By Betty Yom Mageer
![Activist Betty Yom [Photo courtesy]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Untitled-design-20.png?ssl=1)
Education makes us capable of acquiring new skills, knowledge and being able to communicate with others in a civilized manner. Education is the fundamental right of everyone and therefore while providing educational opportunities. We should not discriminate among the genders. Unfortunately, the discrimination still prevails in many parts of the globe and South Sudan. Therefore, there’s a need to make people understand that women and girls also deserves to be educated and it is their basic right too like men. Society has a large population of women and girls and we can’t have such a large population as illiterate, it’ll be our huge loss.
Education is one of the most critical areas of women empowerment and it is the major factor that enable womankind to have a chance of a healthier and happy life. However, there’re numerous crucial benefits for the society as a whole. An educated woman has the skills, information and self-confidence that she needs to be a better parent, worker and citizen. Education play a significant part in the development of human society. Moreover, it peradventure plays the most crucial role in a woman’s life. Basically, in the case of man dominated society, a woman can live a dignified life if she is well educated. Education is indispensable for women as it helps them to select the way of life they desire to lead.
The exceptionality of education in women can be compared with life blood in human body. It is also known as the light of life as it develops the quality to adopt the change that is happening in person’s life. Education is the foundation of development and its plays an instrumental part in the advancement of human society. Its establishes positive and constructive changes in human life. Education makes people aware of significant issues, as well as to be organized, skillful and responsible. Educated people can analyze good and bad behavior of human beings and can initiate for change in the case of necessities. As we know, a woman occupies the central part in the society because she organizes the household activities, deals with family members and help children to grow in the right way.
For this reason, a woman should be more knowledgeable, conscious, cooperative and much more. All the above qualities should be inculcated through education. Therefore, education is essential for womankind for the smooth functioning and organizing of homes. As more and more womenfolk are empowered, the household functions will be efficient and overall society will function well. Furthermore, we very much need to do this in South Sudan. There’re a lot of benefits that come with women’s education such as: firstly, improve socioeconomic growth: educated women have a greater chance of escaping poverty, leading healthier and more productive lives and raising the standard of living for their children, families and communities.
Secondly, decrease support for rebellion: as women become more educated, they’re less likely to support militancy and will discourage their men from joining insurgency. Thirdly, decrease domestic & sexual violence: educated girls and women are not likely to be victims of domestic and sexual violence or to tolerate them in their families. Fourthly, increase involvement in political process: educated women can participate in political discussions, meetings, and decision-making, which in turn promotes a more representative, effective government. Fifthly, decrease population explosion: educated women tend to have fewer and healthier babies compare to illiterate women, and not because having many children is bad for the society but quality of their lives, teaching and economic budget have to be seriously consider. Even Melinda Gates, wife of Bill Gates has three children despite of their massive riches that can feed billions of people across the world for some decades and they’re not arrogant.
Sixthly, decrease child marriage: child marriage in some cases involving girls as young as 14 or 16 almost always results in the end of a girl’s schooling. The result is illiterate or barely literate young mothers without adequate tools to build healthy, educated families. Seventhly, decrease maternal mortality: educated women with greater knowledge of health care and fewer pregnancies are less likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth. Eighthly, decrease infant mortality: kids of educated women are less likely to die before their first birthday. Girls who receive an education are less likely to contract HIV/AIDS, and thus, are likely not to pass it onto children. Primary education alone helps to reduce infant mortality significantly, and secondary education helps even more. Ninthly, future educated generations: An African proverb says, “if we educate a boy, we educate one person. If we educate a girl, we educate a family and a nation”.
By educating a girl, she is far more likely to ensure that her children also receive an education. As many claim, investing in a girl’s education is investing in a nation. Tenthly, nation’s development and prosperity: when a girl is educated, it is a sure ticket for national development and share prosperity and a woman’s education will always and forever be for the good of the nation. Finally, I’ve a gorgeous, intelligent, kind-hearted and humble sister whose her education has result to the fruitful contribution in the national development of our beloved South Sudan. She has built a community’s school for girls in her hometown of Bor, Jonglei State, in Upper Nile Region. And she is planning to build another remaining nine schools for girls in other states in South Sudan in the near future. She is a patriot who has gone beyond the limits and contribute toward our country’s progress and prosperity. She is a beacon of hope to millions of women across South Sudan who has clearly portrayed the capability of a woman as a developmental warrior and shining star in our nation.
She returned back to her motherland after graduating from the University in Australia. She decided to returned back and contribute to the national development. She has demonstrated beyond any doubt what an educated woman can do to the nation. Her example is a call to action to other women in South Sudan. It is also an indicator of uncontested women’s intelligence in the history of our country. It is a true testimony of strength in womanhood and it is undisputable. She has proven wrong the false belief that a woman’s education always ends up in the kitchen. That is the popular misapprehension in South Sudan. However, being a mother and wife have never stopped her dream for an education, and the education of her fellow young sisters in South Sudan. She did not stop at the kitchen of her beautiful family as Africans think of a woman. She managed to educate herself and to bring home an education for girls.
Her achievement in building the school will enable the children of all walks of life to gain quality education. Whether they’re rich or poor and the school is for all the South Sudanese people without distinction. This is the sweetness and goodness of a woman’s studies in the society. And as you can see from this lady’s academic success, there should be no hesitation and justification whatsoever on your side dear reader why you cannot take that beautiful little girl and sister of yours to school so that she can become the next big success in the future in South Sudan. The best gift you can give to a girl child in life is not gold but quality education in South Sudan.
The author is a women’s rights activist and can be reached via: bettyyom2009@gmail.com.
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