Worldwide Women’s Education

Women all over the world are struggling to find their place in countries dominated by men. This is especially true in third world or developing countries. The struggle for them to be able to obtain an education in a society that disapproves is unacceptable. From cultural to financial reasons, the world is in a place where it is not prospering in areas that it should be. Education is an important aspect contributing to the state of the world and denying women of the opportunity will only send us further into a negative spiral.

Nearly half a million people have been killed, and millions of others have been forced to leave their homes. This makes it difficult for the women and girls who want to attend school to have the opportunity to do so. However, one nun makes this possible for a small number of girls. Sister Orla Treacy, a principal at the Loreto Secondary School, who has recently received a Women of Courage Award. Sister Treacy’s school has roughly 300 students in attendance and has become a premier boarding school in the country. Sister Treacy in a way has set a precedent for not only Catholic churches, but all churches worldwide.  Worldwide, the ratio of women to men not attending school is 122 to 100 (UNESCO). This, however, changes when you only look at developing countries where the ratio doubles or even quadruples in the lowest class of third world countries. The reasons for this disparity are unacceptable. Being from a first world country, we do not have the same type of cultural holds that women in those other countries face. We are not viewed as property that can be used to trade for cows or other livestock. Our only purpose is not just staying at home tending to a family. This difference however, comes from education.

The United States, though not perfect all the time, serves as a model for how women should be educated. We have access to world class teachers and schools, policies that do not allow for discrimination, and the financial funding to back our programs. In the countries facing this issue, that is not always the case. In an interview with Sister Treacy, she explains that one of the most pressing challenges she faces is finding qualified teachers that are willing to work for less wages than what can be provided by U.N. agencies and non-government organizations. The churches in the United States are some of the most lucrative in the world.  They, granted are putting their money toward other respectable causes, should start looking for opportunities to help further global women’s education, especially financially. If not financially, the churches should be looking for teachers who would be willing to make the sacrifice.

Another important factor, is that South Sudan is a relatively new country and because of Sister Treacy’s presence, she has made the restrictions placed on women less than in other developing countries. She used the opportunity to help the community see the young girls and boys as equals (Nzwili).  With this, South Sudan is starting to find its way even though it is still in distress. The educated women of South Sudan can now serve as a model to women in other countries as well as the country itself. It shows that girls can be educated and it does not have a negative impact on the host country.

Sister Treacy’s school is a big feat for women in South Sudan. However, the problem doesn’t stop at only one school in one country thriving. If other churches around the world are putting their best efforts in to educate women, churches in the United States need to also. With a plethora of resources, both financially and in personal, the United States is in a prime place to help the women in need.

Sources:

Nun in South Sudan honored for protecting education for girls

http://www.ungei.org/news/247_2165.html