Jaya Sri Ramasamy

Education Status of Females in India There are many in the older generation who believe that certain high-level positions and professions are just not meant for women. Even today it is said, “Teaching profession is the best and safest profession for women”. There was a time when educating women was looked upon as a disgrace. Women were treated badly, and the importance of women in society was underestimated. They were considered inferior to men. Even now this concept has not changed as expected. However, the role and status of women in society have significantly changed during the last few decades. The 21st century has brought on its trail, a new hope for women. There came drastic changes in the roles, ambitions and attitudes of women. From a nonentity, they have been able to establish an identity for themselves in modern society in different areas such as politics, business, medicine, engineering, law, civil service, etc. And these impacts are a result of the fact that women are now educating themselves. Education is one of the most significant means for empowering women or girls in India. Factors for Low Female Literacy in India Various factors are responsible for the poor literacy rate of females in India. Some of these are gender inequality, girl children engaged in the domestic household work, social discrimination, lesser enrolment of girls in schools, a low retention rate of girls and a high dropout rate in primary school education. The dropout rate among girls in the early stages of schooling is very high. The reason behind this might be the high cost of study, low family income, girls getting involved in household work, marriage at an early age, etc. Apart from these reasons, a substantial percentage of girls quit because of the non-availability of educational institutions close to their homes. Also, the lack of regular and safe means of travel is one of the major reasons. The lack of proper toilets/means of sanitation and hygiene is also another important reason that keeps young girls away from school