social sciences and humanities are much more common among women. The number of top-level women graduates (International Standard Classification of Education. postgraduate programmers above master’s level) grew at a faster rate than the number of men graduates in the years up to 2012. At the EU-28 level, the number of women graduates grew by 4.4 percentage points (p.p.) between 2003 and 2012, whereas the number of men graduates has grown by 2.3 p.p. annually. The uneven distribution of women and men students across disciplines and academic curricula can also affect future employability and employment conditions and/or choices. According to UN United Nations In 2012, women outnumbered men in most academic fields, representing 77 % of graduates in education and training, 73 % in health and welfare, and 65 % in the humanities.
Ø Gender and early school leaving
Ø There are high numbers of out-of-school children and significant gender disparities in education across the entire country, but some areas are much worse than others. In Baluchistan, the province with the lowest percentage of educated women, as of 2014–15, 81 percent of women had not completed primary school, compared to 52% men. 75% of women had never attended school at all, compared to 40% of men. According to data of khyber Pakhtunkhwa had higher rates of education but similarly huge gender disparities, but the gender disparities were still 14 to 21%. Across all province’s generation after generation of children, especially “Girls” are locked out of education into poverty. Some dawn writers and include Interviewers for their report Girls talked again and again about their desire for education, their wish to “be someone” lack access to education for girls is part of a broader landscape of gender inequality In Pakistan. The country has one of Asia’s highest rates of maternal mortality. Violence against women and girls- including rape, so-called “honor” killings and violence, forced marriage, and child marriage- is a serious problem, and government responses are inadequate. Pakistani activists estimate that there are about 1,000 honor killings every year. 21% of females marry as children. A lack of access to government schools for many poor people has created a booming market for low-cost private schools, which in many areas are the only form of education available to poor families. While attempting to fill a critical gap, these schools may be compromised by poorly qualified and badly paid teachers, idiosyncratic curricula, and a lack of government quality assurance and oversight.
Ø Girls Education within the school system
The Pakistan government simply has not established an education system adequate to meet the needs of the country’s children, especially girls. While handing off responsibility to private school operators and religious schools might seem like a solution, nothing can absolve the state of its obligation, under international and domestic law, to ensure that all children receive a decent education- something that is simply is not happening in Pakistan today.
Ø Lack of Investment
The government does not adequately invest in schools. Pakistan spends far less on education than is recommended by the UN United Nations Educational, scientific and cultural organization (UNESCO) in its guidance on education. There is enough government school for all children to have access to one, the situation is far worse in rural areas, where schools are even more scarce, and it is less likely that private schools will fill the gap. Girls’ schools are more likely to be gender-segregated as children get older, and there are fewer schools for girls are pushed out of continuing studies because they finish at one school and cannot access the next grade level.
Ø High Cost of Education
Poor families struggle to meet the costs of sending their children to school. Government schools are generally more affordable than private education, but they sometimes charge tuition, registration, or exam fees, and they almost always require that students’ families foot the bill for associated costs. These include stationery, copies, uniforms, school bags, and shoes. Textbooks are sometimes provided for free at government schools, but sometimes families must pay for these as well.
Ø Poor Quality of Education
Many families expressed frustration about the quality of education available to them. Some said it was so poor that there was no point in sending children to school. In government schools, parents and students complained of teachers not showing up, overcrowding, and poor facilities. A private school particularly low-cost private schools is concerned related to teachers being badly educated and unqualified, and the instruction being patchy and unregulated. Teachers use punishment to the children and give them a big fear in their life to leave the school and do something for their families.
Ø No enforcement of compulsory education
One reason so many children in Pakistan do not go to school is that there is no enforced government expectation that children should study. Article 25-A, “the State shall provide free and compulsory education to children between the ages of five to 16 years old”. But there is nobody encourage to children to go school in this condition.
Ø Corruption
Corruption is a major issue in the government school system and exists in several forms. Especially in rural areas, some schools sit empty because corruption has redirected the teacher’s salary to someone who does not teach, according to education experts.
Ø Social norms or we can say social thinking
Some families do not believe that girls should be educated or believe girls should not study beyond a certain age. In some areas, families violating cultural norms prohibiting girls from studying can face pressure, and girls give harmful treatment in communities. They considered girls into Child marriage because in Pakistan there are 21% of girls marry before age 18, and 3% marry before age 15. Girls are insecure in society and whole the environment because they describe many types of insecurity, including sexual harassment, kidnapping, crime, conflict, and attacks on education.
Ø Gender-based violence at School
Educational institutions are not immune to gender-based violence in the form of sexist language, sexual harassment, or physical violence. Gender-based violence at school includes verbal or sexual harassment, sexual abuse, corporal punishment, stalking, cyber-harassment, and bullying. It can result in increased absenteeism, poor performance, school dropout, low self-esteem, depression, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, all of which have a detrimental impact on the learning and well-being of students. While studies on sexual violence show a greater prevalence rate among girls (52), further research reveals that boys are also at risk and experience discrimination, bullying, and violence, especially due to sexual orientation, disability, or ethnicity.
Thanks for reading this please give me your feedback below :)
