Education of Women and Girls What does it mean to have an education? It is a human right and an essential tool for achieving equality as it ensures that girls grow up with knowledge of the world, ability for critical thinking and practical skills to achieve their full potential. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.workshop3.freeuk.com/Meeting1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.workshop3.freeuk.com/Women.htm&h=512&w=638&sz=72&tbnid=a_Z0WvMypI5JEM::&tbnh=110&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwomen%2Beducation%2Bmiddle%2Beast%2Bphotos&usg=__darv6eYxcfSizDC3EDF_5IoD3UM=&ei=zeb0SfvYKIfKM5qU8L0P&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image It plays a key part in improving women’s well-being and her social and economic opportunities.

What does it mean to have an education?

It is a human right and an essential tool for achieving equality as it ensures that girls grow up with knowledge of the world, ability for critical thinking and practical skills to achieve their full potential. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.workshop3.freeuk.com/Meeting1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.workshop3.freeuk.com/Women.htm&h=512&w=638&sz=72&tbnid=a_Z0WvMypI5JEM::&tbnh=110&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwomen%2Beducation%2Bmiddle%2Beast%2Bphotos&usg=__darv6eYxcfSizDC3EDF_5IoD3UM=&ei=zeb0SfvYKIfKM5qU8L0P&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image

It plays a key part in improving women’s well-being and her social and economic opportunities.

Statistics & Priorities, cont. Education in the Middle East Is a luxury & unavailable to many Most often, girls are prevented from attending school by custom, lack of resources, and oppression. The result: Too many people in the region can neither read nor take advantage of opportunities that come with education. According to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization, across the broader Middle East and North Africa, more than seventy-five million women and more than forty-five million men are illiterate.

Education in the Middle East

Is a luxury & unavailable to many

Most often, girls are prevented from attending school by custom, lack of resources, and oppression.

The result:

Too many people in the region can neither read nor take advantage of opportunities that come with education.

According to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization, across the broader Middle East and North Africa, more than seventy-five million women and more than forty-five million men are illiterate.

Recent Developments Education Reform Liberation of Afghan Women (1922): Queen Soraya and King Amanullah proposed an important reform program in Afghanistan for women’s education. Amanullah’s educational reforms were a symbol of the royal couples attempt to impose foreign values and institutions on a very traditional country. Soraya felt responsibilities of life divided between men and women. (The Middle East and Islamic World READER, p.123)

Education Reform

Liberation of Afghan Women (1922): Queen Soraya and King Amanullah proposed an important reform program in Afghanistan for women’s education. Amanullah’s educational reforms were a symbol of the royal couples attempt to impose foreign values and institutions on a very traditional country.

Soraya felt responsibilities of life divided between men and women.

(The Middle East and Islamic World READER, p.123)

More Recent Developments

More Recent Developments Education has been a prime area of progress for women in the region and is an important avenue for their overall advancement toward equality. Over the past 10 years, women in all MENA countries except Yemen have made gains in access to education, literacy, university enrollment, and the variety of subjects open to study. In several countries, women have a university enrollment rate higher than that of men. There has also been an increase in the availability of vocational training schools and business colleges for female students. http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=384&key=4&parent=1&report=56

Education has been a prime area of progress for women in the region and is an important avenue for their overall advancement toward equality.

Over the past 10 years, women in all MENA countries except Yemen have made gains in access to education, literacy, university enrollment, and the variety of subjects open to study.

In several countries, women have a university enrollment rate higher than that of men. There has also been an increase in the availability of vocational training schools and business colleges for female students.

http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=384&key=4&parent=1&report=56

More Recent Developments Where Region's Education Is Today MENA countries on average dedicated 5% of GDP and 20% of government expenditures to education—more than other developing countries at similar levels of per capita income. MENA countries have reached almost full primary education enrollment and increased enrollment in secondary schools almost threefold between 1970 and 2003 and fivefold at the higher education level. Gender-parity for basic education is virtually complete. Although the region started from relatively low levels of gender parity, indexes for secondary and higher education aren't significantly different from Latin America and East Asia. Illiteracy rates have been halved in the past 20 years and the absolute difference between male and female adult literacy rates has declined rapidly. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21633314~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html

Where Region's Education Is Today

MENA countries on average dedicated 5% of GDP and 20% of government expenditures to education—more than other developing countries at similar levels of per capita income.

MENA countries have reached almost full primary education enrollment and increased enrollment in secondary schools almost threefold between 1970 and 2003 and fivefold at the higher education level.

Gender-parity for basic education is virtually complete. Although the region started from relatively low levels of gender parity, indexes for secondary and higher education aren't significantly different from Latin America and East Asia.

Illiteracy rates have been halved in the past 20 years and the absolute difference between male and female adult literacy rates has declined rapidly. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21633314~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html

Challenges Remain Many women are still excluded from education, and many more are enrolled in school but not learning enough to prepare them for 21st-century job markets. Saudi Arabia Women have very limited choices in education and employment, but with more and more women graduating from universities and eager to work, the kingdom has certainly made some changes. Although women are generally still encouraged to study in such traditionally female disciplines as education and medicine, in many countries women's numbers have increased in the fields of science and engineering. Particular progress has been visible in the Gulf states, where women are now joining new professions in substantial numbers and are increasingly going abroad on government scholarships. There has, however, been something of a backlash in a few MENA countries against women's involvement in non-traditional study areas. In Kuwait, women who want to study in certain traditionally male fields, such as engineering, must achieve a higher grade-point average for admission than men. In Oman, women students often must postpone university study for one year, a limitation not applied to men. http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=384&key=4&parent=1&report=56

Many women are still excluded from education, and many more are enrolled in school but not learning enough to prepare them for 21st-century job markets.

Saudi Arabia

Women have very limited choices in education and employment, but with more and more women graduating from universities and eager to work, the kingdom has certainly made some changes.

Although women are generally still encouraged to study in such traditionally female disciplines as education and medicine, in many countries women's numbers have increased in the fields of science and engineering. Particular progress has been visible in the Gulf states, where women are now joining new professions in substantial numbers and are increasingly going abroad on government scholarships. There has, however, been something of a backlash in a few MENA countries against women's involvement in non-traditional study areas. In Kuwait, women who want to study in certain traditionally male fields, such as engineering, must achieve a higher grade-point average for admission than men. In Oman, women students often must postpone university study for one year, a limitation not applied to men. http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=384&key=4&parent=1&report=56