The Evolution of Women Education in Secular Areas - Essay Example

?The evolution of women education in secular areas: a comprehensive study of improvement in medical field Women rights in Middle East are considered to be one of the most prominent issues that has been the focal point of Saudi community for decades. One must realize that women in Middle East have an attitude of imposing strict shairah law towards women. The Shariah law is a group of laws compiled by Islamic jurists, that is derived through the teachings of Muhammad (PBUH). However, there is a fine line between religion and culture. This could be perfectly displayed as Saudi Arabia, the monumental place for Islam, forbids women to drive alone. Ironically enough, there is no evidence in Quran and Sunnah that supports this absurd theory. In fact, Islam was one of the first religions to grant voting rights to women. One cannot ignore the fact that women are treated harshly in Middle East due to the egoistic and hostile attitudes of man. This is completely frustrating since Islam appreciates the beauty of women. Women are obligated to cover themselves in order to protect their chastity, which is no doubt essential even to women. However, men are considered to be a superior sex, and much abuse is embedded in society unfortunately. Women at times are forced to marry within cultures in arranged marriages. Although that is not the case in every situation, it is a common issue that plagues the society. Furthermore, women are limited towards education, wealth and power. The women’s inferiority has no doubt been the focal point in all the statutory laws in Middle East. Ironically enough, Islamic history shows that Khadija, the first wife of Muhammad, was an entrepreneur herself. She singlehandedly took over her father’s business interests in order to preserve the family fortune. Merchants would come from near and far because they heard of her fair business conduct. Her intelligence and grace also brought along many marriage proposals. It was actually through business that she met Mohammed and they got married. Nonetheless, it is nothing but ignorance towards the distinction between religion and the thirst for power. Hence, the lack of development of women progressing is clearly lacking. Women at times are forced to marry within a certain culture, race, and even nationality, for example arranged marriages. Although that is not the case in every situation, it is a common issue that sickens the society. In verse number nineteen of Surah four, Allah says “O ye who believe! Ye are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should ye treat them with harshness, that ye may take away part of the dower ye have given them, except where they have been guilty of open lewdness; on the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good.” It is clearly stated that Muslim men cannot marry Muslim women against their will, meaning a Muslim woman cannot be forced to marry someone just because the two have been arranged. The verse also states that a Muslim man must not treat Muslim women with harshness Saudi academics and scholars have raised concerns regarding the system of public education. Moreover, they have questioned the educational performance of the Ministry during the past decades in regards to the curriculum, which is inadequate for the education of females.  Given these conditions, women have always lacked in secular education in Saudi Arabia. A fine line has to be established between religion and culture that is dominated by the egoistic male society. Since women cannot attend education, Saudi women in the past decades have been behind. Most women are unable to read and challenge their analytical skills at a higher level. The lingering social norms that plague the existing in the system has undoubtedly have limited the potential of women to excel in this society. Mona AlMunajjed, Senior Advisor at Booz & Company, Ideation Centre, explains this lack of development as she states, “The problem is more pronounced among girls - as they reach puberty, they mostly drop out to get married. This phenomenon is confirmed once again after high school graduation.” Conducive research suggests that females in clinical education want to excel in their studies and obtain their professional degrees. Nagat El-Sanabary, author of Education in the Arab states and the Arab world, based on a random sample that was conducted by Math and Science departments in Umm-al-Kura university, reveals a positive correlation in scores. That is highly due to the fact that progression in women development has been a focal point of Saudi Arabia. Since Saudi-Arabia segregates the gender in a classroom environment, the disparity between gender relations continues to hinder progress. Clearly, when the countries with sex-segregated classrooms are not included, a positive relationship between gender equality and relative female test scores once again emerges. However, as times continue to progress, national survey results point there has been decent progress in achieving gender equality among students. The results are depicted here as the number of female students at all institutions has dramatically escalated from 270,000 in 1974-75 increased to more than two million in 2004-05. Clearly, the government's commitment to enhance female education is also demonstrated by the financial assistance given to female students. In addition, it gives females the motivation to excel at their academic education. As the Saudi government strives to address social reform, it is attempting to embed more than 38 educational institutes for women in the country. In addition, the Ministry of Education has been collaborating with the Saudi government to escalate the efforts. The total number of female students enrolled seeking a bachelor’s degree has enrolled to more than 340,000 in the 21st century. The challenges in the public education for women continue to be the hallmark for the Ministry of Education. First and foremost is the fact that there are lack of adequate teacher training that plagues the system. However, a recent study indicates that women in the medical field in Saudi Arabia not only are intelligent, but continue to beat the opposite gender in secular education. Clearly, it refutes the old traditional thinking of women intellect. Hence, the question remains; what are the reasons for the outperformance of females compared to males? There are many factors which contribute to this performance. One of the important factors could be subject specific performance by females. An earlier study found that female students perform better in psychiatry, pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology. One of the critical factors that impacted the performance was the fact that it has been reported that females possess better vigilance and are more aware of their physical environment. Hence, this might give them an edge over males and consequently, they show better ability to recall from cognitive memory. Overall, the push for women to excel in science will continue to be the focal point for the Ministry of education. If the women break the norms of the “cult of domesticity,” it will enable them to make huge strides in academics. More investment needs to be poured in research and development in order to gain a better understanding of this issue. Furthermore, at the university level, the fields of education and training for women are limited, which poses a huge problem for any reformation of the current system. Undoubtedly, a reform strategy needs to be implemented in order to achieve this goal. As mentioned above, AlMunajed once again elaborates, "It is only by strengthening the general education system of girls at all levels, and improving women's access to high-quality education that women's participation in the labor force will increase.” If Saudi Arabia can obtain this hefty goal, it can leave an embarking legacy for the future generation of educated women, who will continue to have a profound impact in the country itself. Works Cited The Influence of Gender on Undergraduate Performance in Multiple Choice Testing in Clinical Disciplines at University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia by Deepak KK et al .......................123-130    "Women's education in Saudi Arabia: the way forward | Booz & Company | AMEinfo.com." Middle East business & financial news | business directory & current events | AME Info. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. Read More