Cristie Roscetti-Lyons

Professor Kirchner

ENG 102

5 November 2024

Educating Women; The Pathway to Gender Equality

Gender inequality is one of the most troubling issues of the 21st century and is a problem

that affects women all over the world, no matter whether it is in the East, West, North or even the

South. While some advancements have been observed in earlier decades, women and girls still

have much difficulty when it comes to education, healthcare, and even economic opportunities.

Thus, these barriers only contribute to the vicious cycle of poverty and disempowerment, as well

as marginalization. Education, though, is one of the most effective weapons against gender

discrimination. One after another study, and one report after another, emphasizes that such kind

of education does not only benefit the individual woman, but can also help transform whole

societies and nations (OECD 4). Education is crucial to break from the shackles of society’s

expectations regarding gender roles, gain better employment opportunities, make wise health

decisions and have active participation in the political sphere.

Women’s education, or rather, gender equality, has been more often than not associated

with achieving great milestones. It’s reported by OECD that if women are educated, they

participate and impact the economy more, have better health and can still have children who are

better educated and healthy, and therefore, this has a lasting constructive impact on the society

level (OECD 3). As exhibited by the World Bank Gender Data Portal, women educate and help

in alleviating poverty, which is of crucial importance, because every subsequent year of school

for girls have positive causal impact on girls, in terms of their prospects for earning and relieving
economic burden off family (World Bank). Still, the education advantages are apparent but over

60 million girls around the world are still unable to be educated. These are the cultural biases,

gender-based violence, and financial issues that still remain, particularly in the poorer parts of

the world. These barriers persist, and UNESCO with UN Women have come forward stating that

they must be cleared for the sake of being able to ever achieve any real gender equality

(UNESCO). Kristof and WuDunn, in their book Half the Sky, argue and support the idea that

enabling women with education is a moral issue but one of the best opportunities for a nation in

overall development as well as in economic terms (Kristof and WuDunn 48).

This essay’s focus is to demonstrate that educating women is one of the most effective

ways to narrow down the gender gap. It focuses on the relative positions of women’s education,

poverty alleviation, political empowerment and social change among others to justify that

bringing girls to school is crucial in the process of securing greater gender equity and world

development. The dissertation will emphasize, through case studies, numerical data or major

works authored by leading international organizations in the field of development, that education

is not only an instrumental means of empowering women, but one of the key components in the

quest to eliminate inequity in the world.

The education of women, other than creating economic dividends, has social and political

consequences. Educated women are politically active, can assume leadership positions, and push

through policies that enhance their families and the community (UN Women). In turn, such

political involvement enables better decision-making that is representative, fair and more

diverse. Evidence has been brought up showing that countries with greater female schooling

rates tend to have proportionate policy commitments with female education levels and have

better governance in general (World Bank). For example, World Bank research suggests that
women’s political engagement has been associated with better governance and lower levels of

corruption (World Bank). In these societies, women with education can strategically manage to

pressure their governments into introducing programs that enhance public health, education, or

gender parity. This makes the education of women an important catalyst for societal change on a

larger scale.

In addition, educated women are known to defy the established gender norms and fight

for social causes. UN Women points out that women who are properly educated will become

concerned with the modification of social norms and highlight gender diversity particularly when

such women have benefitted from the educational system. In numerous countries, Women who

have received education have become the leaders of the movements focusing on the elimination

of the discriminatory laws and practices, such as child marriage and violence against women.

This is exemplified by Malala Yousafzai, a victim of Taliban’s assassination, who has been an

advocate of educating girls in Pakistan and has become a worldwide symbol for the advancement

of education as a vehicle for empowering people and instigating social transformation. Thanks to

her efforts worldwide, the necessity of girl’s education has been emphasized and implemented

the efforts at the enhancement of girl’s education in aggravated regions.

Nurturing educated females produces an impact within the society since they can develop

a strong sense of agency which provides them with the necessary tools to break the chains of

oppression and subjugation. In a study conducted by the Brookings Institution, those women

who have completed primary and secondary education are more likely to decide about their

marriage, family and economic activities on their own (Brookings Institution). This enhancement

in decision making abilities results in improved gender relations in households and society at

large. Next, the most educated women would persuade their children to respect education. This
has a multiplier effect which would lead to a better society in the future. Gaining women’s

leadership role both in public sphere and in private arena, turns for women into reality where

gender is no longer the exception, but the standard.

To sum up, the education of women is not simply for them- it is for structural change.

Instead of their education being viewed narrowly, the education of women should be seen as a

de-stabilizing force that can bring changes to policies, social systems, and even the regimes’

institutions. As women get educated, they generate more impact over social development issues,

human rights, and help to enhance democracy and accountability. In this way, education is not

just a tool for economic empowerment but a powerful lever for broad, systemic change (Kristof

and WuDunn 210).

