Educate Girls! #WomensMarch

21 January 2017 is the day when the world shaken by the movement of women. All the powerful women unite together marching for one hope: Equality, Liberalization, Freedom. The fight is never stop since Emmeline Pankhrust go down to the street for the first time screaming that women’s rights are human rights. In the appreciation of women marches I would like to share my thoughts regarding gender inequality and the importance of education to battle the inequality.

We claim that we live in a modern world driven by globalisation and modernisation where everyone has equal rights and opportunities to succeed. Ironically this principle is not applied to women, their rights are far from equal to men’s. In our modern world, women still struggle to have proper education for several reasons such as culture, war and poverty.

According to UNICEF, every year 15 millions girls are forced into marriage and one in every three girls in the developing world is married by the age of 18. It shows how society works in a way that socialize women to focus merely on domestic roles as a wife instead of giving them freedom to spread their wings and leaving mark in this world by exploring their skills and ability. The global number of children dropping out of school every year after primary school age is rising. It now stands at 59 millions, 30 million of them live in sub-saharan Africa and 10 million in South and West Asia. According to UNESCO, the completion rate for girls in primary school is below 50% in most poor countries. The Syrian war also affects the opportunity for women’s education. In December 2013, 4.8 million school-age children were out of school.

All the women are dreaming of equality but by having huge parentage number of women lack of education makes it so hard to achieved. The radical feminist argue that there should be a radical changes within society that involving abolishing of men to gain equality for women. It seems to be an impossible idea and massive plan while in my opinion the answer to the gender inequality is simply education.

I have experienced to my self how education brings radical changes to me as a women. I was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia until I was graduated from high school and moved to England to pursue my undergraduate. When I finished my middle school, I was fortunate as my family is able to send me to International School that applying A/AS Level curriculum which is the British Curriculum that enforcing higher standard and wider knowledge. In my sociology subject I learned a wide range of topics that involves sociology, philosophy, politics and psychology. The subject gave me a variety of theory and perception from Marxist, Functionalist, Weber, Post-modernism, Feminism and so on. I have gained more knowledge and understanding about how the society works therefore from that I learned that inequality is remain exist even in modern world. Being highly educated makes me aware with the inequality that I as a women experienced. Back then before I have learned about it I did not even know the word gender inequality. What I know is women was suffered inequality but it was long time ago back in world war and when the monarchy system were still dominates the world.

High-quality of education is not merely make me realise about the inequality but it gives me power as a women to strive. Knowledge give me sense of independency that makes me feel that i am capable of anything. Education aspires me to dream bigger and never settle for anything less and saying no to mediocre. What i have learned from school give me confidence in the outside world.

A well-educated women is the soldier that will win the battle against gender inequality. Education makes women become aware with the inequality, she will stop to see the world in hegemonic way that make her think inequality that she has suffered as something that is normal and the nature of the society. Education give women skills and knowledge that will push her to leave the domestic role so she will be independent and will not stay in marriage that contains violence just because she can’t survive with her own two feet. Education build analytical and critical thinking to the women so they can participate in high-sector jobs and even in decision-making levels so women views will be represented in any outcome. Education gives women confidences to preach their thoughts in this democratic world so their voices can be heard.

The foundation to tackle gender inequality is education. Educate girls and everything will begin to works toward equality. We are all preaching about gender inequality but how can we make equality to happened when the women itself does not aware that she lives under inequality. High quality of education is the key that will push women position in the society from second sex into the same place as men.

“Gender Equality is not an illusion, It is a dream come true”- B.

References :

"The educational struggle faced by girls around the world"- BBC.co.uk