Fighting to Keep Girls in Schools - NGOs Striving for Female Education

What All Affects the Dropout Rate in India

There is more than one reason that leads to girls having to drop out of school, many times, against their will and wish. Here are just some of the reasons:

• Although it might not be so prevalent in urban centers; in rural areas, traditional gender-based roles often give priority to boys being educated, rather than girls. Families choose to invest in the education of boys, rather than girls and when it comes to families that are financially challenged, the education for girls is not at all a matter of importance.
• Even though the law stipulates that girls cannot be married before the age of 18 (there is discussion about increasing this age to 21), there are still parts of India, where girls are married off at a really young age. This is normally seen in families, where there are too many members or there is financial distress. By marrying the girl off, the family sees it as one mouth less to feed, and when the girl has to be eventually married off, what is the point in educating her?
• Menstruation has a huge role to play in the dropout rate in India for girls - there is the fact that several schools, especially those in rural areas, might not have proper toilets or facilities, where the girls can change their sanitary products in private or clean themselves with ease. Moreover, there are several societies, where the start of the menstrual cycle is considered the age, wherein the girl needs to be more involved in the household duties.
• There are also issues with the education system - for many girls, even if they want to go to school and their families are willing to offer support, there might not be a school in the vicinity, and traveling long distances is generally not feasible for such girls. And then there is the fact that schools in such areas might not have either the infrastructure or the required resources.

What Steps Need to be Taken to Bring Gender Equality in Education

While there might be some consensus on what is leading to the high dropout rate of female students in India, the need of the hour is finding suitable solutions. There are several steps that can be taken, including:

• Quality education needs to become a right, rather than an option – every child, irrespective of gender, irrespective of social and financial background has the right to proper and good quality education. There is also the issue of access to education, which means that more schools, formal and informal, need to be set up so that education can reach a larger audience.
• For most girls, it is the safety and security that they feel in schools that matter the most to them. It is imperative that schools offer a safe environment for them to learn and truly grow. This can be achieved by building a more gender-sensitive and gender-responsive curriculum and ensuring that teachers are also in line with the same. Having more female teachers might also help, especially in areas where families might feel uncomfortable with the idea of their daughters being in the presence of male teachers.
• Safety and security at school will also come into play in terms of menstrual health and facilities - not only do there have to be proper toilets and sanitation facilities in schools, but there also has to be some form of distribution of menstrual health products. It is heartening to see that several schools are now providing free sanitary pads to school-going girls.
• There is also a need for stronger norms regarding child marriage and early pregnancy – both need to be restricted and forcing the girls into either should be made punishable by law. However, if the girls have any household responsibilities or are responsible for younger ones at home, there should be the possibility to attend school as per flexible hours. This is where NGOs come into play because they can help create a classroom-like ambiance, and offer proper education, without being in a traditional classroom too.

How do the NGOs Figure in the Scheme of Things

The NGOs have a large role to play when it comes to bringing a sense of parity in terms of gender and education:

• The fact that they are able to reach every nook and corner of the country, and their ability to help raise awareness is what makes them truly essential in this struggle. By talking to the community members, including parents and families, they are able to spread the fact that education is mandatory and a way to a better life.
• Several NGOs and their volunteers are providing free education to these girls and rather than expecting them to come to a school, they are taking the learning to their communities. Wherever such NGOs are operational, you will see classes being held under trees, in community halls, and even the open spaces in temples and other such places.
• Another manner in which NGOs are offering assistance is by conducting skill development workshops, which in turn prepare these girls for proper professional and career-related openings. Such opportunities allow the girls to build a better future for not only themselves but also the people around them.

NGOs Helping Bring and Keep More Girls in School

• Aarti for Girls: Although this NGO started off as a home for girls who came from underprivileged backgrounds or had stories of abuse, today it has a school as well, where girls are given the opportunity to complete their education. Many of the girls, who might have had to drop out, find the bridge courses on offer here extremely helpful.
• Anandam Educational And Charitable Trust: Several children, especially girls, have to give up education after 10th or 12th because they might not have the resources to study further. This NGO is supporting all those children who have scored well in 12th, but are unable to study further. By providing 100% scholarships to such children, they are enabling their rights to dream big!
• Nanhi Kali: Managed jointly by the KC Mahindra Trust and Naandi Education, Nanhi Kali has been around for a while now and has been working towards ensuring that girls from financially challenged backgrounds have access to good quality education too. Their vision is to address the issue of education and gender equality and continue to offer encouragement to girls from all strata of society. Today, they have been able to impact the lives of more than 550,000 girls across 15 states.
• Protsahan: Literally meaning encouragement, this NGO was set up in the year 2003 with the sole motive of advancing the education of girls and women, irrespective of who they were. Girls and women who might not have had the chance to complete their education or need support to continue the same are constantly identified and provided with the required assistance.
• Educate Girls: Working exclusively with girls from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially in the rural areas of Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh, this NGO is working tirelessly towards increasing the enrolment in schools and ensuring that the dropout rates are lowered. They also work with local communities to encourage girls to return to classrooms and complete their education.

Give Discover applauds all the NGOs working towards bringing equal opportunities of education for women; our aim will be to continue recognizing and assisting more such teams, encouraging them to keep fighting the good fight!