In our modern day and age we strive for everyone to receive proper education. From toddlers to adults, from the richest of the country to those living in crippling poverty, everyone deserves and should be provided with an education. However in places like Kishanganj in Bihar, girls often cannot finish their education due to several socio-economic reasons.
In the district of Kishnganj, girls tend to enroll in schools but only a small percentage of them in truth complete their education while most dropout in highschool.
Poverty is among the major reasons for low literacy rates of girls living in this area (which are significant deterrents here compared to boys) along with the insistence of parents to teach their daughters household skills for their early marriage. Parents start searching for suitable grooms for their daughters at a very young age with 2 in 5 girls marrying before the age of 18. The lockdown has further encouraged parents to marry their daughters at a young age as they are unable to make ends meet due to reduced income.
Another cause for low literacy rates of girls in Kishanganj is parents prioritising their son’s education over their daughters wherein they send their sons to the best schools and colleges they can leaving their daughter’s education to hang in the balance.
A girl’s education is beneficial not just to her but also to everyone around her. While a girl’s education increases her salary by at least 15-25% later in life, educating girls can lead to a more stable and inclusive community. Educating women is valuable to the economy. In fact, just 1% higher education for girls increases the GDP average by 0.37%.
This problem cannot be solved overnight. Continuous efforts need to be taken for several months, years or even decades in order to change the mindset of the people and to help them realize that their daughters are just as important as their sons. That they are not a liability to be sent away when they are old enough or when the family is struggling financially. They are also capable human beings who deserve to be educated in order to live the best life they can.
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