Javelin star Arshad Nadeem’s surprising request from an ever-so-magnanimous government to prioritise the education of young women in his district, Mian Channu, where there are limited opportunities for higher learning, should have come as a moment for reckoning.
Do we really need an appeal from someone who rose to unimaginable fame to realise the importance of investing in university education? The authorities have yet to respond to this. Understandably so, as most of them are preoccupied with honouring Pakistan’s long-anticipated gold-winner with tokens of their appreciation. Considering the night is still young, there might be some progress after all.
Despite the consistent inclusion of proposal to increase the women’s access to education in government policies, gender disparity persists. A lot of efforts and resources have gone into changing the societal mindset by demonstrating the impact of a single girl’s education on her family, her community, and the overall economy. Yet, about two million more girls remain out of school, compared to boys.
Those who do attend school often drop out early due to the menace of child marriages in rural areas or the debilitating choice of educating the potential breadwinner in the big cities. That a higher level of schooling can work wonders with informed choices and rational decision-making on important life matters, including pregnancy, family size and how to balance finances does not need to be explained over and over again. But perhaps, in a patriarchal society like ours, Arshad Nadeem checked all the right boxes by reminding both his state and his nation that while he may have managed to move heavens and earth to create history, many others are still waiting for their moment to shine.
Every year, women’s day celebrations draw attention to the challenges women and girls face; calling for increased investments in their lives and livelihoods. Sadly, their roaring placards do little for their ordinary sisters who still have to dig for their families’ approval before picking up books or venturing outside. *