In the 21st century, we all have known and witnessed, that education plays a vital role in an individual’s life, both personally and professionally. Education is the key to success in life, but it is not always easy for girls in India to access education. They face many challenges, such as economic hardship, gender discrimination, and early marriage. The National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP) - a policy for the education system in India, could be the saviour. Although it has yet to be completely enforced in the country, it is highly focused on promoting girls' education.
The NEP has several provisions aimed at promoting girls' education, such as providing free and compulsory education to all children up to the age of 18, introducing gender-sensitive education, raising awareness about the importance of girls' education, providing scholarships and other financial assistance to girls and strengthening the infrastructure of schools in rural areas – all of which would encourage girls to continue their education.
According to the Gender Gap Report, 2023, India is ranked 127 out of 146 countries in terms of gender parity, an improvement from 135 last year. However, this is still an abysmal rank for a country who is so invested in girls’ and women’s education and welfare. In 2023, the dropout rate for girls at the secondary level is 12.3%, while the dropout rate for boys is 13%. The dropout rate for girls in India is higher than the dropout rate for boys, considering the fact that the number of girls enrolled in secondary school in India is much lower than the number of boys enrolled.
The reasons for the increasing dropout rate for girls include economic hardship, gender discrimination, early marriage, safety concerns, and lack of access to quality education, among others. These factors demotivate them from pursuing their education. If girls lack motivation to pursue education, they may be more likely to drop out of school, even with encouragement from their parents.
Highlighting the fact that early marriages are still prevalent despite being illegal is distressing, and this issue is often exacerbated by the economic hardships faced by their parents. Although there is a low rate of gender discrimination in urban areas compared to rural areas, our girls and women still face severe safety challenges. Continued and concerted efforts are essential to improve girls' education, as failure to do so might lead to a significant setback in Indian development over the next decade.
The NEP 2020 offers hope to address today’s challenges and meet 21st century needs effectively. To increase motivation for education, we should empower girls to believe in themselves and their abilities, provide role models to inspire them, make education relevant to help girls to see how it can help them to achieve their goals, and create a safe and supportive environment for their learning and growth. If these measures are taken seriously alongside effective implementation of the NEP 2020, achieving gender equality in India is inevitable. Education is the key to success in life, and by providing girls with the opportunity to get an education, we can help create a more just and equitable society.