The Importance Of Education

One of the biggest hurdles that can eradicate extreme poverty is to increase and funding of the education of women. In the article “Educating Girls: The Key to Tackling Global Poverty,” author Laura Paddison strongly argues that the gender view of some countries prevents women from becoming educated and working. This is one of the main causes that puts the family in extreme poverty because that family is only relying

“I don’t mind if I have to sit on the floor at school. All I want is an education,” said Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist for female education. In today's society, many people don’t realize how grateful they should be for the education they receive. Even the slightest education is much more than people were receiving just three centuries ago, and even more than people in countries besides the United States of America. In specifics, women and African Americans were once unable to pursue any form of education in the United States, along with many other ethnicities.

Barack Obama once said “The future must not belong to those who bully women. It must be shaped by girls who go to school and those who stand for a world where our daughters can live their dreams just like our sons.” This message is not only relevant in the United States. In fact, it has even stronger meaning in Africa. In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 28 million girls are out of school (Camfed). It is important to raise awareness of the lack of education for girls in Africa because educated women are healthier, educated women can raise a country’s gross domestic product, and educated women can advocate for themselves.

Education drastically improves the well being of both women, and their families. Research has found that if all students in developing nations were educated with basic reading skills, 100 million women could be lifted out of poverty (Improving Health and Well-being). Education is also one of the most efficient ways to develop more rights and opportunities for women. Each year that a girl attends school beyond fourth grade results in a 20% increase in wages later on. When an educated woman’s income increases, she will invest 90% of that money in her family and community (Improving Health and Well-being). Finally, educated women wait longer to marry and start a family which makes them better parents. Their children have improved health and nutrition, lower mortality rates, and are more likely to attend school, creating a chain reaction throughout

According to Roudi-Fahimi, “As female education rises, fertility, population growth, and infant and child mortality fall and family health improves.” Allowing girls an education could benefit a country’s population, improving or even saving the lives of many children. More education also improves the health of families, showing how education for girls can affect the quality of life. This is also seen in research conducted by Unicef, who says that “If all women had a secondary education, there would be 49 percent fewer child deaths… Investing in girls so they can complete the next level of education could lead to lifetime earnings of up to 68 percent of annual [GDP]” (“Girls' education”). Both sources agree that allowing girls to have an education will improve their lives and the lives of the next generation. Education allows for girls to better support themselves and their family, and will help a family’s economic issues. If families had more money, they would be able to afford education, healthcare, food, and many other resources that could improve their quality of life. A better economy is shown to have better living standards, presenting another benefit of educating

The child mortality rate of countries with least educated women are increasing at a rapid pace. According to World Education Blog, it was written that “Using data from 26 countries, child mortality rates for sub-Saharan Africa in 2008 had fallen from the weighted regional average to the level for the children of mothers with at least some secondary education, about 1.8 million lives would have been saved.” Through education, children are able to receive better maternal care. A mother who has access to knowledge and health resources are able to take care of their children in excellent circumstances. Many deaths are results of diseases and other epidemics, proper vaccinations and health procedures can prevent this from happening. Sometimes child mortality occurs due to unplanned pregnancy or poverty. An educated women is aware of the importance of birth control and contraception making them an expert at planning the future of the family. They can plan how many kids they can afford to take care of and if they unable then other options such as adoption. Another reason for child mortality is the beliefs of certain communities were women or girls are depicted as a liability. Many women goes through the process of abortion or abandon baby girls, as they cannot carry forth the family lineage and sometimes needs to pay dowry to get marries . Educated women are aware of their potential and see themselves as more than a role of a birth giver in the society. They are aware of what women can do and sees the importance to promote education. They also receive the ability to stand up against many unreasonable social beliefs like these.

Throughout history it is seen that as our society has grown, there has been a great deal of emphasis placed on education. Once people are better educated, one tends to succeed more efficiently at our goals and gain a better understanding of the earth’s environment and ecosystems. However, depending on who a person’s background, he/she may be denied the opportunities to learn and experience the life they are given. That is the case for many bright and capable young women around the world who are declined their opportunity of education due to narrow minded thinking. The lack of education for girls is a serious problem that needs to be addressed with better solutions such as creating more awareness, fundraising, and supporting girls to fight for their education; needless to say, these solutions must be implemented to help decrease the drastic numbers of uneducated girls around the world.

