The Impact of Education of Disadvantaged Women and Children on Economic Development - Report Example

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE IMPACT OF EDUCATION OF DISADVANTAGED WOMEN AND CHILDREN ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Table of contents Introduction…………….……………………………………………….. Pg 4 Objectives ……………………………….………………………………. Pg 4 Literature Review …………………….…………………………………. Pg 4 Methods of analysis ……………………..………………………………. Pg 5 Analysis …………………………….…………………....……………… Pg 6 Conclusion ……………………………………….……………………… Pg 11 Introduction Education is the most important factor in the development of the economy since it incorporates economic strategic plans. It is only through education of the people, especially women and children, that the population can be informed of the measures to take in order to initiate economic development. This also helps in making calculated choices and decisions that are ideal for the development of the economy. Lynch and Modgil, in their book ‘Education and Development: Tradition and Innovation’, describe educations as fundamental in all aspects of economic growth and development. They stress on the need to educate women and children who are the most vulnerable to discrimination especially in the developing nations. It is therefore imperative to incorporate education in economic development scheme. Objectives This study aims at displaying the effects of women’s and girls’ education in the overall scheme of economic development. This is an important move to ensure that all factors are taken into consideration so as to hasten economic development in different regions of the world. Literature Review Educating the girl child especially in developing nations is key in the development of the economy as they are bound to contribute in development schemes like the creation of employment and self dependency. When a population is comprised of elites, it is obvious that there would be a steady income and this would further translate to independency and self reliance. (Lynch and Modgil, 1997). An educated population plays a great role in the creation of employment opportunities and securing the stability of an economy. For this reason, the investment in education and its related facilities should amongst the top in the strategic plans of a country. This entirely depends on the political support for educational institutions. It also depends on the financial support from the government and donors to facilitate educational activities within these institutions. Ways through which education may impact on the economy are analyzed through the difference in productivity of people of different educational levels, their poverty levels and contribution in enhancing education. It is also important to note that the ratio of funds allocated to both secondary and higher learning is a great determinant to the impact of education on the economy. In addition to that, the ratio may also be narrowed down to primary level so as to come up with a more appropriate analysis. Education is a long time investment that secures the future of all children on the globe. Having good education is as important for the girl child as it is for the boy child hence girls and boys should be given the same good education. On the contrary, some third world countries still bur their girls from getting educated and this has been a major contributor to their lugging economic development. (Lynch and Modgil, 1997) Method of analysis All the facts and information that define the significance of incorporating education in the long term economic development within a given country will be documented using evidences from graphs and tables. These will contain statistical data in various variables as evidences of the contribution of education in economic development. The statics are retrieved from various fields of research to show how education blends with the economy of different countries across the globe. The data contained in the graphs and tables are obtained from a variety of sources related to educational analysis and its relevance to the development o the economy. The essence of this variation is important in exploring all the factors that contribute to economic development. Analysis The following is a table showing the gaps of male and female enrolment in primary, secondary, tertiary and adult literacy schools across the globes. The figures show the difference in hundreds of the sum of all the men and women enrolled in schools at different levels. This is a human development report that was tabled in 1990 to show the huge variation between the men enrolled in schools against women. It is important to note the conspicuous difference on the enrollment especially in Nordic countries. Developing countries also registered a huge difference in the enrolment due to the obvious reason of the deeply rooted discrimination against girl child education. It is notable that the range reduces gradually in more developed nations. The best proof for this is the figures registered in South Asia which is a more developed region as compared to Arab states. On the other hand, there is a proof of a tremendously reduced range in the enrollment for tertiary education in the less developed regions. The range for tertiary enrollment in Sub-Saharan Africa is an indication that the trend is gradually changing and more ladies are registering for tertiary education. It may be concluded that the poor economic development registered in developing nations may be as a result of fewer women seeking education. In situations where there are a few learned women, there is always a direct impact on the economy due to inadequate skilled labor that can be applied in the development schemes. Table 1: Male-Female Gaps in education, 1990 (Index: Males = 100) Region Adult Literacy Primary enrolment Secondary enrolment Tertiary enrolment Nordic countries — 100 101 121 OECD — 99 98 103 All Developing Countries 73 88 78 70 Least Developed Countries 57 84 67 44 Arab states 61 92 77 65 East Asia 80 96 79 73 Latin America and Caribbean 97 98 98 70 South Asia 55 75 