Educational Empowerment Of Women In Telangana State

EDUCATIONAL EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN TELANGANA STATE

Mrs.K.PRASANNA

Part time Lecturer in University College of Law,Kakatiya University, Warangal, Telangana

Email Id: [anonimizat]

Dr. K.SRIDEVI

Reader in ASM College for Women, Warangal, Telangana

Email Id: [anonimizat]

ABSTRACT

The history of mankind reveals that there was a time when it was not essential for everyone to learn, or to read and write. The life was so simple and the activities of a person were confined to his small village community and that of women were limited to their respective families only. With the passage of time, the complexity of life also increased. Now activity of the people is no more confined to the boundaries of their communities/families but has tremendously grow in the recent century. The scientific knowledge and technology have entered the sphere of our day-to-day life- and culture. But in this process women are backward. Very few of them are getting the minimum fruits of present development of our country. But the major portions of the poor section, both urban and rural areas, are completely deprived of it, more particularly the women in rural areas.

Keywords: Community, Boundaries, Technology and knowledge.

INTRODUCTION

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 of a woman is to be a good daughter. The second duty is to be a good wife and third duty is to be a good mother. Education teaches a woman what she should be. It also teaches her how she should do it to be good daughter, a good wife and a good mother. Many men spend their evening time at clubs and societies. But a gentleman with an educated wife will not feel the need of a club or a society. He can share his thoughts with her. He can have her advice in trouble. He can spend his leisure in her pleasant company. An educated lady is a good friend, a clever nurse and a useful adviser to her husband. So she is a true help-mate. She can get her husband’s affection and regard. An educated lady is always able to share his sorrows. There is a saying in English” The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world”. The meaning is that the mother exercises a very great influence over the lives of her children. She is able to mould their thoughts and character. If she is educated, she will make such impression on the mind of her children that will enable them in the later life to grow into a great man. Jeeja Bai mother of Shivaji wished to make Shivaji a great man. It was Shivaji who overthrew Mughal Empire and became what his mother wished. It is true that education will enable women to make their parents, husbands and children truly happy. Hence it is very necessary that women should be educated. An educated girl is more important than an educated boy.

Women education in Telangana plays a very important role in the overall development of the country. It not only helps in the development of half of the human resources, but in improving the quality of life at home and outside. Educated women not only tend to promote education of their girl children, but also can provide better guidance to all their children. Moreover educated women can also help in the reduction of infant mortality rate and growth of the population. Gender discrimination still persists in Telangana and lot more needs to be done in the field of women's education

The literacy rate of the Telangana State as per 2011 census is 66.54%. Male literacy and female literacy are 75.04% and 57.99%, respectively. Hyderabad district is highest with 83.25% and Mahabubnagar district at lowest with 55.04%, the same is depicted in the following graph.

Sex Ratio of Population

The sex ratio is defined as the number of females per 1,000 males. This ratio for the Telangana state is 988 according to 2011 Census of India. One distinguishing feature is that the sex ratio in the districts of Nizamabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar and Khammam is over 1,000. The sex ratio has been witnessing an improvement in the State from 967 in 1991 to 971 in 2001 and further to 988 in 2011. Despite a favorable sex ratio of the total population, the sex ratio of children in the age group of 0-6 years is declined from 957 in 2001 to 932 in 2011. The sex ratio of the SC population at 1,008 in 2011 is much higher than the State average of 988 in all districts, except Rangareddy, Hyderabad and Mahabubnagar districts. The sex ratio of ST population at 977 is marginally lower than the State average of 988, but it is higher in Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Khammam districts.

The pictorial presentation of Sex Ratio of population, including children is given in the following graphs.

Social Composition of Population

The population of Telangana State consists predominantly of backward classes scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST). Out of the total population of Telangana State, scheduled castes constitute 15.45% and the scheduled tribes 9.08%. There has been a significant increase in the percentage of tribal population in total population from 2.81% in 1961 to 8.19% in 1981 and further to 9.34% in 2011. The increase is mainly on account of the inclusion of certain castes under the category of scheduled tribes.

Details regarding population density, sex ratio and percentage of SC and ST population of Telangana state are represented below in tabular form

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

Providing women access to knowledge in areas like health, child care, nutrition and family planning.

Assisting women to achieve economic viability through acquisition of literacy and other necessary skills and resources.

Making women more conscious of the rights and responsibilities, the implications of the laws governing women’s status in society and developing and understanding about the various manifest and concealed ways which cause women’s oppression. Assisting women to form their own groups for learning and productive activity, and strengthening their participation in the developmental process.

VARIOUS FACTORS AFFECTING LOW EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN:

Economic, Social and other Factors grouped under the categories namely.

Economic Factor: Studies have revealed that “Women carry two-thirds of the total work load in the country and receive not more than 10% of the total wages, out of which they probably do not get even 15 for their own use.

An important reason for the low participation of girls in education among the disadvantaged sections of the population is that girls from a very early age begin to take care of their younger siblings and to house-hold work to relieve their parents to go out for work. Thus, such girls indirectly generate income. Again, although no school fees may be charged, certain items like books, stationery and uniform entail costs which poor family would be unwilling to incur for sending their daughters to school. It the girls can directly earn some income, for example, as a domestic servant, the income forgone by her, if she is sent to school, is an additional cost which the family may not be prepared to meet. Further, when resources are limited and education has to compete for resources with various other sectors of the economy, women’s education will find it even more difficult to get adequate resources and attention from planners who are generally men with not very favorable attitude forwards women’s education.