Gender bias unfortunately continues its reign as one of the biggest challenges in our

century as it has for centuries, now having the unfortunate ones be mostly women. Thanks to

significant advancements made in some fields, women and girls, however, face systematic

hurdles across important spheres such as education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.

These disparities are barriers to women’s potential and thus cling to them the vicious cycle of

poverty and subjugation. In several communities, this antiquated philosophy is indoctrinated into

women that their place is at home since they are the nurturers and hence, they cannot seek

education or careers. UNESCO reports that over 130 million girls are out of school with a

staggering number of millions more who do not complete their education (UNESCO). These are

purely issues of culture in most cases coupled with early marriages, domestic abuse and poor

technology and such resources that would otherwise have empowered women (UNESCO). This

denial of the right to education does not only violate the basic rights of humans but also poses a

threat to global order and fairness and prosperity.

 Education is a powerful weapon in the fight against gender inequality. It provides women

and girls opportunities for economic advancement and independence as well as emancipation

from the chains of sex discrimination that they encounter. The OECD statistics show that those

women who have received more education are more likely to find jobs, start businesses and

boost the economy (OECD 5). Also, women who have received education live off better wages

and do not rely much on their families for monetary support. The World Bank Gender Data

Portal claims that women with secondary education turn out to earn, on average, about a quarter

more than women with a primary level of education only (World Bank). Apart from economic

vantages, educated women enjoy better health and are able to control their childbearing and

healthcare decisions. This results in reduced maternal mortality ratios and better rates of child

survival.

One compelling argument put forward by the World Bank Group is that female education

has a consequence, it affects families, communities and societies. The organization finds that

there is a direct and positive relationship between educational attainment and occupational

integration of parents in a family, especially in case of mothers, who are more likely to educate

their children, and particularly daughters, as clearly demonstrated in the OECD report: if a

woman had the chance to go to school and get an education, she will want her children to do the

same. Educated woman prefers to postpone marriage and family setup, which helps forge a better

educated population. As such, educated girls have great potential to become leaders in the future.

More so the World Bank suggests when girls receive education, they promote policies that

change the status quo to the better (World Bank).

It is common knowledge that when it comes to fighting poverty or economic disparity,

the education of women should be regarded as foundational. There is a high probability that
education is one of the defining factors that would enable communities to overcome poverty (UN

Women). Women who are educated with a sound educational qualification can effectively work,

create decent employment for themselves and others, and add value to the economy of the

nation. It is not only a question of ethics, but also how to accomplish economic growth,

education of the mothers and children, this is the authors’ message in Half the Sky (Kristof and

WuDunn 51). For instance, in Bangladesh and Rwanda the governments deliberately invested in

girls' education, and this transformed the countries in terms of economic growth and political

stability (Kristof and WuDunn 190). Countries can address the issues of gender inequality by

ensuring that girls are educated, and this will in turn improve the countries’ economies by

making them more effective and better able to withstand changes.

While education is often cited as a solution to gender inequality, it is important to

recognize that deep-rooted cultural and structural barriers prevent many girls and women from

accessing education, particularly in impoverished or conflict-affected regions. These barriers

include entrenched cultural norms, early marriage, gender-based violence, and a lack of

infrastructure that makes education either inaccessible or unsafe. In regions like South Asia and

sub-Saharan Africa, girls are often expected to take on household duties, and early marriage is a

frequent practice, which severely limits their ability to attend school (UNESCO). These cultural

norms create significant obstacles to education, even when schools are available. In conflict

zones, such as Syria and Afghanistan, educational facilities are often destroyed or targeted by

violence, making education both difficult and dangerous for girls (UNESCO). Even when girls

manage to attend school, many face harassment, violence, and discrimination, which discourages

them from continuing their education.

 This highlights the fact that simply increasing access to education is not enough to

achieve gender equality. As UNESCO and UN Women have pointed out, these cultural and

structural barriers must be addressed to create a truly supportive educational environment for

girls. Without addressing these ingrained societal norms, education alone may not be sufficient

to break the cycle of poverty and inequality for many women in these regions (UNESCO).

People who argue that education alone can close the gender equality gap face criticism

for putting too much weight on schooling and not enough on other key issues like money

matters, legal protections and having a say in politics. While learning is vital, it is not a cure-all

for all problem women deal with. In many places even women who have gone to school run into

big roadblocks at work. They might get paid less than men face unfair treatment or find it hard to

move up to leadership roles (Kristof and WuDunn 174). This happens even to women with fancy

degrees - they often make less money than men in the same jobs and do not get as many chances

to make important decisions or hold powerful positions.