60 48 SE Asia and the Pacific 90 97 95 73 sub-Saharan Africa 66 85 72 46 Source: Human Development Report 1995, Annex table A2.6, page 68. Notes: The figures relate to womens education in relation to mens, the index for men being 100. Thus, for example, in least developed countries, the adult literacy rate for women was only 57% that of men, while in Latin America and in the Caribbean, it was 97% that of men. The following graph shows the annual percentage of women’s earnings as compared with that of men in the world. It shows a steady increase in the salaries earned by women globally all through from 1979 to 2009. This steady increase has been fueled by the continued encouragement to women to participate actively in the development of their nations. From the early 80s, quiet a number of countries begun programs that would encourage young girls and women into having education. It was realized that only the men were educated by their parents. This had a great impact of monopoly of men in working places with only a few women amongst them. Women, on the other hand, were left back at home to take care of the family. The gradual increase in the salaries earned by women as compared to that earned by women is directly proportional to the economic development in different region of the world. The years between 1979 and 2009 marked enormous economic development in many countries. This is attributed to inclusion of women in the development plans after they got educated. As a result of this incorporation, women began holding key positions in the development sectors in various nations. They got various appointments to chair lucrative government positions. In addition to their services, educated girls are lees likely to fall victims of exploitation by men and trafficking. All these have served positively to enhance economic development in these nations. Recent research has indicated that the number of women managers in different institutions. This is an indication that more women are getting education in the recent years as opposed to the olden times. This gradual increase has further resulted to an escalation in the economic development due to the existence of more skilled labor in the markets. The graph below indicates the percentage of female s among managers across various institutions in all over the world. This survey was meant to analyze the trend in the employment of women in managerial positions in a range of institutions. It showed that women were increasingly holding managerial positions as time elapsed. This trend was an implication that women were gradually gaining education and that they were beginning to be visible in the helm of economic development. The graph shows clearly that the percentage of females amongst managers steadily increased from 1980 to 2010. As a matter of fact, the increase registered showed great variances each year. Amazingly, it was in the early 1980s when economic development was at its helm and it has steadily increased since then. The fact that the economy of various regions increases steadily alongside the number of women managers is not coincidental. On the contrary, it is an evident indication that the incorporation of women in economic development has distinct outcomes. The one that follows is a figure showing gender gap as at 2007. This figure is important as it shows gender disparity across the globe to help in analyzing the situation in both developing and developed nations. It may also be used to forecast the future economic developments if the trend is maintained. It is important to note that poorly developed nations like the Middle East have a great variation in gender gap. This may be as a result of poor education systems which reflect to their development schemes. Regions of Central Africa where poverty is still a big menace are also part of the victims of great gender disparity. This is a clear evidence that areas having a high gender difference are bound be poorly developed. This is due to the obvious reason of not including women in development plans. On the other hand, regions with minimal gender difference are those that have registered a remarkable development in their economies. The developed nations have incorporated women in their employment markets and as a result, they have had positive economic development. Conclusion In summary, education is an important aspect in the attainment of development goals. The vitality of economic development has been embraced by many nations, both developed and developing, and educations ahs played an important role in the process. Educating everyone without gender discrimination does not only increase the number of skilled personnel in the markets but also reduces overdependence on men who are always considered as breadwinners within a family setup. Research has indicated that an investment in the girl child education is viable and delivers real returns, not only on individual levels but also for the society at large. Educating the girls in particular makes them independent and educes their vulnerability to societal crimes such as rape and violence. This can further be translated to the reduction of infections of deadly diseases like HIV and AIDs. It is important to note that a HIV-free population is more productive as compared to a population struck by the menace. It is only through a productive population that a nation can exhibit significant improvement in its economy. Recent statistics indicate that the gap of gender disparity is depreciating steadily and that women are being actively involved in critical development plans. This is an indication that more women are becoming elites due to the attainment of high education levels. From all the examples shown above, it is evident that education is conspicuously playing a major role in economic development. It is only through the improvement of the challenges faced by girls’ education that countries will register even more development breakthroughs. Reference Lynch, J., Modgil, S., & Modgil, C. (1997). Education and development: Tradition and innovation. London: Cassell. Read More