Hamid Fatimah Omotayo writes,
According to Aristotle, Education is the process of creating a sound mind into a sound body. It is also a process that begins from birth and ends in the grave.
John Dewey defined it as a process of living and not a preparation for future living.
Education is one of the main factors for the development of any nation. It performs a major role in preparing the individual with the skills and knowledge, which would help to positively transform any society.
It is applicable to say that education is the greatest investment that any nation can provide for the immediate development of its natural and human resources.
Education is important to everyone, but to me, it is very significant for girls and women. This is certain, not only because education is an entry point to many opportunities, but also because the educational achievements of women can have trickle effects within the family and across the generations.
There are many benefits in investing in Girl-child education which most people are ignorant of.
Investing in girl-child education is the most effective way to reduce poverty in our society. It helps the girl child to be useful and become a functional member of her society.
There is an adage that says, "educate a man, you educate an individual, but educate a woman, you educate a nation." This simply implies the importance of girl-child education and this calls for special attention to be focused on girl-child education. No nation will want to toil with the future of its education of its citizens, especially the children who will become the leaders of tomorrow.
Investing in girl-child education makes an enormous difference to a woman's chances of getting well-paid work, raising a healthy family, and controlling the spread of diseases such as HIV, AIDS, STD. It also helps in the fight against all sorts of sexually transmitted diseases.
It provides girls and women with an understanding of basic health, nutrition, and family planning giving those choices and power to decide over their lives and bodies.
Girl-child education leads directly to better reproductive health, improves family health, economic growth for the family and society as well as lower rates of child mortality and malnutrition.
Women are caregivers at home when the education will, no doubt, improve the health of family members, and this will strengthen the nation's health and lay the foundation for sustainable economic growth.
Through girl-child education, women come to know their rights and will be able to contribute their part in the development of their immediate society.
Educating a girl child would provide them the ability to fit into the modern ever-changing world, to effectively fit and function optimally in today's technological world.
Furthermore, educating a girl-child helps to change her destiny and her future children, and ensures she contributes to the economic life of her society.
It increases women's communication with their partners and employers and improves civic participation such as holding an office or being voted for (franchise).
Girl-child education also reduces the incidence of girls trafficking because education will enlighten them more on what human trafficking is and all the tactics the traffickers use.
Investing in girl-child education is very beneficial to society. I would like to encourage us to stop the notion that girl-child education ends in the kitchen.
Try to educate your female children so that we can experience positive changes in our society and the world at large.
Hamid Fatimah Omotayo is a 200-Level student of Education and Biology, and Financial secretary at Pen Press, UDUS.
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