ISLAMABAD: Inequality in education remains a reality across the world, especially in terms of gender. While the situation in developed countries has significantly improved, the underdeveloped and developing countries still face considerable gender gaps in access to education and learning.
Idara Taleem-o-Agahi (ITA) Research and Programme Coordinator Ayesha Bilal, while sharing a presentation on “Evidence on girls’ education: challenges of implementation in emergencies/conflict” brought forward the diverse gender gaps in education, which were perpetrated by conflict, most severely in the province of Balochistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) according to ‘The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), Pakistan’.
Bilal was speaking at a seminar titled, “Her right to education: ensuring quality education for all girls” organised by Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi and Oxfam GB in collaboration with young activists and civil society members at a local hotel here last week to throw light on the current statistics on education for girls and the challenges being faced by them in conflict areas in Pakistan.
A session in the consultation was conducted by members of Beydaar (a youth-led social work organisation) outlining the voice of youth for girls’ education and the efforts being made to bring girls at par with boys.
The seminar aimed at gauging the themes affecting girls’ education such as gender responsive budgeting, policy and law and international progress for the rights of girls’ education.
There are 11.3 percent girls out of school, according to the ASER Pakistan Report (2013).
Additionally, gaps in learning outcomes for girls at the national level are lower than boys, where only 40 percent of girls can read at least sentences in Urdu/Pushto/Sindhi in comparison to 46 percent boys.
Similarly, only 43 percent and 38 percent girls can read English words and do basic subtraction respectively. Vast differences also exist in some provinces with 17.3 percent of girls being out-of-school in Balochistan and 15.4 percent in Sindh.
The moderated session included panellists such as Saeedul Hassan, head of Girls Education Programme at Oxfam and Nargis Sultana, senior programme officer at Open Society Foundation.
Internews