Social Factors: This plays an important role in inhibiting the participation of women in education. Early marriage, frequent pregnancy, affects the enrolment rates of girls in education. Most important, however, is the attitude towards girls which is widely prevalent, especially among the poor and in rural areas. The role of girls is restricted and considered to be useful both by the parents and the community (amongst whom education has not made much progress) and hence, the low participation of girls in education. On the other hand, as boys are regarded as belonging to the world of work, their education is encouraged. Again women are regarded to be passive and pliant units in social system which confers on them a subordinate status (unfortunately, women themselves accept such an attitude as being culturally conditioned for it) and their education is feared as it may make the women question such a system. Hence the negative attitude towards women’s education.

Other Factors: Die to our cultural and social heritage parents are often reluctant to send their daughters to boy’s schools, especially from middle level and above. The lack of separate institutions for girls (thought the percentage of such institutions are very few in numbers) inhibits their participation in education. The lack of women teacher and instructress similarly hinders the progress and do not suit girls in rural areas as they are required for work either at home or in fields at the same time; hence, their low participation in school education. The unattractive school environment, especially in mixed schools, lack of physical facilities for sitting in class and the discriminating attitudes of teachers towards girls, etc., also adversely affect the participation of girls in education. Where schools are located at a distance from the home, especially in rural areas, lack of transport facilities or hostel facilities also inhibits the participation of girls in education.

REMEDIAL MEASURES FOR IMPROVING THE LITERACY LEVEL OF WOMEN IN TELANGANA.

The following measures can be considered for bringing phenomenal change in the plight women’s education and empowerment in Telangana.

Since the prevailing situation of poor or less enrolment of girls in schools closes the doors for development and prosperity of future generation of women, concerted efforts must be initiated jointly by the government, parents and civil society to achieve universal enrolment for girls without any compromise. The enrolment can be made even mandatory for every girl by the government in the realm of compulsory education. .

The Ministry of Education both at Centre and State level should work out strategic steps to stop firmly the ongoing high drop –outs among girls especially in rural, tribal and slums areas with the serious involvement of voluntary

The poverty stricken families can be identified through proper research and necessary poverty alleviation services be provided to strengthen the income there by to enable the families to send their children to schools and colleges without much financial difficulties

Bonded Child labour and Child labour practice must be abolished with strict administrative measures and the relieved children form bondage should be integrated into schools with suitable defense social mechanism.

Appropriate steps should be taken by the educational authorities with the participation of communities in order to bring the girl children to the main stream of education and development at every level including family and community.

The female child in every Telangana family irrespective of socio-economic status should be molded to overcome the challenges of inferiority; subservience and domesticity which place sever limitations on her education and development. Every family irrespective its socio-cultural and economic background can take it a challenge to bring up their girl children as dignified human being with empowerment in physical, mental, economic and social dimensions of life.

The Midday meal scheme and other educational supportive services like free textbooks, Note books , Fee uniforms , Free Bicycles, Free bus , scholarships Free bus pass and so on as done in the state of Tamil Nadu can be provided in all districts to lift up the literacy level among girls

As social evils like dowry, child marriage, caste system and other practices deprive rights of education for children belonging to poor and under privileged families and communities, they should eliminated through well-designed packages of mass awareness programmes and social welfare measures with full support of public, political parties, NGOs and government agencies.

The electronic and print media can play significant role in building a good and positive image about girls and women in general in the society by giving no focus for such advertisements and news fetching commercial gain at the cost of depicting women as an object. This would help in changing the society‘s attitudes towards girls and their roles to treat every girl or woman as human being with self respect and dignity.

Government, voluntary sector and philanthropic organizations and individuals should come forward to provide free education for poor girls and provide free hostel facilities for girls studying in schools and colleges in every districts of Telangana. This will certainly encourage children of poor families to pursue good and higher education without many impediments

The schools of social work, departments of women studies, Women Universities and other educational institutions in hand with NGOs and social service organizations such as Rotary Clubs , Lions Clubs, women lib organizations associations can work together to improve the educational status of the women folk in this state on mutual respect and understanding.

The parents of children belonging to poor, underprivileged families must be specially educated with proper social formula to help them to understand the significance of education for their girl children as foundation for empowerment

Government, NGOs and public should work hand in hand to implement the minimum age at marriage (21and above) Awareness should be created to institutionalize it as a traditional practice cut a crossing castes, religions, community etc.

Government officials, policy makers, political parties and others should have adequate political will and conviction to empower women in Telangana without double standard mind

The law enforcing machinery should be made really effective with efficient monitoring vigilant system to implement the constitutional and legislative provisions and administrative measures to assure free and compulsory education for all children of this nation without any gender discrimination.

CONCLUSION:

There is an urgent need to give a top priority to women’s education in the coming years to ensure development with social justice in the Telangana state. Our society should have a fair outlook to the fair sex. The problem of women’s development, therefore, calls for sincere, dedicated all-out efforts from the whole of society, from planners, administration in Telangana will have to strike at the very root of the parasitic system of social inequalities in the state. Women’s education is an instrument for that liberation not only of women but of theTelagana Society as a whole.

REFERENCES:

Advani, B.T. (1985): “More than Equal Partners”, Social Werfare, Vol.XXXI, No.10.

Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (Mayavati Memorial Edition, Advaita Ashram, Colcutta) Vol.VI, p115, Feb., 1978 & Vol. VII, p.215, June, 1979.

Ansari, N.A. (1984): Some aspects of Women’s Education, Indian Journal of Adult Education; Vol. 45, No.9.

Government of India, Census of India 2001.

Government of India, Census of India 2011

Jaya Kothai Pillai (1995) Women and Empowerment, Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi.

N.L.Gupta (2003) Women’s Education Through Ages, Concept Publications Co, New Delhi.

R.K.Rao (2001) Women and Education, Kalpaz Publications, Delhi.