Importance of educating women
It is quite essential that every Indian woman should be educated. If a man is educated, the benefit of education goes to one person only and if a woman is educated the benefit is shared by all the members of the family." The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world". This proverb goes right in the case of a well educated mother. It is she who brings up her children in such a way that they may prove themselves to be worthy citizens of tomorrow and may serve the country in various ways. So the purpose is strengthen the family and prepare the young or adults for becoming responsible members of the family. Concerted effort and sustained action is necessary in order to make this basic unit of the society viable in every way so that it can assist the members to live happily and effectively, individually as well as collectively.
Each woman has to face problams associated with personal life which she herself can't solve. She has to satisfy the family in several ways which demand her health and feelings as a human being. She is forced to follow a scheme of life, through out her life, associated with family life, and in most cases with out her sanction, sivilised life demands more from her life. The education that she receives has some market value. She is forced to earn some thing to support the family and at the same time perform the duties as the house wife. Thus she has to perform the dual role of a house wife and worker in an outside establishment in terms of economic values associated with it.
In India 67 seven of our population are illiterates with such a huge illiterate mass, a nation can not hope to develop. Education of woman is the foundation on which the structure of education is to be build up. It is not an end but it is only a means of liberation and development.
Family is the one basic, central institution which is universally accepted. It is a powerful force. As such the family alone contributes substantially to the overall effectiveness and happiness of individuals, groups and communities. The family plays a recognised, accepted role, the responsibility of the family as such needs no telling. Normally a family would do all it can to stand up to image and rise to the occasion and do the very best it can for each of its members. The socialisation, education and training role of family is well-established. This role is significant and has a tremendous effect on making the life of individuals. The nurturing and development function of the family is equally well recognised; any failure in the due performance of this function is likely to have serious consequences for the individual's life. In order to perform the family role effectively, education is necessery for women.
Women's education and development.
Education of woman is no longer regarded as a welfare programme or social service as it used to be, but is considered as an investment in the development of human resources. Many research studies carried out in developing countries have proved that there is a direct relation ship between women's education and development. The result achieved in India also indicate that women's education related to agriculture and industries has contributed substantially to increasing production. Women are able to improve their productive capacity by gaining knowledge and skills through education. Investment in education expands and extends knowledge, leading to advances which raise productivity and improve health.
Economic development is earned through social development which can be achieved by educating the illiterate women. Urbanisation encouraged the rise of nuclear families and the economic self-sufficiency of the nuclear family. In many cases women were compelled to take up jobs to supplement the family income. Education became a pre-requisite for playing many, of the modern roles. In turn education also awakened women to a sense of self importance and it encouraged them to assert many of the rights which had been denied to them. At the same time the increasing importance of their role raised their status in the society.
If we examine societies where women have higher status, we will find that this higher status is because of the higher education women aquired. In these societies women have complete or atleast major roles in economic activities. But their economic contributions are neither understood nor appreciated in the local or national setting.
Separation of women in social and family life
If working women in rural area is trained in modern techniques, given modern tools, or provided with training for employment in the new sectors of economy which would be based in the rural areas the result would have been substantial. The result of the careless attitudes to the work of women is that while men and boys have access to training and employment facilities in the emerging new areas of productive endeavour based on technological progress, traditional areas of women's work (eg. system of cooking,carrying water and fuel etc.) have felt little or no impact of technology. This has tended to separate and segregate women socially and in family life. An egalitarian society needs to bridge this gulf.
The returns of the education of woman is generally realised when they become house wives. The home wives make use of education they have received for various purposes. The educated women use their education for various purposes such as teaching, budgeting, controlling expenditure, cooking nutriciuos food materials and to inculcate valuable ideas among other members of the family.
House wife is the pivot of the family. She herself act as a model to others. Hence, we should cultivate a good atmosphere with in the family.( Family is considered as the first school where, of course, mother is the first teacher). Educated women should utilise their education in getting some profession or the other and through that enjoy economic emancipation as well as help the country to march ahead towards an affluent and developed society.