"She is a victim of her situation, without the capacity to initiate change" ; the cause of these circumstances is simple: her lack of education (Habtu 1).
Ethiopia was ranked 126th out of 127 countries in the Education for All Girls’ education by UNESCO. There is a large difference between the number of Ethiopian boys and girls educated. Statistics from 2009 illustrate the monumental gender disparity; of people over the age of 15, 82% of Ethiopian women are illiterate as compared to 58% of men. In addition to this, the number of female dropouts is high in the country, especially in the transition from primary to secondary education. In 2009, only 41% of girls survived to the last grade of primary education, and there were only 30% enrolled in secondary education. Over 1.8 million adolescent girls were out of school in 2009” ("UNESCO Global Partnership" 1).
There are numerous reasons to why women receive less education than men, most of which stem from the traditional gender roles and cultural expectations, “Girls in rural areas start to cook food for the family as early as 7”, and they are responsible for “fetching water, fueling wood and attending to their younger brothers and sisters starting from the age of 5 or 6. Girls are a source of supporting labor for overburdened women in rural Ethiopia. Thus the possibility of girls to be sent to school is very low (Mengesha 5). Even if girls are able to attend school, the time-consuming nature of their chores at home allow very little time to study and complete homework (Ruphael 1). They are also expected to marry at a young age which deprives them of the opportunity to receive an education. “Low status characterizes virtually every aspect of girls’ and women’s lives. Given the heavy workload imposed on girls at an early age, early marriage without choice, and a subservient role to both husband and mother-in-law, girls and women are left with few opportunities to make and act on their own decisions” (Wilder 1).
Education empowers women and aids those around them, “Girls who have been educated are likely to marry later and to have smaller and healthier families. Educated women can recognize the importance of health care and know how to seek it for themselves and their children. Education helps girls and women to know their rights and to gain confidence to claim them. However, women’s literacy rates are significantly lower than men’s in most developing countries” ("Empowering Women" 1) Education is key to allowing these women to be capable of making their own decisions and forging their own way in life. Knowledge provides them with not just power, but also freedom” (Wilder 1). Education provides women with opportunities, not only bettering one generation but creating a healthier life for many generations to come.
The links below provide videos with further information about educating women and its importance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wwOaVV4rqg
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There are numerous reasons to why women receive less education than men, most of which stem from the traditional gender roles and cultural expectations, “Girls in rural areas start to cook food for the family as early as 7”, and they are responsible for “fetching water, fueling wood and attending to their younger brothers and sisters starting from the age of 5 or 6. Girls are a source of supporting labor for overburdened women in rural Ethiopia. Thus the possibility of girls to be sent to school is very low (Mengesha 5). Even if girls are able to attend school, the time-consuming nature of their chores at home allow very little time to study and complete homework (Ruphael 1). They are also expected to marry at a young age which deprives them of the opportunity to receive an education. “Low status characterizes virtually every aspect of girls’ and women’s lives. Given the heavy workload imposed on girls at an early age, early marriage without choice, and a subservient role to both husband and mother-in-law, girls and women are left with few opportunities to make and act on their own decisions” (Wilder 1).
Education empowers women and aids those around them, “Girls who have been educated are likely to marry later and to have smaller and healthier families. Educated women can recognize the importance of health care and know how to seek it for themselves and their children. Education helps girls and women to know their rights and to gain confidence to claim them. However, women’s literacy rates are significantly lower than men’s in most developing countries” ("Empowering Women" 1) Education is key to allowing these women to be capable of making their own decisions and forging their own way in life. Knowledge provides them with not just power, but also freedom” (Wilder 1). Education provides women with opportunities, not only bettering one generation but creating a healthier life for many generations to come.
The links below provide videos with further information about educating women and its importance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wwOaVV4rqg
- "A Challenge To Girls Education In Ethiopia ." Chora Inc., Ethiopian Center for Educational Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2013. http://chora.virtualave.net/conference-women-ethiopia.htm.
- "Empowering Women through Education: Promoting Gender Equality: UNFPA." UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2013. <http://www.unfpa.org/gender/empowerment2
- Habtu, Alem . "Background." Women's Higher Education in Ethiopia Under Three Regimes, 1950-1997. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2013. <homepages.wmich.edu/~asefa/Conference%20and%20Seminar/Papers/2001%20papers/PaperII3.pdf>.
- Mangesha, Sewnet Mamo. "Participation of Ethiopian Women in Education andDevelopment." Participation of Ethiopian Women in Education and Development. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2013. <homepages.wmich.edu/~asefa/Conference%20and%20Seminar/Papers/2001%20papers/PaperII12.pdf>.
- "UNESCO Global Partnership for Girl's and Women's Education." UNESCO . N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2013. <www.uis.unesco.org/Education/Documents/unesco-world-atlas-gender-education-2012.pdf>.
Picture Source: http://www.planusa.org/stuff/contentmgr/files/bcb12be32094582637ce1a71c30bf798/misc/ethiopia1.jpg
Women are not treated the same as men, especially in Ethiopia. Women are not only busy and unable to attend school, they also are most likely afraid to. Things Apart definitely shows how women are treated poorly when they don't do what they are expose to do.
ReplyDelete~Sydney
I think you have noted a very important aspect about education on this page. It is not just the education that these women need, but the benefits that come with an education: healthier lives, healthier children, and fewer children (which could also help keep their family out of poverty). In addition, an educated mother is more likely to make sure her children are educated, which will help the country produce larger and larger numbers of educated citizens. Those educated citizens will eventually help develop systems and technologies to improve the quality of life in Ethiopia.
ReplyDelete~Helen