Educational Status of Muslim Women in India: An Overview

Abstract

Women constitute almost half of the population of the world.Education forwomen is the best way to improve the health nutrition and economic status of a household that constitute a micro unit of nation economy. Gender disparities in education and all other social and demographic indicators reflect the unequal position of girl and women in highly sexist gender discriminatory social order. While historically there has always been a gap between the boys and girls in India, the case of Muslim Women has been yawing. The Study aimed at giving a brief overview of education status of Muslim women and toexplore the future directions and strategies for integrating and galvanizing women of all walks of lifefor playing their role in building and sustaining the 21st Century. And moreimportantly building an equitable social order and a society that will give its women not only formal equality but a life of dignity. I . INTRODUCTION Education is the single most important tool for social and economic transformation. A well-educated population, adequately equipped with knowledge and skill is not only essential to support economic growth but is also a precondition for growth to be inclusive since it is the educated and skilled person who can stand to benefit most from the employment opportunities which growth will provide.Education is the most important thing for any country. Right to Education Act (RTE Act) gives fair and equal chance to every Indian child to get free and compulsory primary education. Modern studies suggest that female education is more important than male education for social and economic development. “Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farmworkers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.” Nelson Mandela. Muslims, the largest minority community in the country, constituting 14.23 % of the population,are seriously lagging in terms of most of the human development indicators. Among them Muslim girls and women lagbehind their male counterparts and women of all the other communities. II. IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN EDUCATION “Education for all” is one of the major tasks being carried out by the Indian government but still we have the lowest female literacy rate in Asia. India is working but the pace is slow as we haven’t achieved what we should haveachieved a long time ago.Parents especially in lower strata of society send their male child to school but not the girl child. This is one problem where parents do not send their daughters to school. Secondly, it is also common to see that parents especially in urban areas often send their male child to better schools. According to Napoleon “Nation's progress is impossible without trained and uneducated mothers. If the women of my country are not educated, about half of the people will be ignorant.”Education liberates women from ignorance, increase self-esteem and helps them take control over their own lives and guide the progress of their families.Women are the backbone of a society. They are as equally important as men are. The role of women cannot be denied in any society or culture. Women must be educated for a healthy and a happy life. An educated woman can be a better human being, successful mother and a responsible citizen. Educating women will unquestionably increase the living standard both at and outside home. An educated woman will force her kids to study further and wish them to live a better life than hers.Napoleon once said, “Give me educated mothers and I will give you educated nations.”On the other hand, women are most vulnerable to trafficking when they are under educated and poor, says the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP). A woman has to play three roles in the course of her life. Each of these roles expects some duties from her. It is only with the help of education that she would be able to do them successfully. The first duty is to be a good daughter. Second duty is to be a good wife and third duty is to be a good mother. Education teaches a woman what she should do to be good daughter, good wife and a good mother. An educated lady is good friend, a clever nurse and a useful adviser to her husband. Educational Status of Muslim Women in India: An Overview DOI: 10.9790/0837-2206031013 www.iosrjournals.org 11 | Page III. WHAT ISLAM SAYS According Islam said, “A mother’s lap is the first school for child.” There is no priority for men over women in relation to the right to education. Both are equally encouraged to acquire education. Indeed, all the Quranic verses which relate to education and which advocate the acquisition of knowledge were directed to both men and women alike. IV. LITERACY RATE It is unanimously agreed that illiteracy is one of the major contributors to poverty in any socio-religious community. Literacy Rate among Religious Communities: (in % age)