Female education in Pakistan is a topic that has been discussed several times. This has been a trendy and hot topic for decades. Pakistan is an Islamic country where Islam never imposes bad things upon people. Nor does it bind anyone who gets knowledge and evolves with time. But there are several sorts of misconceptions in people’s minds.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) addressed the Muslims and said” Seeking knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim ” Now here the beloved prophet didn’t mention that only men are eligible to get knowledge. He further added that ” Seek knowledge through it may be far as China”.
But in Pakistani, I am saying it is very heavy-hearted that we didn’t give ahead on what the Quran is saying to us. We only believe what a man is saying. If the Qaazi said do not let your girls get the knowledge we obeyed him. People have manipulated several things. The result of this manipulation and recreation of Quran verses is that people just followed false beliefs instead of seeking truth by analyzing the Quran.
Now this was about the Islamic point of view and the religious matters. If we talk about the recent situation in Pakistan then we will come to know several shocking facts, and reasons why female education is not as high as that of boys. So, let’s have a look at them too.
Importance of Women’s Education:
No one can deny the importance of education for anyone. Because knowledge lets you know the purpose of your existence. How to live a life? How you can learn the basics? Who you are, what is the purpose of your life?, Rights and duties, the difference between bad and good things, and so many other things related to current affairs people know if they get knowledge. The uneducated person is even unable to talk if they move from their home to other cities. In the current era education is very much compulsory otherwise you will never compete with the latest trends.
This is the era of advancements and evolution. Technological advancements and other amazing evolutions are happening daily. For females, education is important because they can come to know about their basic rights and can protect themselves from domestic violence.
Education empowers them to fight for their rights and to have a voice in the decision-making process in a male-dominated society. Through education, they can get to know that they are not bound to anything they even can participate in any field including politics. Religion and traditions affect the education of women but if people can analyze the importance and demands of it in this new era then they will realize how much it is to get knowledge. No religion disallows to to seek new information and knowledge.
education is a critical part of human development because no country can grow if its youth is unaware of the latest trends. Now only skilled, literate and sharp-minded people can progress in their lives otherwise they will be doomed. Women’s Education is not only a demand it’s a need for social well-being, economic growth, and social stability.
Percentage of women’s education in Pakistan
According to a study in May 2024, 43 percentage of girls were enrolled in primary public sector schools in Pakistan while 57% were boys. The literacy rate of females in Pakistan was 49.6% in January 2022. While the male literacy rate was around 72%. This is a huge margin for both genders. If we talk about the enrollment rate then in 2022 the gross enrollment rate for girls in the country was 78% but males dominated with a percentage of 94%. The degree college enrollment rate in 2018 for girls was 46% while 54% for boys.
Gender Disparities in Pakistan
Gender disparity is very common in Pakistani societies. It has been a significant issue in various parts of the country. It refers to the unequal treatment and opportunities provided by individuals based on their gender. This becomes a reason for the difference between males and females. If we talk about the key aspects of gender disparity in education then these include”
- Enrollment Rates: The enrollment rate of females in education was much lower than that of boys. In rural areas, many girls even do not begin their education.
- Due to some cultural and economic factors secondary level education is also affected.
- Dropout Rates: Girls are more likely to drop out than boys. There are several reasons to do so including their early marriages, domestic responsibilities, economic pressure, etc.
- Quality of Education: The low quality of education for women is also the reason for their illiteracy. Schools for girls in Pakistan lack the basic facilities, trained teachers, and safe learning environment.
Social and cultural barriers
Pakistan is a country which has its own culture and social norms. These norms and values often prioritize the education of boys over girls. In several areas, girls are even treated worse than boys. The lower mindset and the less importance of girls’ education are carrying the gender disparity in Pakistan. The percentage of girls is lower than that of boys because of several reasons.
In rural areas, people are still living their lives with their old mindset. As they are not literate and they didn’t evolve themselves according to to the time. In various provinces and rural areas, they even do not recognize education for females. They have only one thought which is, that girls are bound to do their domestic responsibilities what will they do if they get an education? Why knowledge is obligatory for them when they get married and go to another home? For them, boys’ education matters because they are responsible for the financial matters of their families.
So, this misconception and false beliefs never let them get rid of their old version of thoughts. That’s why millions of girls do not even enroll in school every day. And this is the sad dilemma of our country.
In 2024 although people are changing their beliefs and trying to evolve themselves according to the demands of time. Now girls’ enrollment rate is also increasing. Government Schools and colleges are active in almost every province. The Minister of Education of every province is responsible for delivering high-quality education to both genders.
But still, there are several things and factors which need to be considered. The root causes haven’t been touched. 37 of the Constitution of Pakistan basic education is the right of girls but gender disparity still exists in the educational sectors. According to the Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program, the unemployment rate of females is almost 3.8 times higher than that of males.
Barriers to women education
Socio-economic hurdles
Patriarchy values and beliefs are in the roots of Pakistani people. Most people even feel insulted if their women start to earn. For them, it’s a question of their gender. The low level of resources for women’s education, lower investment, negative social biases, and cultural practices restricted people from thinking about their girl’s education. They are compelled to be in the four walls of their homes because of male dominance.
