Education and Gender Equality

Gender inequality refers to the differences in the conditions that men and women face when exercising their full human rights. In 2015, 193 countries endorsed the Sustainable Development Agenda (2030), which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), several of which address gender inequality to varying degrees. Goal 4 focuses specifically on education, emphasising the importance of vigorously pursuing universal education goals. Goal 5 emphasises gender equality and women's empowerment, which ensures equal participation of women in social, political, and economic decision-making processes. Goal 8 promotes and encourages the development of a healthy and positive work environment for women in order to boost long-term economic growth. The premise behind the aforementioned commitments is that providing women with equal access to education, as well as political and economic bodies, will help to develop more sustainable economies and societies.

There is a significant gender disparity in education in Pakistan. Pakistan is a patriarchal society in which women face numerous forms of discrimination, resulting in low social, economic, and political status. According to World Bank data, women make up 52% of Pakistan's total population. It is a terrible situation to keep such a large portion of the population illiterate, and it may be the root cause of the country's fragile and lopsided economy.

In the 2021 Global Gender Gap Report, Pakistan is ranked fourth worst in the world for gender parity. Pakistan is ranked 144th out of 156 countries in terms of educational attainment, according to the report. The gender disparity in enrollment in Pakistan's education system is 13%. Furthermore, only 46.5 percent of women are literate, 61.6 percent have completed primary school, 34.2 percent have completed high school, and 8.3 percent have completed tertiary education. According to the report, Pakistan will need 136 years to close the gender gap at its current rate of progress. There are not enough government schools for children, or those that exist are inaccessible to students. The situation is far worse in Pakistan's rural areas, where schools lack basic necessities such as water, electricity, and other educational necessities.

When gender inequality in education increases, the socioeconomic position of a family suffers. On a larger scale, gender disparities in education result in underutilization of human capital, which has the potential to stifle economic growth. As a result, the government should reconsider its laws and norms in order to close the gender gap as soon as possible. Explicitly, women's education advances social goals such as educating the next generation, preventing child mortality, lowering fertility, and improving child nutrition. On the other hand, such social goals have a progressive economic impact, such as reducing poverty, improving labour productivity, human development, and ultimately driving economic growth.

In a nutshell, increased gender parity and women's economic participation are strongly linked to social and economic progress. Education, health, and autonomy for women are critical for human development and long-term stability. Pakistan lags behind in all critical parameters. The government must work hard to ensure that all of its citizens have access to education. According to UNICEF, 22.8 million children aged 5 to 16 are not attending school, with girls accounting for more than 60% of these students. The government should build more schools and train newly hired teachers to address the issue of school dropouts. The government should initiate and prioritise "Education for All Children" programmes, allocating 4% of GDP to education rather than the current 2%, which is insufficient to address and meet educational needs. It should begin putting in place cutting-edge teacher training programmes and facilities, as well as ensuring their implementation and effective follow-up. In addition to upgrading the current school system, more schools with advanced and modern technologies and facilities should be built to address the critical need for education, especially for girls.

Due to traditional dogmas and cultural customs, education alone is insufficient to enable women to enter the labour force in Pakistan. Teenage pregnancy is the most significant social factor causing girls to drop out, whereas sons are prioritised in obtaining education, particularly tertiary education. Implementing measures to reduce household care obligations (for example, free daycare and positive discrimination for female employees) will undoubtedly increase women's economic participation. Only by raising awareness can these prejudices be addressed. Through public awareness and education efforts, there is also a pressing need to change societal customs and attitudes that discriminate against women. These efforts must convey women's growing importance to the general well-being of their families and society.