Women will always be Women… even in a male
chauvinist society. They lag behind in having basic rights in society. Denying
girls their education is synonymous with setting up a slave in society. Women
constitute half of the population, but socially, politically and economically, a
woman is at the mercy of male members. The status of education in Sindh can be
gauged from the fact that only 50 percent of children between age groups of
five and 15 are enrolled in schools while about 75 percent of the rural girls
never attend school, as per a Dawn Report. In the wake of devastating floods, rain
wreaked havoc with the infrastructure and brought education standards to the lowest
rung.
According to official reports from the Education Ministry,
at least 10000 schools have been damaged in Sindh during the floods and rains
in 2010 and 2011. Despite the fact that provincial assembly earmarked hefty
funds to rehabilitate schools, no steps have been taken yet. The status of
girls’ school is at the lowest ebb. Girls’ education has never been the
priority of the state’s attention. In Nawasbahsh, which is the hometown of
President Asif Ali Zardari, over 200 girls schools were completely damaged
during the monsoon. This puts the education of thousands children at stake. Two
full years have elapsed since that mishap but no serious efforts are taken by
the government yet. Paradoxically, if the hometown of the president of the
country depicts such a dismal picture, what would the condition in rest of the
country?
Recent surveys conducted by FHRP in collaboration
of FAFEN says that due to closure of girls schools, children are confined to
their homes since parents prefer them staying at home to sending them to
schools in neighboring village or to the Boys’ school. Moreover, many children
were found wandering aimlessly in the streets. A girl named Shazia from UC
Khadhar said that she along with other girls wanted to seek education, but due
to closure of schools they were compelled to do household chores. If such
practice continues, the education for girls would be a distant dream.
Sindh Government earmarked 131 billion in 2011-12
and Rs 231 billion in 2012-13 as Annual Development Program (ADP), but it could
not rehabilitate the flood affected schools of the province which were
destroyed in the face of torrential rains of 2010 shameless to state here that
such funds have been swapped with development funds issued to local MPA’s and
MNA’s. However, they are already given Rs.1.Crore each year to make development
in their respective constituencies.
FHRP is driving campaign to rehabilitate, provide
basic facilities and setting up more girls school in District Nawasbhah, the
hometown of the president of Pakistan ,and invites Students, people and
community in an outside of the country to be part of this campaign. . All are
invited to send slogans, drawings, poems, SMS, Podcast, Voicemail or any
material in any form to influence the decision makers.
Ashfak Siyal
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