| Empowering girls through education | | | | facilities. Many states simply do not have enough |
| 2001 Indian government statistics hold the national | | | | classrooms to accommodate all of the school-age |
| literacy to be around 64.84%.Government statistics | | | | children. Furthermore, the classrooms that are |
| of 2001 also hold that the rate of increase of literacy | | | | available often lack basic necessities such as sanitary |
| is more in rural areas than in urban areas. Female | | | | facilities or water. In Uttar Pradesh, a recent survey |
| literacy was at a national average of 53.63% | | | | found that 54 percent of schools did not have a |
| whereas the male literacy was 75.26%. Within the | | | | water supply and 80 percent did not have latrines |
| Indian states, Kerala has shown the highest literacy | | | | (The World Bank, 1997b). Lack of latrines can be |
| rates of 90.02% whereas Bihar averaged lower than | | | | particularly detrimental to girl's school attendance. |
| 50% literacy, the lowest in India. The 2001 statistics | | | | Negative parental attitudes toward educating |
| also indicated that the total number of 'absolute non | | | | daughters can also be a barrier to a girl's education. |
| literates' in the country was 304 million | | | | Many parents view educating sons as an investment |
| India is the world's largest democracy where billions | | | | because the sons will be responsible for caring for |
| of people live and almost half of these are women. | | | | aging parents. On the other hand, parents may see |
| So how does woman effect India's development? | | | | the education of daughters a waste of money |
| If girls are not educated, families suffer too. | | | | because the girls are not expected to make |
| Educated mothers use their knowledge to improve | | | | economical contribution in the family. They are |
| the health of their children and other family | | | | expected to take care of family and carry out |
| members. They immunize their kids against major | | | | household chores. Promoting girls education |
| disease. They provide better nutrition. Their | | | | therefore involves changing attitude across society |
| knowledge about health risk protects their families | | | | merely spending money on girls education will not |
| against illness. Child mortality rate is much higher | | | | solve this problem. |
| where mothers lack education than in families where | | | | Imparting good education doesn't require building, |
| mothers are educated. | | | | uniform and even books but it does require good |
| Girls education is emerging as one of the top priorities | | | | teacher. Female teacher plays and important role in |
| of Indian society "educating girls is not an option it is | | | | imparting education to girls, as they are mores |
| a necessity", we all want to eliminate gender | | | | considerate about the girl's needs . Moreover families |
| disparities in education. Much progress has been | | | | are more comfortable about sending their daughters |
| made in recent decades. The number of girls | | | | to school.. |
| attending school is increasing but in some parts of | | | | I appreciate that our Indian government is also |
| India a number of girls still receives little or no | | | | making good efforts for promoting girls education like |
| education. Even today there are many girls which | | | | recently they have launched "Saakshar Bharat Mission |
| don't even have access to Primary education. In | | | | For Female Literacy" This mission aims to bring down |
| some areas female literacy is even less than half that | | | | female illiteracy by half of its present level. |
| of males. | | | | According to International centre for research on |
| Educating girls brings many benefits to society. As | | | | women, the education that a girl receives is the |
| educated mother gives importance to education and | | | | strongest predicator of the age she will marry and it |
| they invest more in their children's schooling and this | | | | a would be a critical factor in reducing the prevalence |
| improves society's development prospect. They | | | | of child marriage. I think poverty is the whole sole |
| strongly believe and practice family planning. They | | | | biggest barrier to the access of education, so school |
| give equal importance to education, health and | | | | fee abolition is absolutely necessary. Moreover |
| increase the productivity of future generation. And | | | | school near the slum area or in rural area should have |
| if they are not educated then the productivity and | | | | flexible timings so that the families which deprive their |
| capacity of future generation will be low. | | | | daughter from going to school just because girls have |
| We have to keep this thing in mind if we will not | | | | to help their mother in daily house chores feel |
| invest now on girls education then we have to pay | | | | comfortable sending them to school. |
| prices in future in the form of slow growth and less | | | | Thus women's education should be taken as a |
| income. | | | | serious issue and steps should be taken to bring |
| There are many cultural and economical reasons for | | | | awareness about importance of education among |
| girls illiteracy like verbal and physical abuse, lack of | | | | every woman both in urban and rural area. This |
| sanitation, long distances between home and school | | | | way many of the social problems like poverty, |
| hazardous experience that deter parents from | | | | begging, child labor, child marriage and child mortality |
| sending their daughters to school. Another barrier to | | | | will be controlled up to some extent. |
| education in India is the lack of adequate school | | | | |