The Pursuit of Education: The life of Sudanese Women
Women’s rights to education have been a debated topic for centuries, but with the emergence of modernism in most countries, it is something that is changing. However, in underdeveloped regions such as sub- Saharan Africa, its literacy rates are low. One of the worst countries in this region is Sudan; a country plagued with harsh laws, poverty and disease. There’s a movement to prevent these outcomes through the use of education. Anne Cotton, in a Camfed article, proposes a solution to removing poverty and disease in sub-Saharan Africa by means of educating girls ("The Importance of Educating Girls and Women --The Fight Against Poverty in African Rural Communities | UN Chronicle." UN News …show more content…
2016.) In accordance with this solution I argue that, in Sudan, primary up to middle school education is the key to reducing poverty and disease. Women are the backbone of society because they are the educators of the future generation. Their impoverished status would improve their accessibility to land, which would yield further growth as women make up the majority of the population. Furthermore, the more educated the woman is, the lesser risk she has of contracting a disease because she would be cognizant of the symptoms. The necessity of women is great, but their development on an academic, economic and health level is even greater and should no further be prevented.
In terms of education, Sub-Saharan Africa has one of the world’s lowest adult literacy rates, with only 60% of the population of 15 years of age and older are able to read and to write in 2000, well below the world average of 80%. ("1 ENG sub-Saharan Africa - UNESCO." N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2016). With such low levels of …show more content…
The likelihood of contracting a disease lays with the mother because she is the one to recognize the presence of illness. Taking a country like Malawi where 32.9% of children of uneducated mothers suffer from malaria, compared to 7.7% of children of mothers with a higher education level, the important factor is education. The reason being is that there are a small number of uneducated mothers who seek medical attention. Having a higher degree of schooling ensures that women gain the knowledge and understanding to react appropriately to a child in need. According to a Preliminary Report of the Demographic and Health Survey, over 50% of women with higher education levels seek medical attention when their children come down with fever or diarrhea. Mothers who know what to look for when a child develops an illness are far more likely to seek medical attention because they understand this to be their best option for their child. Unfortunately, many mothers will often sit idly by as their children lay dying because they are ignorant of the gravity of the illness and await the recovery of their child. Unbeknownst to them, their child is fatally ill. The only beneficial solution would be to teach these mothers of the outcomes of such diseases and their options for medical care. This would offer mothers viable courses to take and relieve some suffering. Following Cotton’s argument that girl’s
Women’s rights to education have been a debated topic for centuries, but with the emergence of modernism in most countries, it is something that is changing. However, in underdeveloped regions such as sub- Saharan Africa, its literacy rates are low. One of the worst countries in this region is Sudan; a country plagued with harsh laws, poverty and disease. There’s a movement to prevent these outcomes through the use of education. Anne Cotton, in a Camfed article, proposes a solution to removing poverty and disease in sub-Saharan Africa by means of educating girls ("The Importance of Educating Girls and Women --The Fight Against Poverty in African Rural Communities | UN Chronicle." UN News …show more content…
2016.) In accordance with this solution I argue that, in Sudan, primary up to middle school education is the key to reducing poverty and disease. Women are the backbone of society because they are the educators of the future generation. Their impoverished status would improve their accessibility to land, which would yield further growth as women make up the majority of the population. Furthermore, the more educated the woman is, the lesser risk she has of contracting a disease because she would be cognizant of the symptoms. The necessity of women is great, but their development on an academic, economic and health level is even greater and should no further be prevented.
In terms of education, Sub-Saharan Africa has one of the world’s lowest adult literacy rates, with only 60% of the population of 15 years of age and older are able to read and to write in 2000, well below the world average of 80%. ("1 ENG sub-Saharan Africa - UNESCO." N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2016). With such low levels of …show more content…
The likelihood of contracting a disease lays with the mother because she is the one to recognize the presence of illness. Taking a country like Malawi where 32.9% of children of uneducated mothers suffer from malaria, compared to 7.7% of children of mothers with a higher education level, the important factor is education. The reason being is that there are a small number of uneducated mothers who seek medical attention. Having a higher degree of schooling ensures that women gain the knowledge and understanding to react appropriately to a child in need. According to a Preliminary Report of the Demographic and Health Survey, over 50% of women with higher education levels seek medical attention when their children come down with fever or diarrhea. Mothers who know what to look for when a child develops an illness are far more likely to seek medical attention because they understand this to be their best option for their child. Unfortunately, many mothers will often sit idly by as their children lay dying because they are ignorant of the gravity of the illness and await the recovery of their child. Unbeknownst to them, their child is fatally ill. The only beneficial solution would be to teach these mothers of the outcomes of such diseases and their options for medical care. This would offer mothers viable courses to take and relieve some suffering. Following Cotton’s argument that girl’s