Women’s Education – Not just a criteria for Matrimonial Ads!

99.5 years! 99.5 years! 99.5 years!

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2020, it will take 99.5 years to close the global gender gap between men and women. There is another interesting piece of information which we as Indians would be fascinated to know. India tops the world in producing female graduates in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), nearly 43% of the STEM graduates in India are women. Ironically, women constitute only 14% (United Nations) of the total 280,000 scientists, engineers and technologists in research development institutions in India. Despite the economic growth in our country, the labour force participation rate of women is declining and less than 26% of the women above the age of 15 participate in the workforce.

For urban citizens, this could be shocking because we do see many career-driven women around us. But let us just pause for a moment and look into our own families. How many of our mothers, aunts, sisters, cousins and daughters have quit their jobs either after marriage or after childbirth? After all, we educate our girls only so that we can source a rich groom for her in the matrimony market. Her education is only considered as her ticket to marriage in most families. Although, I have been fortunate enough to be born in a family where they truly believe in making their girls independent not just financially but also emotionally. Until the gates of the college, we see our girls competing with our boys even though it was never an equal competition. As a woman I can vouch for the fact that at least for a few days in a month she would have to muster up humongous strength during her menstruating days to perform the same activities as her peers. For anyone who thinks that it is no big deal, just go through one hour of stomach cramps and then we can discuss about how big a deal it is!

Take a moment and look around your workplace, how many women do you see around you? If you are in a job related to STEM, then the chances of seeing women is even lesser. I am one of those privileged women who was fortunate to complete her masters in renewable engineering and get employed in the same sector. There have been many meetings, seminars and conferences when the number of women did not even cross single digits. Where have all our intelligent and smart girls from college disappeared? Does it ever prick our conscience when we see one of our girls easily giving up her entire career in a matter of days? Have you ever thought about her hard-work of innumerable hours, days and years that went into making her educated?

Even today, many girls around the world have quit school after attaining puberty. How can you justify the break to a girl’s education just because there are no proper toilets in schools? Honestly, even in cities, women would always find it hard to access clean toilets when they are outside their homes. Most of the time we do not urinate for hours just so that we could get back to the safety of clean toilet at home. For people who are not aware, the anatomy of a women is more prone to be affected by urinary tract infections than men. Half our problems would be solved if we are provided with clean toilets!

Parents are always worried about getting their daughters married at the “right age”. Marriage is as important for a man as it is for a woman. Then why is it so burdening for a girl’s parents that they are even willing to sacrifice her education for marriage? The answer is unfair and unwanted societal pressure! Many times the family can only bear one expense for their daughter – education or marriage. Unfortunately most parents choose the latter over former. We cannot blame them for this decision because everyone will question if a woman is unmarried, but nobody questions if she is unemployed. A highly educated bride is sought after but not successful career-woman. If you have a career-woman as a wife, then you will have to be prepared to share her work at home and make space for her dreams too in your life. We would not be having this discussion if all our men began to understand that her dreams are important too.

It is time we make it a point to celebrate women every day. Let her make decisions not only about what she wants to wear but also about what she wants to do in her life. The most valuable gift that you can ever give a woman is respect and trust. Educate her not just to find a husband but to discover herself in this journey of life. As parents, nothing can be more satisfying than living with the assurance that your girl is ready to face the world under any circumstance. You may not be able to afford her expensive clothes, jewellery or a big fat wedding, but give her good education even if it is beyond your capacity. Life began in this universe with a woman, she is the embodiment of power. Unfortunately, we have been cunning enough to not let her realise the full potential of her power.

This world needs confident and independent women!

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