“Education is a weapon,
Education is a need.
You deny it to girls,
Because you’re insecure, they might lead”
We live in the 21 st century. We live in time zone which claims itself to have uprooted all gender biasness of the past and boasts of its equality and rationality. If you are the who believes so, then you lead an unfortunate ignorant
life.
Our country has a massive history of gender biasness and can still be somehow called the product of this futile mentality where a man is considered superior to a woman who is only suitable for “ghar grihasti ke kaam.” There is no denying in the fact that steps have been taken, initiatives have been taken to eradicate such futile mentality but what can be done, when people are not ready to eradicate their cocoon-like mentality which is the product of years of patriarchy that has paved its way starkly into the minds of some people. Education is a weapon that can be used to generate awareness and empower girls. It is a gateway to intellectuality, enlightenment and awareness. Yet we
witness that there are homes in our country that prefer education of a boy child to a girl child. And if you think that this is only a rural case scenario, then you are mistaken for even the urban educated class is the victim of years of
patriarchy. The 2011 census on literacy rate of India told 82% of men are literate while only 65% of women in India are literate. These wide discrepancies exist because of the internalisation of patriarchy and lack of awareness.
Right to Equality and Cultural & Educational Rights are the fundamental rights of every citizen and all of us must ensure that these rights are executed in full strength. We all must give everyone equal opportunity and access to these rights. It is insecurity of men if they are trying to prevent women from equal rights. And it is only the internalisation of patriarchy by women if they themselves are not taking up any stand for their basic human right.
