Girls Education in rural areas

18/5/09

It gives me immense pleasure to read the newspapers about increase in girls going to schools in the rural areas especially in states like Bihar and UP where there is severe discrimination against girls and women.

Are the women still contented with what they get or achieve. Partly women are getting or started getting empowered thanks to government's various schemes to that effect. Solid example of this is of a girl of a small town in Sehore, M.P. who got through the IAS in her very first attempt even though from a very poor family. I hope her clans increase in the days to come.

We need to use more self reliant measures to empower women in rural areas by using the locally available resources to good effect like jute, bamboo, wool, milk etc., so that they can use their talent to earn their livelihood apart from the farm or poultry products in their vicinity. They can also become health care professionals with a little help from the government or some doctors in the area who can guide them on basics of hygiene and sanitation.
We need to go a long way before they become truly self-reliant.

Meenakshi Kamath