|
Rachel Wishkoski
The Right to Education and the Girl Child:
Creating Change through the Empowerment of Young Women with Knowledge
If only the world were only as Lalita imagines with a school accessible to every female child; if only every girl in the world could be as lucky as Lalita. Unfortunately, this is far from the case. Of the 121 million children in the world who do not attend school, a disproportionately large 65 million are girls (UNICEF, "Basic Education and Gender Equality"). "83% of all girls out of school live in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific," and stemming from a lack of adequate education in childhood, an incredible "two-thirds of the world's 875 million illiterate adults are women" (UNICEF, "Basic Education and Gender Equality"). Between 2000 and 2004, the percentages of net school attendance in industrialized countries for boys and girls were 95 and 96, respectively. While these numbers should be closer to 100, compared to Sub-Saharan Africa where male school attendance is at 70 percent and female only at 62, they are extremely high (“Basic Education,” childinfo.org). "At the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000, world leaders agreed to a set of measurable, time-bound targets known as the Millennium Development Goals to address crippling poverty and its devastating consequences," including gender disparity and a lack of accessible education for the world's youth. The education improvements and steps toward gender equality that were to be made by 2005 were not made on time. Now, the goal has been set by the education committee World Fit for Children to "ensure that, by 2015, all children have access to complete primary education that is free, compulsory and of good quality" (“Basic Education,” childinfo.org). Improving education for girls, the gender that faces the most barriers to education and is generally more marginalized, will ultimately improve education for boys as well: "When schools are girl-friendly they are child-friendly" (UNICEF, "Basic Education and Gender Equality"). Before this can be achieved, however, there is a complex of complicated issues that must be addressed that are currently preventing the girl child's access to the education she deserves. Family poverty, one of the main obstacles faced by the girl child, often prevents girls from accessing education for several reasons. School uniforms and fees are often unaffordable for families in very poor countries. Even if one child's education can be afforded, the male child is often the member of the family sent to school because educating the male is seen as an investment, whereas educating a female is considered a waste. Girls are needed at home to keep the household running and to do the menial daily tasks, including water-carrying and fuel-gathering, that give their parents the time to earn an income for the family. Governmental regulations and laws often do more to hinder than to help girls' education. In some countries, for example, even though "early marriage and pregnancy are widespread," even encouraged by society, there are "laws and policies that prohibit pregnant girls from attending school or returning to school after the birth of their child" (UNICEF, "Basic Education and Gender Equality"). The majority of the estimated 50 million children whose births were never registered are girls, and often "the lack of a birth certificate can prevent admission to school or block eligibility to take examinations" (UNICEF, "Basic Education and Gender Equality"). Safety is another major concern, with emotional and sexual violence, including rape, and intimidation often making the school environment hostile to girls. The lack of attention and care given to girls in the years before they reach school-age compared to that given to boys is another problem because it makes "the playing field" for academic and social accomplishment "uneven from the start" (UNICEF, "Basic Education and Gender Equality"). But perhaps one of the greatest barriers facing girls is the fact that, as UNICEF identified, school is often "irrelevant to their realities" ("Basic Education and Gender Equality"). There is a lack of female teachers to serve as role models for girls, as well as a lack of relevant curriculum that addresses issues facing girls, from HIV/AIDS to nutrition. In lessons, "females are generally absent - or portrayed stereotypically - in the content and images," especially in areas "regarded as the male domain" including math and the sciences (UNICEF, "Basic Education and Gender Equality"). As mentioned earlier, several groups have set goals and timeframes for addressing the challenges faced by girls in accessing adequate education. UNICEF has been a leader in this area, not only in identifying basic education and gender equality as a primary concern, but implementing practical outreach programs in 157 countries to begin to makea difference. UNICEF recognizes that all children must "not only get into school, but stay there, at least until the age of 15, in order to acquire a basic education. For those adolescents who were passed by, a 'second chance' for a quality basic education" must also be offered (UNICEF, "Basic Education and Gender Equality"). UNICEF programs help governments in countries with female school enrollment that is less than 85 percent to develop strategies that can include reaching out to girls and their families, improving the quality of education, reducing the national and community conflicts that often prevents girls from being able to go to school, and addressing cultural barriers to education. The Working Group on Girls NGO Committee on UNICEF also created an important document this past spring ("Platform for Girls") that helped to define the problems that face the girl child, problems that could be significantly diminished by increased educational opportunities. A second non-governmental organization (NGO) that is achieving significant change in the area of girls' education is Save the Children, which has programs specifically geared toward education in 30 countries and in 13 states of the United States (Save the Children). Save the Children's State of the World's Mothers Report (2005) shows the important effects that educating young girls can have on their entire society: "Schooling girls benefits individuals and has a dramatic ripple effect that can change the course of a nation. When they grow up, educated girls are more likely postpone marriage and childbirth, have fewer children, have the resources to ensure their children's health and education, and contribute to the improvement of society through their involvement in civic groups and political decision-making" (Save the Children). Governments aided by UNICEF and Save the Children have begun to make progress in educational improvement, with Bolivia, Kenya, and Cameroon ranked as the most successfully improving countries (Save