Education is described as the process of gaining
knowledge in a consistent and gradual manner in order to be informed on various
ways of communicating, reasoning and making decisions in different aspects of
life. It leads to intellectual growth and maturity. Since the beginning of
time, women have always been considered the weaker of the two sexes. Women were
discouraged from pursuing higher education because it was considered to be
un-wise culturally. Their roles were defined and confined to being in the
kitchen, taking care of their families and other traditional domestic skills
such as sewing. They were also involved in various farming activities in their
ranches like gathering fruits. It’s estimated that about two-thirds of the
world’s illiterate population are women.
Over the years since the beginning of the 19th
century, various international agreements have been passed in order for women
to gain equal rights to men especially in education. Women also develop personal
ambitions in various aspects of their lives such as having their own
businesses. The revenues and profits made from the businesses also leads to the
contribution of national development, growth of the economy and eradication of
poverty through taxation. Money collected by the government is used to improve
the country’s infrastructure and provide restoration to areas affected by
natural disasters for example during the devastating tornado called “Hurricane
Katrina” that destroyed properties in Atlanta.
Women have, for a long time, been perceived as being
leaders in their own homes, since they ensure that their families receive basic
necessities such as food and clothing. They also ensure that there is peace and
they resolve conflicts between family members such as sibling rivalry,
therefore promoting cohesiveness and positive communication between them.
Education therefore can propel women to be leaders in political institutions,
where they make decisions and policies thus making the institutions represent
both genders and performance improves significantly. For example Secretary of State,
Hillary Clinton has been involved in the political limelight for over eighteen
years.
Education has also instilled in women the need to
take care of their health and that of their families especially the children.
They tend to gain knowledge on family planning and therefore reduce the rate of
unwanted pregnancies.
Gender issues have been receiving more attention. International
organizations such as the United Nations and other non-governmental
organizations are addressing policy and law changes that bias one gender over
another. They provide support for capacity building among women, which leads to
achievement of shared goals and objectives that foster national unity.
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