Globally, women’s access to education is highly less than men’s. This obstacle is not only prevalent in rural but also urban areas. One of the reasons for to lack of education among women is trafficking. In today’s time, it is not only a business, but some women are forced to be trafficked by their family members. The violence does not restrict outside the home, but one may find its presence inside the household, too. In rural areas, a girl is often raped by a paternal figure or any man in the family.
The obstacles in a woman’s education are her gender and this preconception of ‘she belongs to someone else.’ Other reasons are menstruation, household chores, the cost of education, and child marriage.
If we look at these aspects closely, we will find gender-based violence in each reason. Even if men are forced into child marriage, they still hold a right to education while women don’t. Even in towns and countries, women are often married after their legal age and are asked to be more proactive in their household and motherly lives. The cost of education is equal for both a boy and a girl. Yet, when it comes to a girl’s education, the bar suddenly raises high. Also, there is the responsibility of doing household chores. In some cultures, it is still stereotypical to ask men to do household work. So, it leaves the idea to women to do all the jobs. Menstruation is the most common reason why girls are not allowed to study. As soon as a girl reaches her puberty age, society tells her she is no longer pure. She sheds blood which is not good.
There are many more obstacles one would find in girls’ education. UNICEF has launched a campaign and made a girl’s education an utmost priority. Various activists have been working over empowering girls to educate themselves. However, at a ground level, we need to spread awareness about the obstacles mentioned above. We need to spread the word that learning or educating oneself is not a crime and a basic fundamental right.