the Children). The countries whose conditions are worsening due to conflict, the increase of disease, and population growth still need assistance, especially Rwanda, Iraq, and Malawi (Save the Children). According to the School Report for Rich Countries (2006) prepared by the Global Campaign for Education, "rich nations have broken their promises to poor children" (Global Campaign for Education). Kailash Satyarthi, President, stated in the organization's report, that "100 million children will not go to school today because of promises broken by rich countries like Germany, Italy, and the US" (Global Campaign for Education). In fact, the number is even higher. The United States was given an overall "E" grade for their lack of support of education in struggling nations, as the U.S. government "gives barely $1 per citizen per year, compared to $20 per citizen per year in the UK" (Global Campaign for Education). This lack of monetary support shows a lack of respect and compassion for the disadvantaged in the rest of the world. Church groups based in the United States have taken steps to demonstrate their solidarity and support for girls', and children's, education. Various orders of sisters, including the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary and the Congregation of Notre Dame, have made it a priority to ensure the quality education in North America. Their students can develop a passion for social justice and an awareness of global issues so that they can use their knowledge to advocate on behalf of the less fortunate. Parish sponsorship of children in different regions, as well as fundraising and mission trips to help improve economical conditions, help provide access for children to a quality education. There is much more work to be done to achieve the goal of free, compulsory, and accessible education for all children as well as the elimination of gender disparity by 2015. The most important objective is to create environments for girls in which they are safe and healthy so that they can learn. This means removing the social taboos that can prevent girls from becoming educated; providing economical assistance to families and communities so that female children are not kept from school to do menial work; education for parents about the importance of schooling for their children and incentives such as free uniforms or reduced school fees; and creating lesson plans that are relevant to the female student and give her information about disease prevention and social empowerment, along with literacy and knowledge of math and science. Governments, especially those of the United States and other very wealthy nations, are obligated to help by reducing poverty in developing countries through "national development strategies, full debt cancellation, fair trade, [and] enhanced official development...and technical assistance" ("Platform for Girls"). There are also many ways in which the youth of the world should take a role in spreading education. Connections between youth promote understanding and awareness of diversity, of the role of culture in communities, and of the disparity between the rich and poor nations of the world. Specifically here in Seattle, Holy Names students should become vocal advocates for the education of girls, since Holy Names is a girls' school striving to live according to Catholic social teachings (including the Option for the Poor and Vulnerable). Out of gratitude for one of the best high school educations available, the Holy Names senior class should lead the way in implementing a program for connecting local high schools around the world. The school has already taken a step in this direction with the plan to aid students in Kosovo. A vision for the future would have local high schools (Catholic, private, and public) paired with sister schools in different countries. These schools would be newly established schools dedicated to the equal treatment and enrollment of students of both gender and would have an involved community. Holy Names seniors would contact the schools in the summer and pair them with a Seattle high school. The beginning of each school year would consist of city-wide fundraising to provide the sister schools with at least one computer and internet connection. Contact would be maintained throughout the year through email and would involve students, parents, and teachers. Using the many resources and better methods of communication available to them, Seattle students would be able to make a difference in the lives of students around the world and could help equip them with school supplies, athletic equipment, and, most importantly, a sense of support and compassion from another part of the world. A sister school program involving most of the high schools in Seattle, if implemented for several years and with new sister school pairings each year, has the potential to quickly impact all parts of the world. According to UNICEF, education for girls is an immensely powerful tool as it benefits all of society: "Quality education is key to overcoming poverty in a single generation. Quality education is fundamental in creating a future for human security, community development and national progress. It is an enormous challenge. It is also an immense opportunity...A classroom not only provides a safe haven for girls, it can instill in them a sense of their own power, and hope for the future," a hope that is critical to the success of the global community (UNICEF, "Basic Education and Gender Equality"). "The girl child of today is the woman of tomorrow," and it does not bode well for the world that many of these women of tomorrow in impoverished countries would neither be able to read this paper in their own language, nor be aware of the basic rights that are being denied them, if progress toward universal education continues as slowly as it is now ("Platform for Girls"). Works Cited
"Basic Education." Jan. 2006. UNICEF Statistics. 04 Oct. 2006 <http://childinfo.org/areas/education/>. "Child Poverty and Education." 2006. Save the Children. 06 Oct. 2006 <http://www.savethechildren.org/education/index.asp>. "Platform for Girls." The Working Group on Girls: NGO Committee on UNICEF. May 2006. 04 Oct. 2006 <http://www.girlsrights.org/factsheets/updated/Complete2006rev.pdf>. "School Report - 2006 Rich Countries." 2006. Global Campaign for Education. 04 Oct. 2006 <http://www.campaignforeducation.org/schoolreport/index.html>. "Transformation through Education: The Story of Lalita." UNICEF. 04 Oct. 2006 <http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/india_lalita_education.html>.
|
"I
still remember the day my twin brother caught me going to school. He beat me
up since he was ashamed of the fact that I dared to study when none of the
men in our family had ever attended school. My mother condoned his
violence...I could not understand how mothers do not side with their
daughters."