Kristof and WuDunn argue in Half the Sky that even though women may be educated,

they often continue to face systemic barriers in the form of oppressive legal systems and

patriarchal political environments (Kristof and WuDunn 169). In countries where women’s legal

rights are restricted, education alone cannot ensure that women will be able to exercise their

rights or achieve equality in other areas of life. As the World Bank notes, education must be

complemented by other systemic reforms, such as changes to labor laws, legal frameworks that

protect women’s rights, and policies that promote gender equality in the workplace (World

Bank). Without addressing these additional layers of inequality, education will not be enough to

dismantle the complex web of challenges that women face.

 In conclusion, educating women is one of the strongest ways to bridge the gender gap and

thereby ensure a more just and equitable world. This conclusion is reinforced in extensive

research and cases from across the globe, showing how women's education bettered not only

their own lives but also how after them the entire economic, social, and political landscape

suffered from the oppression that in turn changed everything upon which it rested. The economic

benefits of the education of women are visible: educated women earn more and pay more taxes,

while their children have better health and educational prospects, and local economies are less

poor. Education supports women's entry into politics: educated women are much more likely to

vote or run for office, advocate for gender equity, and expect to lead in their communities for

broad social change.

Education is not just about lifting women out of poverty; it is about breaking the cyclical

barriers of discrimination, gender-based violence, and limited opportunities. By providing girls

and women with the tools they need to succeed, societies can create a ripple effect that

empowers future generations, improves healthcare outcomes, and leads to more resilient and

dynamic economies. As UNESCO, the World Bank, and other international organizations have

emphasized, ensuring that girls have access to quality education is one of the most effective ways

to address poverty, inequality, and social injustice.

Nevertheless, significant challenges remain. Cultural biases, economic barriers, and

social norms continue to prevent millions of girls from receiving an education, particularly in

developing regions. It is crucial that governments, international organizations, and NGOs

continue to work together to dismantle these barriers and create safe, supportive educational

environments for girls. Only then can the full potential of educating women be realized,

benefiting not just the individual, but entire communities, nations, and the world.
 The education available to both men and women plays a key role in shaping equal

chances for both genders. Social norms have an impact on the systems that support more women

in economies and the mix of genders in the workforce. To make real progress, we need to put the

girl child first. This means giving girls the schooling they need to better their health and living

conditions. It also means working towards equal power between genders in society.

Work Cited

Kristof, Nicholas D., and Sheryl WuDunn. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into
Opportunity for Women Worldwide. Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.

OECD. The Pursuit of Gender Equality: An Uphill Battle. OECD Publishing, 2018.
https://www.oecd.org/gender/. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

World Bank. World Bank Gender Data Portal. 2020, https://genderdata.worldbank.org.

Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

UNESCO. Global Education Monitoring Report: Gender Report. United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2019.
https://en.unesco.org/gem-report/report/2019-gender-report. Accessed
5 Nov. 2024.

UN Women. Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Education for Women and
Girls. United Nations Women, 2018.
https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications. Accessed 5
Nov. 2024.
 Brookings Institution. The Case for Investing in Girls’ Education. Brookings, 2016.
https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-case-for-investing-in-girls-
education.Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

The Girl Effect. The Economic Impact of Educating Girls. The Girl Effect, 2017.
https://www.girleffect.org/reports. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

World Bank. Women, Business, and the Law 2019: A Decade of Reform. The World
Bank Group, 2019.https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wbl. Accessed 5
Nov. 2024.

Malala Fund. Malala Yousafzai: Education Advocate. Malala Fund, 2021.

https://malala.org. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Annotated Bibliography

Kristof, Nicholas D., and Sheryl WuDunn. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity

for Women Worldwide. Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.

This book highlights the struggles women and girls face worldwide, it highlights how bad it is in

developing countries while advocating for greater gender equality and opportunities for women.

Kristof and WuDunn use a combination of personal stories and statistical evidence to stress the

importance of how education, healthcare, and empowerment can serve as solutions to global

gender-based oppression. The work provides a raw view of the barriers women face and an

inspiring message about the potential for change through worldwide awareness and action. This

source will provide the historical and socio-economic context needed to explain the global

oppression of women, especially in developing nations. It will be used in the introduction to

ground the paper in real-world examples. The authors are Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists

known for their investigative reporting on global human rights issues, lending authority to their

claims.

OECD. The Pursuit of Gender Equality: An Uphill Battle. OECD Publishing, 2018.

https://www.oecd.org/gender/.

This report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development examines the

constant gender gaps in the areas of education, employment, and political participation across

different countries. It highlights the challenges that many women continue to face despite

progress in some areas, offering an in-depth analysis of the policies that can help advance gender

equality. The report also includes statistical data and projections to help guide policymakers in

their efforts to close the gender gap. This source will be used to support arguments on the

economic and social benefits of gender equality, providing data on how legal and policy

frameworks have evolved. As an organization with expertise in economic and social policy, the

OECD is a leading authority on global development issues.

