With regard to the fact that many girls are being denied education in various parts of the world, it is very sad to note that this is still prevalent in today’s society. It grieves me to know that there are girls out there who are unable to go to school because of the fact that they were born as girls.
The United Nations (UN) took an important step towards ending such injustice by declaring October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child. The day is meant to highlight the power of innovation to get more girls in classrooms and improve the quality of learning for all children. It is time to shed light on the challenges that these girls face on a daily basis and highlight their rights.
Though there are many changes regarding the attitude towards girls that have been implemented since, they are still being denied the right to education. In many primitive areas of the world, girls are considered a curse. When she is born, and even before she can see or identify the world around her, she is either killed or abandoned. This is unfair and unacceptable as boys are given all possible rights, whereas girls are being denied based on their gender.
Education helps and teaches girls around the world to respect and to be respected by others. Therefore, education is vital as it empowers girls by introducing new ways of thinking and equips them when they face issues.
I commend Pakistani education campaigner Malala Yousafzai for highlighting the need for worldwide access to education for all girls. For that, she truly deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. I hope that every girl on this planet brings out the inner Malala within us.
- The reader is an Indian student based in Dubai