Destruction of Schools
The destructive system of schools and colleges is just hitting women’s education in Pakistan. Due to this issue a 16 years old girl Malala Yousafzai raised her voice and was shot in the head and neck by Taliban insurgents on 9 October 2012. When she has written articles on behalf of women’s education the destruction of Schools, and the nd closing of an all-girls school in her hometown. This was the sick and poor mentality of the people at that time.
In 2012 Pakistan Newspaper Dawn, reported that 710 schools had been destroyed or damaged by militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 401 Schools had been destroyed in Swat.
Barriers to Higher Education
For most of the people in Pakistan, there is no advantage of letting their girls get higher education. Because what will they do if they get knowledge? All they have to do is to get married and go to their own home. Secondly, the decision to get the knowledge is not up to the women their families decide whether they should get an education or not. It’s their parent’s or spouses’ decision. In many rural areas, people only focus on the grooming of girls in their households The gender norms and values discrimination in almost every field never let a girl have their basic rights.
Rural vs Urban
In 2006 the literacy rate in Pakistani areas was recorded as 58.3%. In urban areas, it was 28% while in rural it was just 12%. The people who moved places to evolve themselves with the new era and demands somehow changed their lives. But those who never think to change their places become restricted to be a frog of well. They are unable to see what’s happening. Urban people get new ideas and ways of living, adopt new changes, seek knowledge, get employment, and become more urbanized. This led them to understand the importance of education.
They have surroundings of educated people and feel it compulsory to run with their society. However, in rural areas, girls are discouraged from attending schools. Conservative thoughts, cultural barriers, lower mentality, poor background, uneducated surroundings, lower resources, gender biases, and several other reasons never let them cross their lines. They never think that they are not going with the new demands. They just believe what they think.
Is the people’s mentality the only reason for lower rates of women’s education?
Well, this is another thing to discuss whether people are not just letting their women get awareness and seek knowledge just because they are following the old myths?
So, the answer is no. Several other factors also affect women’s education. One of the main reasons is lower management, fewer resources, poverty, unemployment, and less awareness about the importance of education. The ones who think to permit their girls to attend schools face fewer resources. And their financial conditions become also a big barrier. They only live in less maintenance then how it can possible for them to manage the expenses of education in cities.
How can we overcome this issue?
We can overcome this issue and can address all of the economic, and logistic batteries. Now time has changed and In 2024, several people have changed their mindset and decided to go with the flow of new trends and changes. So, if they have decided to move on and upbringing the new things now it’s the responsibility of the government to help them. This can be done with various strategies.
We can promote the importance of female education by running campaigns and highlighting the benefits of educating girls. We can conduct workshops with parents to discuss education matters so that we can deliver them the message of how much their daughter needs to get an education.
Economic solutions
Government can give scholarships, and financial aid to girls who belong to the poor middle class. They can cover the dues, fees, uniforms, books, and other types of school needs. So, that their parents do not feel any financial issues regarding their daughter’s education. Due to this, their females can also go to schools.
Improve schools infrastructure
In Pakistan, the condition of schools, especially in rural areas, is very poor. There are no basic facilities available for the students. No electricity, no proper management, furniture. So, it’s a need to ensure a safe, and reliable environment so students can get knowledge without being worried about anything. The government of Pakistan is already working on providing the necessities but things need to change on a quick basis.
Flexible and Inclusive Curriculum
To make education more practical and relevant for the girls it’s important to guide them and teach them to build their skills in vocational training. The government should ensure that girls especially those who belong to poor and diverse backgrounds can get knowledge and quality education.
Increase the number of female staff
Female staff can teach them in a well and appreciated way. It will also help them to release their negative thinking. Parents will also feel comfortable and send their daughters without being worried about anything.
Solve social and cultural barriers
The government should enforce strict laws about child marriages and raise awareness about the negative impact of early marriages on their girls. We should take some steps to promote gender equality and also through our teaching practices people should break stereotypes.
Use technology
Technological advancements can be used to make studies easy for girls. We can promote online and distance learning in case they haven’t found any physical options where the daughters can learn about anything. The utilization of mobile phones and other technological advancements can deliver high-quality educational content in remote areas.
Final Words:
Female education is very compulsory. People do not consider it in several areas of Pakistan that’s another thing. But doing some steps and the involvement of government to enhance the value of education by providing all the facilities can have a significant effect. People are now working on accepting the new trends but several other factors don’t let them cross their limits. The people in power can solve this issue.
The other countries are evolving and finding the new and latest ways to live their lives. But in Pakistan we still are confused. The problem is our analytical thinking means we do not observe, not study while the other countries are solving new ways of findings. They are continuously exploring the advancements but Pakistani people are still struggling with false beliefs, old myths, and religious conflicts. We need to change the concepts and lead our people to think beyond. Then we can not only solve the issue of education but several others too.