Beti Bachao – Beti Padhao: Every Parent With A Daughter Must Watch This Video On Girl’s Education

Written by Reshmi AR  • 

The hand that rocks the cradle can rule the world. If you still haven’t figured out who I am talking about, well, I am referring to a woman. Gone are the times when a girl was considered the weaker sex. She broke the glass ceiling eons ago, and has emerged on par and even above her male counterparts on several occasions. Yet in many countries, a girl child is looked down upon and seen as a burden to the family till she’s married off to take on the responsibility of a new family whose members are perfect strangers to her.

Despite the need for a girl’s education being emphasized by celebrities across the world, about 57 million kids don’t go to school. This is the global statistics declared by the UNESCO in 2013. I only hope the figures have improved in the last four years.

An African proverb goes thus: Educate a boy, you educate a person. Educate a girl, you are educating a family and an entire nation. This should pretty much sum up why girl’s education is so important.

Image: IStock

There are girls who have crossed hurdles and fought battles to get themselves educated. We have the likes of Pakistani child rights activist Malala Yousufzai, who was nearly killed by the Taliban for upholding female education. She fought against all the odds and turned girl’s education into an international movement, which is what made her the youngest ever Nobel Prize Laureate.

Several girls look up to her for inspiration. Also, in the age of economic crisis, it only helps that a majority of people (both sexes) are educated to make a nation productive. No, we are not only talking of a literate woman adding to her family’s income, but something more. Knowledge is power, and educating girls enables them to make clear cut choices in life. Education means skills, confidence, and knowledge to be a better citizen, parent, and worker.

The video below clearly reflects how educating a girl can help not just her but an entire community too. Check out this beautiful video to understand what I mean.

As highlighted in the video, there are several factors that rob girls of their right to education. Three major contributing factors that deprive girls of their educational rights are:

  1. Society: We have heard of honor killing and also of extremist societies where men think educating a woman is like giving her a weapon in hand. True, this gives her much awareness about everything in life. Women who voice their opinion are detested in several societies. The video that we just saw questions why girls can’t be cut out for certain jobs, electrical repairs in this case. It’s so evident to see how the society frowns upon a girl’s progress. Probably why Taliban militants made an assassination attempt on Malala.

In a fitting reply, Malala retaliated thus after she recovered from her injury: Extremists have shown what frightens them the most: A girl with a book!

  1. Family: In most homes, the family members themselves are regressive and unwilling to send their daughters to schools. All they want is for her to pick up housekeeping skills that will prepare her for her marital life.
  1. Financial crunch: Although most countries offer free education, it is only at the basic level. A girl from an economically weak background can’t even dream of higher studies unless she has some sponsors.

Depriving a girl of her basic education rights is still prevalent in India, more so in the rural regions where there is limited access to schools too. The increasing crime rate against young girls has not helped the education campaign in any way.

Then, how can education of girls be made possible? Here are a few pointers that might help, particularly rural areas, achieve girls’ literacy.

  1. Support from parents and community: Government-run schools exist in most parts of rural India. However, the enrollment rate is far from satisfactory. The figures in some regions are so appalling that the schools were closed down due to non-availability of students and teachers alike. So, unless the parents of girls and the community as a whole get involved in the process, girls’ education will remain a distant dream.
  1. Safe learning place: As I said earlier, it isn’t easy for parents to send their daughters to school, given the cases of rape. Having a secure learning environment in the vicinity of their homes would encourage more enrollment.
  1. Affordable: Basic education is free, but if a girl wants to go for higher education, for which she has to migrate to a city, it’s next to impossible, given their social status. Higher education means extra expenditure for parents and certainly an excuse to get the girls to drop out of schools. Making education affordable and accessible for all would help a great deal in minimizing the rate of dropouts.
  1. Local language: At times, people can’t speak any language other than their own, let alone English. And the phobia of comprehending something in a foreign language too keeps several students away from learning. Providing learning materials in local languages can help large-scale participation.

In 2016, there were 31 million girls of primary school age that were not in school. Such being the unfathomable reality, we do have the resources today to turn the harsh facts into something acceptable. It’s time we gave the girl child her due.

A Tibetan proverb goes: A child without education is a bird without wings.

Give her wings to fly, and you will be amazed at her ability to touch the sky. Spread the good word of female literacy. Let us know your views on educating a girl child. We would love to hear from you.

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