Education is the backbone of a nation, but it is unfortunate to see that despite the passage of 45 years of independence, we witness in rural areas women are lagging behind men in education as the parents think education is not as important for girls as for the boys which is not true. The government is trying hard to spread education and it is very praiseworthy. Gender discrimination starts from birth and continues throughout the life of a girl child in the rural Bangladesh. We must not forget that only an educated mother can ensure an educated family. Ours is a densely populated country and we need to develop our human resources and keeping women backwards we cannot expect to achieve the desired progress. Education is a basic human right and it is not a luxury. Illiteracy and poverty are interconnected, so we must spread the light of education in order to drive away poverty from our soil. Women's education also improves women's health, life expectancy, nutrition, reduce population, and increase the role of women in society. It is high time we ensured the rural women got proper education so that they could raise their voice against social malaises like dowry, eve-teasing and family violence.
Ayesha Afsin
Dhanmondi Dhaka
