The educational policies in Pakistan aim to reduce the gender gap in the educational system by striving towards equality in education between girls and boys. However on the other hand, the same policies seem to encourage girls, mainly in rural areas of Pakistan, to acquire basic home management skills and even prefer it over full-scale primary education. In order words, to classically condition these girls and tell them that home is where they belong and that they could excel at one job, “home management”.
The general attitude towards women in Pakistani culture makes the fight for educational equality even more difficult. The female literacy rate still remains at 39.6 percent as compared to that of males at 67.7 percent.
The historic lack of democratic norms and a pervasive feudal mindset has contributed a great deal to the gender gap in the educational system of Pakistan. This feudal system leaves the powerless, women in particular, in a very vulnerable position. The long-lived socio-cultural belief that women play a reproductive role within the confines of the home leads to the belief that educating women holds no value.
Women in elite urban districts of Pakistan enjoy a far more privileged lifestyle than those living in rural tribal areas. Women in urban areas typically enjoy far more rights and have more opportunities for education. However, it is the rural and tribal areas of Pakistan which have an ever increasing high rate of poverty and alarmingly low literacy rates.
In 2002, it was recorded that 81.5 percent of 15 to 19 year old girls from high-income families of Pakistan had attended school while 22.3 percent of girls from low-income families had ever attended school. In comparison, it was recorded that 96.6 percent of Pakistani boys ages 15 to 19 coming from high-income families had attended schooling while 66.1 percent boys of the same age from low-income families had attended school.
Girls living in rural areas are encouraged not to go to school because they are needed in the home to do work. This practice starts at a very young age. In most rural villages, secondary schooling simply does not exist for girls, leaving them no choice but to prepare for marriage and do household tasks. Parents of villages do not guide their daughters about the importance of a bright future and educated lifestyle.
In addition to this, such rural areas are often neglected by the governments in development plans. This unavailability of funds coupled with an apathetic cultural insensitivity towards schooling for girls, has placed the issue of female education at the bottom of the priority list.
Not only that, such people disregard an unequivocal command of Islam, that talks about the right to education for both men and women. However, such people clearly disregard this important command of Islam. They uphold their culture and turns down Islam.
Women can compete others in every field of life if opportunities are provided to them. Every woman can achieve best goals in life if parents fulfill their duties. It is a woman who grows up her children in the best way possible, builds their personality both morally and ethically. We all should respect for women as they are the most beautiful creature of God.
