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Essay / The Effect of Availability of Education for Girls in Pakistan on the Socio-Economic Development of the Country Since 2000
An alarming situation is taking place in Pakistan with regard to girls' education. There is a significant difference between the enrollment rates of boys and girls. According to UNESCO, the enrollment rate for boys in primary school is 84%, while only 60% of girls can enter school. Secondary school is only accessible to 32% of girls. According to 2014 statistics, the literacy rate between ages 15 and 24 was 79.77% for men and 65.55% for women; As for the older generation, the literacy rate for those aged 65 and over is 35.71% for men and only 9.96% for women. The above evidence demonstrates that there is still some sort of limit to girls' education. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Several factors influence this question. Firstly, the role of women in Pakistan differs to some extent from that of Western countries. They are considered housewives and learn domestic skills from a young age to apply them in their motherhood and family life. Secondly, gender discrimination exists in the country, due to Pakistan's patriarchal society, and education is also affected. Third, poverty contributes significantly to gender inequality in education. Memon (2007, 48) also argues that the extremely low amount of government investment is the main reason for the poor quality of Pakistan's education sector. The socio-economic development of a country depends on the literacy level of the population. Education increases the level of productivity and efficiency of people, producing a competent workforce capable of contributing to the sustainable development of the economy. This also mainly contributes to reducing the poverty level and enhances social development. “Education is the most important instrument for human resource development,” - say Chaudhry and Rahman. Primary education remains a vital component of human capital that contributes significantly to the economic development of a given country. The total number of illiterate people aged 15 and above in Pakistan was almost 52 million, while the total population was 185.5 million (UNESCO Institute of Statistics 2018). This diagram clearly explains the relationship and connection between the level of development of the country and the number of educated people, proving and confirming all the above-mentioned claims regarding the impact of education on the socio-economic development of the country. Uneducated women and girls have a negative impact on the development of Pakistan. As noted by Ali, Jumani, and Ejaz (2015, 63), when it comes to higher education for women, Pakistan's position is one of the lowest in the region. Statistics from 2005 show a percentage of only 2.9% among the population aged 17 to 23, while in other countries like India the female education percentage is 10% and Korea shows a rate of 68%. Evidence suggests that education plays an important role in economic growth and national development. Generally, the basis of a country's advanced socio-economic status is a high level of education and sustainable growth of the economy. According to Chaudhry and Rahman (2009), a significant number of studies show a direct relationship between the high level of education of women and high wages.