Women Education in India

Women`s education in India has been one of the major issues of concern of the Government of India as well as the society at large. It is because of the fact that today the educated women play a very significant role in overall development and progress of the country. Women hold a prominent position in the Indian society as well as all over the world. However, since the prehistoric times women were denied opportunities and had to suffer for the hegemonic masculine ideology.Thus, this unjustifiable oppression had resulted into a movement that fought to achieve the equal status of women all over the world. Women Education in India is the consequence of such progress and this led to the tremendous improvement of women`s condition through out the world. Nevertheless eradication of female illiteracy is considered as a major concern today. In the recent era, the Indian society has established a number of institutions for the educational development of women and girls.These educational insti tutions aim for immense help and are concerned with the development of women. Women`s Education in Ancient India In ancient India, women and girls received less education than men. This was due to the set social norms. Interestingly,in the Vedic period women had access to education, but gradually they had lost this right. Women education in ancient India prevailed during the early Vedic period. In addition to that Indian scriptures Rig Veda and Upanishads mention about several women sages and seers.Women enjoyed equivalent position and rights in the early Vedic era. However, after 500 B. C, the position of women started to decline. The Islamic invasion played a vital role in restricting freedom and rights of the women. A radical change attended and there was a terrific constraint for Women education in India. Women`s Education in Medieval India Women education in medieval India further deteriorated with the introduction of Purdah system. Different customs and conventions of diverse religions like Hindu, Islam, and Christian further deteriorated the state of women in the country.A range of socio religious movements contributed to the development of women literacy in the country. Many leaders took several initiatives to make education available to the women of India. The ordered form of women education in India was incorporated in the early centuries of the Christian era. Women`s Education in Colonial India The position of the women education in India revived with the invasion of the British in the country and with the advent of Bhakti movement. The colonial period also introduced the institutional form of imparting learning.Women education in Colonial India witnessed an essential expansion. Various movements were launched to make women of the country literate. Furthermore, this progress journeyed through the years and influenced the modern Indian education system. Women`s Education in Modern India Women Education in Modern India is traced back to the years afte r the independence of the country. In the present times, the government of India takes measures to provide education to all women of the country. Women literacy rate seemingly rose in the modern days.Women education in India became a compulsory concern and female literacy has gone higher that male literacy. At present, the constitution of India guarantees free primary school education for both boys and girls up to age 14. Education in India plays a vital role in the overall development of the country. This proves that educated women promote education in their family. Further, learned women can also help in the lessening of child death rate and expansion of population. In the modern era, women education is the replica of a Vedic model for instructive inspiration. Women Education in India Introduction: The men and the women are the two wheels of the society. If one of the two falls defective, the society cannot make progress. Hence we need education for the females as we need for the males. Advantages: The female education is highly necessary for the society. Because mothers are the first teachers of the children. They are the first teachers of the future citizens of the country. If the mothers be ignorant, they cannot take proper care of the children. They cannot infuse good qualities in them. Hence, the very foundation of our people will remain weak, if the females will be ignorant the society will lose the services of a powerful part of our society. So, female education is quite necessary for the girls. The women are in no way inferior to men. In western countries the women are writing books, driving cars and aero-planes, running banks and big business firms and doing research in the laboratory. There are women scientists, women officers and women writers. The typewriters, the news agents, the sales agents the commercial solicitors are mostly women. Hence, we cannot decry the women-folk in our country. Disadvantages: But the female education has some disadvantages too. It is found in Europe and America that the educated women do not want to bear children. They do not like their children. They leave them in the nursery, more out of their disgust than for any other reason. But the defect does not lie in education as a principle. The defect lies in the curriculums. If they learn what the males learn then naturally they will like to be like males. So, separate courses of study should be prepared for the females. Present position: Indians are conservative by nature. So, their blind faith and age old superstition stood against the female education. Now, people have felt the virtue of female education. The do not hesitate to send their daughters to schools. Now in India we find women professors, lady doctors, lady scientists, lady politicians and lady ministers. But a large number of women are still in dark. They should be educated in the interest of our national progress. conclusion: India is now optimistic in the field of female education. We had the female philosophers like Gargi, Maritreyi and Viswabara in the Vedic age. We had Mirabai, Ahalyabi, Durgabati and Laxmibai in the days of history. They were all learned. Hence, we had a great tradition during the days of our degeneration. Now, we have revived. So, we will certainly revive the female education in India.