Good mothers gave birth to good children, and good children
eventually make good citizens, or, broadly speaking, a good nation. This
is a truism, and what follows from it is that a nation can be educated
only when all the mothers of the nation are educated. This, obviously,
necessitates giving emphasis on female education.
Female education, is, as has already been referred to, educating the
female citizens from their early age. In Bangladesh in the recent years
special emphasis has been put on this issue. Primary education up to
class eight for girls has already been made compulsory nationwide. This,
indeed, is a big step toward the overall amelioration of the
socio-economic, cultural, and other psychographic conditions. But it is a
matter of great regret that the system is not working desirably well in
the rural areas. However, this measure taken by the government is
praiseworthy.
To look back to statistical data, in such developing overpopulated
country like ours the literacy rate is not really satisfactory. Roughly,
the number of female citizens is almost equal to that of the male
citizens. But unfortunately only a very small portion of this is 38 %
(approximately). This gives a premonition towards more degeneration of
the society day by day. But we cannot let it happen. That is why we have
grown in ourselves the perception that our women should be educated if
we want to make better the next generation.
The measures taken by the government so far are effective. The
allowances, stipend, and free education facilities, for example, have
inspired many poor parents to school their daughters. As a result, the
number of female students is increasing day by day. But, unfortunately,
the campaign is not being very successful owing to a number of causes;
namely, lack of mass propaganda on the part of the government, ignorance
of many parents, traditional belief that women should not be educated
too much, religious dogmas and so on. As a whole, the female education
program will ultimately become a near-success, but it, in the meantime,
will cost too much in terms of time and the degeneration of the nation.
If female education program is not boosted up, then the government
together with other non-government organizations and educational
institutions has to launch more and more consciousness-building
programs. Some other motivating factors may also be included in the
program such as giving priority to women candidates in some selected
jobs.
The moot-point is that, somehow or other, we have to educate our
female citizens. We have to be up and doing in building up an educated
new generation. To do that, we have not only to create good mothers but
also the vast human resource base of ours that comprises our women
Statement of the Problem
Education
is a human right and an essential tool for achieving equality,
development, and peace. Nondiscriminatory education benefits both men
and women and ultimately equalizes relations between them. In today’s
world, empowering women is one of the crucial elements in successful
social and economic development and one of the means to do that is to
provide girls with more than just basic education. To become agents for
change, women must have equal access to educational opportunities.
Female education contributes to poverty alleviation, improved Nutrition
and reduced fertility. Education also improves women’s own health
outcomes and life expectancy, their ability to influence family
decisions and their likelihood of engaging in formal paid employment.
Aside from the intrinsic value of education, better-educated women are
more productive and have higher incomes; they marry later and have
fewer, healthier and better-educated children. Educated women are more
active in civic affairs. Perhaps most important, an educated woman can
more easily avoid the vicious cycle of poverty. Instead, she can be part
of a virtuous cycle of education that ensures the well-being of her
descendents and her country. Their contributions had been measured by a
study, which revealed that an increase in female educational attainment
raises the subsequent growth rate of real GDP per capita. The estimate
reveals that an additional year of female schooling raises the growth
rate between two to four percent per year. So strong are the benefits
that many experts are convinced that investment in the education of
girls may well be the highest-return investment available in the
developing world. In a word, Bangladesh is a developing country and
behind her les and slow development lack of proper female education is
one of the causes
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Napoleon once
said "Give me an educated mother and I will give you an educated nation.”
This statement is enough to prove the importance of female education. No nation
can progress without educated mothers. Allah has created both man and woman
equally. They are like the two sides of a coin. One is incomplete without the
other. So, education cannot be the only possession of a single class or sex.
Rather, it should be imparted equally to both men and women. Our religion has
also made education compulsory for all.
In the past,
our women folk were confined within the four walls of home. Parents did not
allow them to receive education and to participate in any outside work. Early marriage,
religious misinterpretation and the narrowness of our outlook created bar to
the path of education. These were great disadvantages. Parents also thought it
waste of time and money to educate their girls. They did not understand that if
girl children were educated they could be as competent as male children.
