Deplorable Condition of Female Education in Pakistan’s Largest Province - Balochistan

Balochistan is deprived of the basic education facilities for girls! Image Source: The Baloch News

There is a well-known saying which goes by, “You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.”

This implies that female education is a lifeline to development of a Nation.

But dear readers, did you know that the level of women’s education in Pakistan and its largest province, Balochistan, is extremely poor?

Pakistan’s largest province Balochistan’s girls miss out on education.

The HRW (Human Rights Watch) recently released a report on education of girls in Pakistan.

The results highlighted that nearly 22.5 million of Pakistan’s children are not enrolled in schools—the majority of which are girls. 

“The Pakistan government’s failure to educate children is having a devastating impact on millions of girls,” said Liesl Gerntholtz, women’s rights director at the Human Rights Watch.

Pakistan’s largest province Balochistan’s rugged and naturally rich landscape is deprived of the basic education facilities for girls. Here the education of girls is the lowest: 81% of girls did not complete primary school in 2014/15, compared to 52% of boys.

While the gender disparity is more pronounced in Balochistan, it exists throughout the country.

Balochistan has the largest population of illiterate women!

However, it is of no surprise, the historically neglected province of Balochistan lacks socio-economic development. Balochistan is plagued by poverty, insecurity, and poor utilization of its abundant natural resources. The lack of infrastructure and development only a few miles outside of the city of Quetta is jarring.

Because of non-availability of girls’ schools, colleges, and universities, girls often are denied the chance of getting proper education.

In a country with a population of just over 200 million, an estimated 22.5 million of Pakistan’s children –– are out of school, the majority of them being girls.

The obstacles that keep a huge proportion of girls out of school are:

Balochistan has the largest population of illiterate women in the country.

The HRW (Human Rights Watch) highlighted that among the factors that act as a barrier to girls’ education include the government’s under-investment on female education, lack of schools, high school fees and related costs, corporal punishment, and a failure to enforce compulsory education.

In addition to these factors within the education system, harmful social and gender norms that includes child labor, gender discrimination, child marriage, sexual harassment, and insecurity also discourage the girls from attending school.

“In Pakistan, 21 percent of girls marry before age 18, and 3 percent marry before age 15.”

In Balochistan, girls are denied the chance of getting proper education. Image Source: The Express Tribune

Reforms to give girls equal access to education

Article 25-A of the constitution of Pakistan states, “The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such manner as may be determined by law.”

On the contrary, with closed doors of education, Balochistan is one such region where the future of thousands of girls is at risk and the Pakistani government is not willing to pay any real attention to this catastrophe.

Even after the Balochistan government imposed an education emergency in January 2014, words never turned into action. In 2017, Pakistan was spending less than 2.8 percent of its gross domestic product on education which is far below the recommended international standards – leaving the government’s education system severely under-funded.

However, newly-elected Prime Minister, Imran Khan’s political party’s manifesto promises major reforms to the education system, including girls’ education.

“We will prioritize establishment and upgradation of girls’ schools and provide stipends to girls and women for continuing their education,” the manifesto says. Hopefully, the promise in the manifesto will not prove as fickle as Imran KHan himself. 

“The government recognizes that education reform is desperately needed and promises to make this a priority, especially for girls – a positive step,” Gerntholtz said.

Pakistan has to understand the urgent need for more girls’ schools in Balochistan and the rest of the country and to identify the problems to provide solutions that will give every Baloch girl the bright future and opportunity that she deserves.