Since last 100 years, women have raised themselves in social, political, economic and other aspects which certainly contributed many nations to develop in a global market through the means of education. Countries with good education systems have an internationally recognised global ranking on their development perspectives and standards. In fact, developed nations have achieved such rankings through a supporting back bone of equal opportunities provided on education systems to either of the genders regardless of some conflicting issues that still prevails within these countries. While on the other hand, developing countries are still trying to overcome the gender disparities at this moment for such recognitions amongst their society. There are some key factors as teaching methodologies, conceptual contexts of societies in terms of access and opportunities, and the role of a nation’s system towards equal rights that support the evidences on carrying out various practices in gender and education system which are comparatively different in between these two nations.
Conceptual contexts of societies are regarded as norms, values, lifestyles and other various jurisdictions that are contained in a society that play an important role in the gender equality and overall education system in an individual’s life. No doubt, in most of the societies where traditional norms and socio-cultural values are been practiced, it’s the female gender that has always been out casted. ‘More than 542 million women are illiterate, many as a result of inadequate or incomplete schooling. Lack of literacy is generally associated with poverty and discrimination’ (UNESCO 2003:87). This statement is a result of various disparities that includes domestic violence, health hazards as HIV/AIDS, economic dependence, education gap in between male and female, early marriage and others. The Africa Gender Equality Index 2015 gives a wise demonstration on overall structural performance on certain dimensions as equality in economic opportunities, human development and laws according to countries with high gender equality and low gender equality. The available charts and figures on these dimensions demonstrate women have proved a high potentiality and a leadership attitude in their community and on their individual life. However, women of countries like Chad, Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, Djibouti face problems like predominance in economic liability from male members, high infant mortality rates, physical violence and no control over fertility. Excluding countries like South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius in general, less than 10% of woman have an access to contraception in whole African continent which is an example of poverty resulting into a poor health of a mother in future. Likewise, a sort of similarity on gender disparity can be seen in Asian nations where women are in a minor position to men and have to rely on them socially, culturally and economically. In countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia and other Islamic countries, the extremist religious groups force the government to prohibit female to go for an educational institution and are not allowed to walk alone outside from the house. Rape is regarded as the prime crime against female in India. According to The World Bank, North India and Pakistan face a worse ratio of mortality rates, health treatment and education facility amongst South Asian countries. It shows a necessity in these above mentioned nations to acquire an implementation of equal opportunity of education and equality amongst gender regardless of caste or cultures of any ethnicity which can progress the overall development of a society as women have a better role in their communities.
Secondly, the teaching methodologies and investment in the education also determines the future of a nation. Countries like United States, England, Germany, Norway, Finland, Korea, Japan and Australia allocate a huge and competitive amount of investment in their annual budget. Taking a recent example on the context to investment, Vietnam outperformed many developed countries like Japan and United States by scoring higher scores in Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). It’s because the government of Vietnam raised its investment and expanded enrolment with strict laws to apply a minimum standard of education at their institutions during the last recent years. However, driven forth by politics, unfortunately the education system of other developing nations has still a lot more to go. In African countries and in Nepal, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan the teenage students get enforced into political massive rallies and protest programs with head boards and banners. On the other hand, the western political trend proves how a socio political leader efforts himself technically and professionally to handle this national government agency (i.e. The Ministry of Education). Likewise, if we talk about the teaching methodologies, there are many untrained female teachers at primary and secondary level whereas the education at tertiary level is basically dominated by similar categories of male teachers in developing nations. The reason behind this failure is also connected with some of the sociological norms as presented earlier, but the key reason has to be a lack of policy implementation and lack of monitoring assessment. The government should be able to fix a professional learning standard and an expertise level to qualify teachers for effective professional teaching respectively. Another big problem in an institution is corporal punishment. Though it was all over the world, corporal punishment has been abolished in many developed countries. However, it still prevails in developing nations, basically more found in rural parts. Girls are more vulnerable for corporal punishment that can lead to physical abuse and other forms of harassment. This can also bring a message in adolescence that violence is an acceptable process in the society. Various alternative approaches can be applied to students in an institution by their very own teacher to know more about the attributes of a child and treat him/her with respect so that every child can have an equal share of their facilities and become a successful person in the future.
Developed countries have built a solid foundation in terms of economy, industrialisation, better health records and minimum mortality rates with overall good living conditions through the process of revolutions and realistic educations from their own past. But, there are many serious humanitarian problems that still exist even in the top nations. One big serious issue in developed nation is rape. Research fact illustrates that about 44% of rape victims are under 18 years and 80% of rape victims are below 30 in one of the powerhouse nation of the world, USA. In every 107 seconds, a female is being sexually assaulted and there are around 293,000 victims of sexual assault in United States. And, to add their despair, 98% of the rapists never spend a full day on jail even after a long legal battle and trials. What the scenario concludes is the culture of United States where most of the rape cases happens inside the home and by their own circle of people and other acquaintances. Similarly, bigger European countries like France, Sweden, Germany and United Kingdom have notable cases of rape despite these countries are well developed in terms of various internationally standard parameters. Similarly, despite the equal opportunity and human rights in Australia, women are often employed in a causal or part time or in a junior position work which results towards a low salary below the superannuation scheme. ‘In Tasmania, it was reported that women make up a 70 % of the education sector but hold only 37 % management positions in that sector’(Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission 2008). Also women have to leave the workplace to care for their children, parents or grandchildren and the government has not provided a sufficient program package for disabled women, either they are a citizen or a migrant/refugee. These examples show a clear fact that even the developed countries still need to practice equal human rights through an implication of consciously attributing education learning system amongst the society from the early childhood age in school, home and at other places. Women should be treated equally in educational, vocational and social career progressing activities in order to establish an equal representation of genders in every sectors of development.
In conclusion, there are various aspects in the society that the humanity has to lead upon. Obviously, no one should leave their traditionalism as it’s an ethnic heritage from our ancestors and history of evolution. But, in order to develop sustainably in the modern sophisticated world there should be legal rights and responsibilities upon every human’s shoulder that he or she has to undertake for their self-development as well as for the society. Equality marks major in the presence and the context of today’s world as women were always behind since the history where education was limited for one gender especially. So, it has always been the society that made the world what it is at the moment. But universally, as a coin has 2 equal parts, there is an equal importance of both genders in the society for the development. We cannot clap with one hand as there always needs to be another hand as an equal support to any out of two, it’s the same with male and female as it is the natural gift of creation for the humanity to evolve.
References:
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2. African Development Bank Group 2015, Empowering African women: an agenda for action, African Development Bank Group, viewed 15 April 2016,
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Context and Perspectives 