As our women
folk constitute almost half of our total population, no real development is
possible keeping them uneducated. We must not forget that family is the primary
training ground of human beings, and mother is at the center. An educated
mother knows well how to make and shape the character of her children. She
knows well how to bring up her children, to educate them and to make them
worthy. In domestic life, she can also extend her helping hand to her husband.
So, there is no alternative to female education.
It is a matter
of great delight that women have started to come out of their cocoons. Being
educated, they are advancing forward and joining a wide range of professions. They
have already been able to prove their abilities. They are also becoming
successful in establishing themselves in educational, scientific, industrial, cultural,
philosophical, and literary arenas. Even they have become successful in
exposing their talent in politics and politicization. In fact, they are
becoming self-dependent day by day.
However, all disadvantages
of female education including male domination of the society, early marriage
and religious misinterpretation must be removed in the underdeveloped countries.
The good news is that recently the scenario of female education has started to
change. All possible facilities of female education have been extended.
Education for girls up to degree level has been made free with a monthly
stipend. More schools and colleges for girls are being set up to spread female
education. If a mother is not educated, the child is not taken care of properly.
So, all of us should come forward to spread female education
Educating Women, it is said
that educating the whole family. Educating at all levels is an impetus
to social development and the education of half of the population,
inevitably posses a major problem. Education is a cornerstone of women
empowerment because it enables to respond to opportunities, to challenge
their traditional roles and to change their lives. Educating women
benefits the whole society. It has a more significant impact on poverty
and development (Nazmunnessa Mahtab, 2012). For every individual, the
right to education is one of the first provisions of the universal
provisions Declaration of Human rights. The right of access to higher
education is mentioned in a number international human right instrument.
The UN international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights
of 1966 declares in Article 13, that “higher education shall be made
equally accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate
means and in particular by the progressive introduction of free
education. The government of Bangladesh operates many schools in the
primary level, secondary level and higher secondary level. It also
subsidizes parts of the funding for many private schools. The government
also operates Universities through the University Grants Commission.
Despite
above facilities for female education still the percentages of male and
female students in public Universities are not equal. According to the
statistical year book of 2010, the percentages of male and female
students in the Public Universities are 59.99% and 40.01%. Education
increases self reliance, empowerment among the human being. For Women
this is very much important to create self reliance, self confidence and
empowerment among them. But it is an important question that why
participation of female students is low in the higher education level?
This
research will explore the barriers of higher education that influence
lower participation of women in higher education. The Education of
father and mother, occupation of father and mother, family size,
religion, residence, family income all factors that influence education
of women will be analyzed in this study. After analyzing influence of
socio-economic background in the study relation with higher education
and empowerment will be studied. Barriers of higher education will also
be analyzed in this study. According to the present situation in
Bangladesh the condition of participation in the employment including
administration, government services, Bank job, teaching etc is not much
satisfactory. The influencing level of women in the family depends upon
the education level, the willingness and also the position she holds
after finishing of the education. So, all things are equally connected
with each other.
Significance of the study:
Without
the participation of both men and women development of a country is
impossible. If we recall the definition of governance then it will be
very clear to us. The definition of governance is the undertaking of
activities, management of resources, organization of men and women by
groups of people, communities, local government bodies, business
organizations and the branches of the state (Legislature, Judiciary and
government) through social, political, administrative and economic
agreements that meet the daily needs of people and ensure sustainable
development (Hasnat Abdul Hye, 2000). For ensuring governance it is
mandatory to ensure the education in a country. Education is also
essential for the development of Bangladesh. The ultimate purpose of the
development is to provide increasing opportunities to all for a better
life, it is essential to expand and improve facilities for education,
health, nutrition, housing and social welfare, and to safeguard the
environment (Education Sector Policy Paper by World Bank, 1980). So,
emphasize in the education level is must to gain the satisfactory level
of participation of all including male and female equally in the
society. Women is not only half of the population they represent the
nation also. In a family to build up the mental condition of the child
it is very important to be educated of women.
In the past 40 years
the female education has been encouraged very much but in the
developing countries the higher education rates among adult women is not
that much satisfactory. Poor, overworked and illiterate these are the
profile of women in the developing countries. Literacy is an effective
instrument for social and economic development and national integration.
