The Value of Educating Women Worldwide
By: Kayla Harrop
English 102
12/29/2017
Imagine if every women in the entire world had safe access to be able to gain an education. Imagine what a positive impact it would make across the globe. Imagine how many life's, how many future lives and entire communities and countries would be dramatically changed forever. There are millions of women around the world that are being denied even a primary education. Women being refused the opportunity to simply learn to read. We as a united nation, and as one of the strongest and most powerful countries, have an obligation and responsibility to help those who cannot help themselves. Education should be a right to every human being, not a privilege.
According to recent studies done by Unicef, education for females is the most effective and promising way to dramatically improve the lives of families, further progress economic development, as well as bring dramatic growth to underdeveloped and rural countries around the world. By significantly advancing educational opportunities for females, women can better develope knowledge and skills that will allow them to make smarter, safer decisions for themselves and for their families that will continue to last and progress generation after generation. As well as influencing community changes, creating a positive impact on the most profound issues of our time. Vast population growth, HIV, peace, safety, hunger, security, and the ever so expanding gap between the rich and poor.
Creating more opportunities for female education in under developed will dramatically change their lives and the lives of our future generations. It will greatly decrease gender based violence, help put an end to child marriages, and help decrease sex slavery. Without Education, millions of girls and women around the world are being forced against their will to live there life without the option for growth or progression. In a world that changes and improves so vastly, they have no choice but to be left behind. The cycle continuing year after year, generation after generation.
Bringing educating to women everywhere instantly removes the limitations that are set on millions of lives. According to Carolyn Miles, author of save the children, "The only way to guarantee women's success is to empower and educate". Too many women and girls in the developing world are denied opportunities for even basic education. Lack of education decreases quality of life, limits prospects, reduces family income, introduces health hazards, puts millions of women and young girls at risk of sex trafficking and exploitation, and limits the economic advancement of entire countries. (Miles, Carolyn and Ahmed, Maryam, Save the children. October 11, 2017)
There are countless barriers that interfere with education in communities all around the globe. Barriers that with some attention, can be remedied. For starters the lack of funding for school houses, buildings, or even safe places where groups could meet, having an untrained teacher or worse no teachers at all. The Lack of learning materials for the students, the exclusion of children with disabilities or being the "wrong" gender (a woman), Children living in counties where there is a risk of conflict or war.
The distance so many children must travel every day to be able to attend school. Children who experience hunger and poor nutrition, or have responsibilities at home that cannot be neglected long enough to attend any type of schooling. The expenses the families are faced with to be able to send their child or children to school. (O'Neill
Jennifer, Global Citizen. Global Poverty Project. June 2, 2014) If we as Americans could become more involved in organizations that travel all over to relieve these barriers, or even just donate whatever we could afford once a year. Just something to help those in need. If by making a simple change or sacrifice in our life could so dramatically change the entire world for one woman, there shouldn't be a single once of hesitation.
Despite wonderful progress that has been made, females of all ages continue to be discriminated against in their efforts to gain a basic education. Atul Loke, author of "Girls and Women's right to education", wrote that 57 million children worldwide, including 31 million girls, are out of school and two thirds of illiterate adults are women. Also that in developing countries, adolescent girls are more likely to drop-out of secondary school than boys, mainly in rural areas. These numbers are unacceptable. In
today's day and age women are capable of doing anything they can dream of. Every woman should have that same right.
There are many reasons that prevent girls from gaining an education. Mainly poverty, pregnancy, school-based violence, child marriage, and discriminatory gender norms are the major obstacles for girls' education worldwide. The only way for these problems to be fixed is to educate, women mainly but men as well. Especially in underdeveloped countries. The perceived benefits and expectations of girls' domestic work also keep girls out-of-school. Pregnancy and child marriage cut short adolescent girls' schooling before they have completed secondary school. It completely eliminates there childhood and youth, and takes them right into adulthood without being prepared. Getting women into some type of schooling is not enough, they need to feel safe and secure while in school so that they have the best chance possible of successfully completing all levels of education.
Studies have shown that women who complete even a primary education have significant advantages over women who have not gained any education. According to the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative, children of educated mothers are twice as likely to survive past the age of five. Twice as likely! Foreign aid for schoolhouses and curriculum development could greatly benefit the East African country of Burundi, where nearly 16,000 children die per year. A girl who completes primary school is three times less likely to contract HIV. With these statistics in mind, The World Bank calls education a "window of hope" in preventing the spread of AIDS among today's children. Poverty remains the number one reason that determines whether or not a female will attend school. (UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (December 1, 2017) Imagine if we were discussing your family or women and children that you care about. Would you accept those odds?
When women are provided with equal rights and equal access to education, they go on to participate in business and economic activity. Increasing earning power and income combat against current and future poverty through feeding, clothing and providing for entire families and communities. Simply through education one women can help make dramatic and lasting changes for herself, her family and her country. Changes that will effect generation after generation. If we could only grasp what an incredible difference each one of us could make in these women's lives simply by donating our time or money, or getting involved or supporting organizations that advocate and provide for these women. If you had the power to change a life for the better, why wouldn't you? Education for every woman cannot be overlooked or taken for granted.
There is nothing that can substitute the value of a women's education. Ending oppression is an issue not only of justice and righteousness, but also of economic progress and development. Educating girls and empowering women to enter the labor market or run businesses, even on a small scale will make a huge difference in a developing community's economy. Empowered women will by far help lower poverty rates and diminish support for terrorism. Women should be able to fulfill their aspirations inside and outside the home, to the benefit of themselves, their families, and their countries. Opening economic opportunities to women has far-reaching effects, but those benefits can be reaped only if women receive at least a basic education. (Unicef, "Girls education: A Lifeline to development". unicef.org. October 12, 1996)
Work Cited
Loke, Atul
"Girls & Women"
Right to Education
Issues, Marginalized groups, Girls & Women
GreenNet 2017
Miles, Carolyn and Ahmed, Maryam
Save the children
Girls and Women
"Advocating to give every last girl a future"
October 11, 2017
O'Neill Jennifer
Global Citizen
Education
Global Poverty Project
June 2, 2014
Schorow, Stephanie
Harvard Gazette
"The Value of Women"
September 28, 2010
UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNESCO.org
Education
Latest update December 1, 2017
Unicef
Fifty years for children
"Girls education: A Lifeline to development"
unicef.org
October 12, 1996