Just like many children not getting enough food around the world, there are too many children around the world in need of an education. There are many success stories of which education has played a role in a child’s life, such as the girls of Room to Read’s education program for rural, underprivileged children and the results of Malala Yousafzai’s stand for education against the Taliban. Many children need the education to become more “job appropriate” (having the skills and knowledge necessary for getting a job); many are preoccupied with other things such as fear and inferior jobs. Not only that but education, especially investing in it, has a socioeconomic benefits loop. Investing in education for children in underprivileged areas is important

Women have made many changes in the past in order to be at the same level as men both socially and economically. In the past, women were expected to stay home and take care of the kids while men went out to work. As women started to become more independent, they started going to school to achieve a better goal; to get a job and not rely on men. Now, having jobs and greater responsibilities encourages women to stand close to where men are in the workplace. Therefore, women are realizing that gender inequalities are very much still present, and the ultimate goal is to stand with men on this social and economic ladder.

Women for years have struggled with not getting the same necessities as men such as healthcare and education. Two-thirds of the worlds 771 million illiterate adults are women and this is probably due to not being in the right area to get an education

Education might not be the cure of the world’s problem but it’s important to be knowledgeable. It’s important to have an education because without it, it makes a person vulnerable to be guided in the wrong direction. Not everyone believes education is important in life and especially for a woman. Malala Yousafzai tells us her story and her fight for education in her book I am Malala. She tells us about her families struggle for the right of education and not just education in general but education for woman. She was raised in Pakistan and its one the counties in which some people believe a woman should not go to school or have freedom. Education was not as easy for her as other girls around the world. Sometimes people don’t take education as a privileged but as a right, but unfortunately it’s not this case everywhere and it wasn’t the case for Malala. She was also able to see by firsthand how illiteracy can be a danger to a person and how others can take advantage of it.

When there are not educated people around, the area will eventually go down. One might think that the education is just a one time deal, that it is only for the benefit of that single girl but it is not. When one educates are girl, one educates a village. The offspring of educated women are sure to be educated. In order to ensure this to happen, the general public has the opportunity to donate to an organization called Masinyusane. Masinyusane (2008) explains “Masinyusane is an education non-profit working with children and families in the townships of South Africa. We operate in the schools and communities of Port Elizabeth, one of South Africa 's largest cities. Port Elizabeth is located in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa 's most impoverished province.” (para.1) This organization’s mission is to flood kids lives with opportunity. One way that Americans can help out with the education deficiency in South Africa is by donating as little as $20 a month to help cover the cost of books. These books are used by girls who are going to University. A lot of the girls who are going to University are the first ever in their family to do so.

A report from UNESCO in October 2013 shows some shocking statistics about girls and women around the world. There are 1.8 billion young people in the world. Approximately half of them – 900 million – are adolescent girls and young women, but 62 millions girls worldwide are not in school. As a result, they lack the basic skills for work: Two-thirds of the 774 million illiterate people in the world are female. This will have some lifelong effects. Girls will face limited opportunities and choices in the job market. They lack basic health knowledge and will be subjected to serious health risks, and threatened by violence. They don’t know about their basic rights, so their views and concerns are often unheard. These three effects are enough to prove that girls are discriminated against as females Therefore, if education is the key to their future, what doors can it open for those girls? They will be less likely

American philosopher John Dewey once said, “Education is not preparation for life: education is life itself.” His statement, though decades old, perfectly embodies the value of education in modern society. In the modern world, virtually everything is dependant on having a college degree. Even so, many women and girls around the world are unable to receive proper education, let alone job opportunities. In certain regions, Pakistan especially, the flaws in the education system stem from a gender biased culture. The prejudice mentality that the Pakistani people have limits the culture as a whole, but more specifically the poor, and often manipulated, women. Your aid in that territory to improve the welfare of the people combating the institutionalized sexism that women face would be greatly appreciated by people who are actively seeking to solve the problem but do not have the funds to do so.

Education, a necessity for many people to become successful later in life. When the option for education is taken away from a person, it is more difficult to progress in a career. Many people that aren’t allowed to go to school are not executing their full potential and no one would ever know if that person would have amounted to greatness that our country needed. There are many reasons that people are not allowed to go to school, it is commonly because of sex, race or where someone’s from. That’s is why, “The only way we can fight back is to excel” an article by D. Russakoff has multiple testimonies from Dreamers that can no longer do things they were once able to do. The only way I feel like I can relate to this is where I grew up and how much harder for people to get an education.