Women become aware of their social and legal rights, learn and improve
their skills acquire a voice in the affairs of the family and the
community.
A plethora of study have found in women empowerment,
socio-economic background of the students but there is no other research
about higher education of women and its relation with empowerment. So,
this study is needed to perform. In this study the female educational
area has been selected, because female education will lead an educated
and developed nation. Moreover the influence of female students in their
family will also be studied. Family is the centre of the social life.
The effectiveness and efficiency of work depends upon the happiness of
the family. In the article of “Education and Women Empowerment” the
author has shown an example that the educated mothers are more favorable
regarding the independence of a child. This kind of attitude influences
the future educational achievements of the child. As a student of
Public Administration, I have chosen this research topic because female
students in J.U. and D.U. will join in the administration and in most of
the cases they will involve in the service to serve the nation. So, it
is important to conduct such kind of research to identify the
socio-economic background of female students and also the perception of
the female students regarding the participation of women in the higher
education. This study will represent some barriers of higher education
that are facing by the female students. The barriers are need to be
focused in the National Education Policy, National Women Policy, and in
Development plans of Bangladesh.
Research objectives:
a) To identify the socio-economic background of the female students of J.U. (J.U.)and Dhaka University (D.U.)
b) To identify the level of empowerment of the female students of J.U. (J.U.)and Dhaka University (D.U.)
c) To identify barriers of female students in education of J.U. (J.U.) and Dhaka University (D.U.).
Research questions:
a) What is the influence of the socio-economic background in higher education of female students?
b) Does the level of empowerment differ among female students in J.U and D.U?
c) Have any barriers of higher education for the female students?
Research Hypotheses:
a) Socio-economic background influence in faculties of respondents
b) The level of empowerment dependents upon some indicators
c) Residential facilities of University decreases the barriers of higher education
Scope of the research:
The
study is based on two universities D.U and J.U. Therefore,
generalization of study findings for the whole country may not be
appropriate, but it would provide guiding principle regarding women
empowerment and its relation with higher education. The study considered
two geographic locations mainly for testing hypotheses in two different
socio-cultural areas. The major environment covered by the study is
method for measuring women’s empowerment, influence of socio-economic
background in the higher education of women, barriers they face in the
university campus. Socio-economic background of the female students will
be measured in this study with education of father and mother,
occupation of father and mother, family income, size of the family etc.
This research will also be a guiding principle for the suggestions to
improve the condition for female education in Bangladesh. For the
preparation of policies, programmes, and implementation of the existing
policy this research will be helpful.
In order to measure women’s
empowerment decision-making power, autonomy, involvement with
organization, involvement with profession etc. the impact of higher
education in empowerment will be measured in this research. Empowerment
level is highly influenced by the higher education of the respondents.
Methodology of the study:
- Rationale for using quantitative approach:
Quantitative
research includes some structured techniques of data collection that
allow quantification, hypothesis, measurement and operationalization as
well as the use of quantitative method of data analysis including
statistics and computers (Sarantakos, 1998). Moreover the qualitative
approach will also be applied here for the detailed analysis of the
data. For measuring the level of empowerment, socio-economic background
and barriers in higher education quantitative methods have been used in
the present study.
- Selection of University:
Bangladesh
has some thirty-two public universities providing education to the bulk
of higher studies to the students (Wikipedia.org/wiki/list of
Universities in Bangladesh). These universities are funded by the
government while managed as self-governed organizations. Among them, two
Universities have been selected for this study. The rationales behind
selecting the two Universities are:
- Research areas are different from location,
- J.U. is totally a residential university,
- Male and female students compete separately in J.U.
- No separate seats for male and female students in D.U.
- Huge dormitory problems in D.U.
By
keeping these things in the consideration this research will be
conducted. Higher education of the female students will be studied by
comparing Jahangirnagar and D.U.
- Selection of respondents:
The
following table provides the idea about the total students of Dhaka and
J.U. In the D.U. there is no separate distribution of male and female
seats but in Jahangirnagar there is quota for male and female students.
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