By Reneeka Chatterjee (Intern, CRY, Kolkata)
Highlighting The Importance Of Secondary Education For The Girl Child
Letting the girls complete their education is a smart social and economic investment that equips them with empowerment and independence. An empowered and educated girl evolves and grows to become a woman of substance. Unfortunately, in our country, especially in the rural areas, girls often drop out of school at the secondary education level and do not get the opportunity to become a “woman of substance.”
The reasons are manifold. At home, it is the parents who cannot afford to pay their school fees, or bear additional costs for stationery, or are simply waiting to get their daughters married off as early as possible. They do not have any aspirations for the girls, and want them to only engage in completing household chores, or taking care of their siblings, and the like. Outside home, there are not enough schools that offer education beyond a certain class, or even if there are, these schools are located too far away for regular commuting.
Child marriage is the biggest hurdle in the way of many girls completing their education. Even in today’s age, there are parents who consider their daughters to be a burden and believe that they must marry off at an early age. Child marriage is an evil social practice which is deeply ingrained in our society, and large numbers of girls in rural India fall prey to this evil practice every year, which in turn compels them to sacrifice their education.
When girls get married at a tender age, their bodies are often unable to handle unwanted pregnancies. The World Bank reveals that each year of secondary education has the capacity to reduce the likelihood of girls marrying below the age of 18 by a considerably high percentage in many developing countries across the world. Teenage pregnancies not only lead to higher infant mortality rates but may also lead to higher numbers of deaths of the mothers. Teenage pregnancies can also lead to poorer health outcomes for both the young mother and the new-born child in their future lives. The UNESCO also reveals that the under-five mortality rate would drop considerably if all mothers completed their secondary education.
Conversely, educated girls lead much healthier and more productive lives. Education empowers them and makes them financially independent. When girls complete their education, they are in a position to build a better future for themselves and for their families. Every girl who stays in school is less likely to get married young. Consequently, the number of teenage pregnancies in the country also falls. Empowered girls have greater control over their own lives, and they can plan their families better. An educated mother also makes it a point to educate her daughters, which is a big step in breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty. The USAID reveals that a child who is born of an educated mother is more likely to live a healthier and happier life.
Educated girls have the courage to stand up for themselves, and fight for their own rights. They are knowledgeable and can spread awareness among their peers and siblings about the rights they all are entitled to enjoy. They can stand up against injustice and abuse, and face the adversities that come their way. When young girls stand up against domestic violence, the rates of violence in households drop. Gender-based violence also reduces. Furthermore, crime rates in the nation also drop when girls have the capacity and the courage to stand up for themselves and face the world around them.
Through education, girls get the opportunity to realise their complete potential, nurture their dreams, and work towards fulfilling them. To groom “women of substance”, we have to send our girls to school, let them pursue higher studies, and give them the platform to unfurl their dreams. This will benefit them, the community as a whole, and the nation at large. The best ways to address the challenges that girls in our country face in continuing and completing their education include actively engaging with communities, promoting awareness about the importance of educating the girl child, and actively fostering a cultural shift towards recognising and valuing education for girls.
Girls can determine and realise their life outcomes only when they have the capacity to realise their rights, and have access to quality educational programmes and services.
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