Women’s Education in Balochistan
Women’s Education in Balochistan
Bakhtiyar Phullan
Articles

Education plays a vital role for human beings and it is necessary for all human beings to gain it that is male or female. It is the fundamental right of each individual to acquire it and it is the responsibility of the government to provide good education to its citizens.

Education plays a vital role for human beings and it is necessary for all human beings to gain it that is male or female. It is the fundamental right of each individual to acquire it and it is the responsibility of the government to provide good education to its citizens.

If we talk about Balochistan we will come to know that education is the main problem especially for women who are being ignored in the field of education. In Balochistan, women’s education is not good enough due to the systematic biased discriminatory policies and the state of women’s education is not satisfactory due to lack of the educational facilities, institutions, and the negligence of the government that has not been doing enough to take practical steps for the improvement of women’s education.

It is painful to quote that Balochistan makes Pakistan’s huge land mass. Its land mass is approximately 44 per cent, is somewhat like the land mass of France. But it is educationally in a deplorable condition where women are illiterate in a great number but unfortunately no one is present to raise voice regarding problem.

Moreover, in Balochistan’s rural parts, there are no female lecturers to teach at girls’ colleges; instead, male lecturers of the boys’ colleges perform their duties there in evening time. There are also girls’ colleges in these areas without the transport system. Due to these reasons, female students either get compelled to quit the college or they remain absent from the classes the whole year.

According to BSAC (Baloch Students Action Committee), there are many union councils even in Balochistan’s those districts that are near the Quetta, like Mastung, Kalat and Nushki, do not have schools, colleges for girls. So, if it is the condition of Balochistan’s urban areas, then what about the rural areas of Balochistan?

According to a survey, Balochistan’s total literacy rate is 34 per cent against the national literacy rate of 52 per cent-57 per cent of which is for the Punjab, 50 per cent for Sindh and 49 per cent for the KP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). The literacy rate among males in Balochistan is 39 per cent, the lowest in the country. The Punjab has 60 per cent and Sindh and KP both have 54. Similarly, the literacy rate among women in Balochistan is also the worst in the country. With only 27 per cent literate women, Balochistan stands poorly against the national female literacy rate of 48 per cent-53 per cent for the Punjab, 42 per cent for Sindh and 27 per cent for the KP.

Let me clear that Balochistan has presently 3408 girls schools, 22 girls inter colleges, 13 girls degree colleges, 16693 female teachers in government schools with girls enrollment of 429784 and it’s female literacy rate is 27 and which is the lowest literacy rate in the world.

It is my humbly request to the government and concerned authorities to take up a cogent steps for the education of the province, especially of woman and we hope that the present government will do something well for the women education of the province.