World Bank. World Bank Gender Data Portal. 2020, https://genderdata.worldbank.org.

The World Bank's Gender Data Portal offers detailed data on gender-related indicators across a

wide range of topics, including health, education, and employment. It is a reliable resource for

researchers, policymakers, and advocates interested in tracking gender equality progress and

identifying areas that require targeted action. The portal's detailed datasets and visual tools allow

for comparative analysis between countries, regions, and over time. This source will provide key

quantitative data to highlight global disparities in education and economic opportunity for

women, particularly in the body of the paper discussing barriers to gender equality. The World
Bank is a global financial institution that conducts rigorous research and data collection, making

it a highly credible source for statistical analysis of global development

UNESCO. Global Education Monitoring Report: Gender Report. United Nations

https://en.unesco.org/gem-report/report/2019-gender-report. Accessed 5 Nov.

2024

This report from UNESCO examines the global state of education concerning gender equality,

focusing on barriers to education for girls and women worldwide. It provides an extensive

analysis of the educational challenges faced by girls in different regions and highlights the

critical need for gender-responsive education policies. It serves as a valuable resource for

understanding the intersection of education, gender, and development. This source will provide

background information on the educational challenges faced by girls globally, to be used in a

section of the essay focused on education’s role in gender equality.

UN Women. Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Education for Women and

Girls. United Nations Women, 2018

https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

UN Women’s publication focuses on the importance of education as a tool for advancing gender

equality and empowering women and girls globally. It discusses how access to education can

lead to improved social, economic, and political outcomes for women. The document also

addresses global efforts and initiatives aimed at overcoming gender-based barriers to education

and ensuring that girls and women have equal opportunities to succeed. This source will be

utilized to argue that educating girls is one of the most effective strategies for empowering

women and improving socio-economic conditions in impoverished regions. UN Women is the

leading UN entity dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment, making this report

very credible and well-grounded in both global data and real-world interventions. UNESCO is a

leading UN agency that monitors educational progress globally, offering reliable research based

on extensive fieldwork and expert consultation.

Brookings Institution. The Case for Investing in Girls’ Education. Brookings, 2016.

https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-case-for-investing-in-girls- education. Accessed

5 Nov. 2024.

This report from the Brookings Institution outlines the significant benefits of investing in girls’

education, both in terms of individual outcomes and broader societal impacts. It highlights

research showing how educated girls are more likely to contribute to their communities and

economies, and how investing in girls' education can lead to positive change in areas such as

health, income, and gender equality. This source will be used in the section of the essay

discussing the economic impact of gender equality, specifically the return on investment in girls’

education. Brookings is one of the most respected think tanks in the world, known for its

evidence-based research on global development, policy, and economics.

The Girl Effect. The Economic Impact of Educating Girls. The Girl Effect, 2017

https://www.girleffect.org/reports. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

This report by The Girl Effect focuses on the economic benefits of educating girls, particularly in

developing countries. It presents evidence on how educating girls leads to improved economic

outcomes for families and communities, helping to break cycles of poverty. The document

advocates for increased investments in girls’ education as a crucial strategy for achieving broader

development goals. This source will be used to support arguments in the essay’s economic
section, providing data and case studies on how educating girls improves community and

national economies. The Girl Effect is a well-respected non-profit organization focused on

education and empowerment for girls, providing solid research and analysis on the topic.

World Bank. Women, Business, and the Law 2019: A Decade of Reform. The World Bank

Group, 2019 https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wbl. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

This report reviews legal reforms around the world that have advanced women’s rights in

business, including legal frameworks for property ownership, employment, and access to credit.

It tracks the progress made over a decade and offers policy recommendations for further

improvements. This source will be used to discuss the legal barriers to women’s economic

empowerment, particularly in the essay’s section on institutional and legal factors that hinder

gender equality. As part of the World Bank, this report draws on rigorous global data and

provides authoritative policy analysis on the intersection of gender and business law.

Malala Fund. Malala Yousafzai: Education Advocate. Malala Fund, 2021.

https://malala.org. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

The Malala Fund’s website details the advocacy efforts of Malala Yousafzai and the

organization's ongoing work to promote girls’ education worldwide. It includes reports, statistics,

and personal stories of girls who have benefitted from education initiatives. This source will be

used to illustrate the power of individual advocacy in advancing gender equality, specifically in

the conclusion of the essay where I will discuss the role of activism in policy change. Malala

Yousafzai is a globally recognized advocate for girls' education, and the Malala Fund is widely

regarded as a credible organization dedicated to promoting education for girls around the world.