The Continuous Struggle For Equality – Why girl still missing out on the education…

The Continuous Struggle For Equality January 3, 2023

Getting a primary education is not a cakewalk for girls, but obtaining a place in secondary schools is harder still and could not be resolved even after 76 years of independence. There are fewer secondary schools in refugee environments and in areas or places where the government has initiated opening secondary schools girls frequently lose out on attending schools due to social barriers. Even after several years of independence, there is resistance in many places to the idea of girls staying in school into their teens.

India is on the road to getting the status of a developed country and is no longer considered a poor country yet many children do not receive a proper education.

In Facts

1. Only 1 in 100 girls enrolled in schools completes her secondary education
2. 23 million girls drop out of school annually due to the lack of menstrual hygiene facilities
3. 30% of girls from the poorest families have never set foot inside a classroom
4. Roughly 1 in 4 girls married before they turn 18
5. About 40% of all adolescent girls are not attending any educational institution. Out of these 65% are engaged in household work or begging

(All facts are based on a survey)

In India, millions of girls are denied education due to exploitation, discrimination, or just being ignored.

Top 3 Reasons why girls are not in School

• Early Marriage

Too frequently, marriage is regarded as more important than education. Few additional options are open to girls because of the low importance placed on their education.

Although boys might also be impacted, girls constitute the majority of child bride victims. An estimated 15 million girls get married before turning 18 each year. After getting married, they stop attending school, and because they have less education, they and their children are more likely to be poor.

• Violence at School and other places

One of the most common causes for girls to drop out of school and for women and girls to be regarded as a burden is that an estimated 246 million girls and boys are harassed and abused on their way to school every year- moreover that girls are physically harassed on their way to school, even in their houses they are been ignored subjected to violence, not just human rights but also leading them to be treated as a burden over their family. As per reports, 18 million girls aged 15 to 19 are victims of sexual violence that often force their parents to make them drop out of school and reinforces cultural practices such as early-age marriage.

• Domestic/Child Labour

Right from birth girls are considered as the helping hands of their mothers in household chores, and are often pressurized to engage in domestic labour to take care of their siblings and bear the main burden of housework. A lot of girls start working as young as five years old, mostly in agriculture or as domestic helpers in people's homes. Domestic workers who are children are especially susceptible to human trafficking, forced labour, sexual assault, and other health problems.

NGOs Supporting Girls and Women in India

• Aarti for Girls

What started out as a shelter for girls 30 years ago is now a haven known as Aarti for young women who have suffered abuse, trafficking, abandonment, and other horrible atrocities that are beyond our comprehension. Over the years, they have not only helped young girls who have experienced injustice, but also their mothers.

• Safe Hands Foundation

The Safe Hands Foundation is a group that collaborates with other groups to aid the poor. A group of people founded them with the intention of advancing higher education and fostering a brighter future for our society. Their main goal is to provide the fundamental necessities of the impoverished, particularly students, and to uplift them so they can pursue their higher education goals.

• Namo Gange Trust

Female Foeticide, Lack of Education for Girls, Domestic Violence, Poor Nurturing, Discrimination, etc. are some major social evils in our society. Considering all these grounds, Namo Gange Trust initiated various activities for the welfare of Girl Children and Women Empowerment.  Namo Gange Trust has initiated a campaign "Meri Beti Mera Abhimaan, Ek Nayi Shuruvaat" to take forward the Prime Minister's mission of "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" aimed to improve the status of women in Indian society.

• Nanhi Kali

Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., founded Nanhi Kali with the goal of educating poor girls in India. Nanhi Kali is supported by this well-known global corporation. He argues that caste, dowry killings, and the deprivation of education for many girls are all related social ills.

• Ammucare

The group has established a base in Palakkad, Kerala, and has spread its wings internationally. Ammucare assists children with basic needs like food, shelter, and clothes as well as with access to resources and services like education, medical care, and other tools that support and empower the weak and poor.

Conclusion

Though we won our independence a long time ago, we still need to fight for equality, an equality that demands equal opportunity for both girls and boys. The urgent need is to establish and fight for a strong mechanism that works well both for men and women because we must strive for a society that does not let anyone feel inferior or even superior in terms of caste, equality, and opportunity.

Till then stay strong, and happy, and keep fighting for The Continuous Struggle for Equality.