“There are multiple issues which we all know about but the patriarchal mindset is the biggest hurdle in girls’ education in Pakistan.” These were the views shared by Bushra Anjum Butt, MPA, Punjab on the latest episode of the podcast series Let’s Talk Education.
Bushra sahiba further added that although access to education for every Pakistani child is in fact the need of the hour but due to the patriarchal mindsets and patriarchal ideologies, the education of a son is always preferred over a daughter’s education.
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She extensively not only discussed how deep the impacts of the patriarchal minds are on girls’ education in Pakistan but also proposed workable solutions that would help in battling the patriarchal norms in a positive way. Bushra sahiba linked the economical instability as one of the reasons that parents prefer to educate their sons rather than daughters and suggested that the stipend schemes for girls are the best way to encourage more parents to send their daughters to schools.
One the topic of the very high number of girls dropping out of schools, Bushra sahiba shared “It is easy to point out that girls are dropping out-of-schools but the real solution is to understand and identify the reasons behind the dropouts. The correct strategy is to solve the problem or address the reason which resulted in a girl dropping out-of-school. For instance, if girls are dropping out because of financial reasons, the families are unable to afford their education then for such girls, scholarship schemes must be initiated immediately.”
Bushra Sahiba also pointed out that many girls drop out-of-schools because of the problems they face during their commute to school. The parents don’t feel safe sending their daughters to school because many girls get harassed on their way to school, and there have been numerous incidents of abductions and rapes. The issue of child marriages and forced conversations have been around for decades. All these factors are resulting in an increased number of girls being unable to complete their education.
Click on the playlist below to watch the complete conversation.
Let’s Talk Education | Season 2 | EP 5 | P 1 | Bushra Anjum Butt
“لڑکیوں کی تعلیم میں ابھی بھی سب سے بڑی رکاوٹ صنفی ذہنیت ہے۔ جب بھی بیٹے یا بیٹی میں سے کسی ایک کی تعلیم کو ترجیح دینے کی بات آتی ہے تو والدین ہمیشہ اپنے بیٹوں کی تعلیم کو ترجیح دیتے ہیں۔” بشریٰ انجم بٹ، ایم۔پی۔اے، پنجاب #letstalkeducation #Bushraanjumbutt In collaboration with Pakistan Coalition for Education – PCE
Posted by Bolo Jawan on Tuesday, November 22, 2022
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Let’s Talk Education is produced in collaboration with Pakistan Coalition for Education. For regular updates on their work, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.