The importance of education cannot be overemphasized all over the world, as education is the gateway to having a brighter future. For the girl child, education is the key to liberating their mind and body. Millions of girls in India are denied these rights which shouldn’t be so as the education of a girl child brings so many benefits that spread across the nation like a ripple. This is a key and necessary step for the growth of a more prosperous, stronger, and industrial India.
The Current State of Girl Education in India: Its Progress and Setbacks
The government and NGOs have made various efforts to promote girl child education and female literacy in India. Although there has been progress, challenges have also slowed down efforts. There have been various schemes that have helped and encouraged families to prioritize their daughters’ education. According to a UNESCO survey, there are over 20 million girls in India that drop out of school each year due to various challenges like:
- Poverty: Due to high levels of poverty, many families cannot afford to fully provide for their family. Hence boy education is prioritized as men are seen as the breadwinners of the family while girls will be married off eventually, so investing in girl education is usually off the table.
- Cultural Norms: Dealing with cultural stereotypes is one of the prevailing reasons girls drop out of school. The girl child is expected to focus on domestic chores and prioritize marriage over education.
- Lack of Schools: Schools are not as available in rural parts of India, which limits the access of schools to children and makes it hard for them to receive an education.
Other reasons why girls are dropping out include but are not limited to early marriage and pregnancy, lack of financial independence, unsafe public spaces, prioritizing boy child education, gender discrimination, and domestic chores.
Benefits of Educating the Girl Child
Everyone should get an education, especially the girl child, as it brings so many benefits to the people and the nation as a whole. A few benefits are listed below:
- Increased Economic Growth:
There is a saying that goes – When you educate a girl, you educate a nation. For every girl who stays in school and receives an education, her future achievements and income increase by a wide margin due to securing better-paying jobs and contributing to their family’s economic well-being.
A family is the basic unit of society; when a woman’s family experiences economic development due to her education, when multiplied by the millions of women and families in the nation, what nation wouldn’t experience great economic growth and turnover?
- Healthier Families and Nation:
An educated woman is more likely to have better health outcomes, as their education would expose them to proper sex education, knowledge about menstrual hygiene, and proper knowledge of family planning methods.
With this knowledge, adolescent girls and women can care for themselves and are not easily exploited, women can use family planning knowledge to prepare their minds and bodies for pregnancy and learn how to space their pregnancies to avoid genetic or developmental issues such as anemia or malnutrition.
With knowledge and proper hygiene, there is improved nutrition, and maternal and infant mortality rates are drastically reduced. Healthier children lead to an increased population and future labor force, leading to a healthier nation.
- Breaking the Poverty Cycle and Empowerment:
Girls who are educated and complete their education marry later, contributing to family stability by having fewer children. Education also helps empower girls to make informed decisions about their health, careers, marriages, and lives.
- Reduced Underage Marriage, Pregnancy and Builds Strong Communities:
Educated girls are less likely to be pregnant or be married off at a young age. Being educated also shows them the importance of education and that knowledge is power, in which case, an educated woman ensures that their children are educated, which has a positive effect across generations.
Solutions Towards a Better Future for the Girl Child
The Future of a girl child is very important, and listed below are a few solutions that address the issues and bring out the dormant potential in every girl across the country:
- Government Schemes: The Indian government has launched various schemes like the Mid Day Meal Schemes and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao which promote girls’ education and alleviate the financial burdens on families. The government should also create awareness of the importance of education, especially of the girl child and gender equality, through high-quality and impactful media content, partnering with local schools, and public outreach programs.
- Community initiatives: Grassroots governments play an important role as they are the closest to the basic unit of society. They can alter their mindset by engaging families and informing them of the long-term benefit of educating and improving the girl child’s access to education.
- Infrastructural Development: Building safe and accessible schools with proper sanitation facilities in rural areas is important. It helps address the lack of education and creates more opportunities for girls to get educated.
Conclusion
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step– countless steps have been taken to ensure girl child education in India, and countless more will follow until the goal is reached. By educating girls in India, we invest in their lives and the future to bring about a greater India. We empower them to make informed decisions about their health, careers, and lives.
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