My Mum often says that as a mother her occupation is to 'Raise a Nation,' so I wasn't really surprised when she quoted the following to me:
"When you educate women, they share that knowledge with their children, families and communities, so when you invest in women, almost every other statistic in a society improves."
“When you educate a woman, she teaches her family. Give a woman a micro-grant so she can start a small business in her home and she will buy shoes, milk and books for her children with the profits,”
While I am not one to quote politicians or spout feminist rhetoric, Karen Hughes, U.S. under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, has a point. Generally women do care for their children, desire a better world for them to live in, and seek to make changes so that this may be. Without education does a woman have the power to do this? Does a woman have the power to act locally, nationally and globally to make changes for the better?
Hughes also states that as she "traveled around the world, [she has] seen that "women are increasingly agents of change, arbiters of peace and reconciliation, and advocates of education and health." Considering Hughes' statements, do you think women, because of their care for their children, desire peace, equality, health, justice, mercy and reconciliation and through being educated have the potential to change the world? If so, is the education of women worldwide about more than just a woman's "rights"?
"When you educate women, they share that knowledge with their children, families and communities, so when you invest in women, almost every other statistic in a society improves."
“When you educate a woman, she teaches her family. Give a woman a micro-grant so she can start a small business in her home and she will buy shoes, milk and books for her children with the profits,”
While I am not one to quote politicians or spout feminist rhetoric, Karen Hughes, U.S. under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, has a point. Generally women do care for their children, desire a better world for them to live in, and seek to make changes so that this may be. Without education does a woman have the power to do this? Does a woman have the power to act locally, nationally and globally to make changes for the better?
Hughes also states that as she "traveled around the world, [she has] seen that "women are increasingly agents of change, arbiters of peace and reconciliation, and advocates of education and health." Considering Hughes' statements, do you think women, because of their care for their children, desire peace, equality, health, justice, mercy and reconciliation and through being educated have the potential to change the world? If so, is the education of women worldwide about more than just a woman's "rights"?
posted by missmellifluous at 11:15 pm
3 Comments:
I am sure there are a lot of potential benefits in making educational opportunities available to more women worldwide.
Whether that is an area for government aid or charity is another question.
God Bless
Matthew
I think that there is a vast difference between militant feminism and ensuring the literacy and rights of women.
Thanks for your comments anon, but I am not really wanting to enter into the debate on terrorism - it won't end happily because an anglo woman who has lost her son in battle against the 'threat of terror' in the middle east will also say she is proud of her son for giving his life for others. Or an army wife may say she is happy her man is earning tax free dollars defending their country by killing others. The same questions apply to the west as the east. Clearly terrorism is not a matter of education or poverty. I agree with you here. Those in the eductaed west can be the biggest global bullies there are. However, I am not asking if there is a direct correlation between poverty and terror. You've missed the point.
My question is merely, is educating women about more than the individual's rights? Is it about empowering women to raise children who make a positive difference in the world; children who stand against violence in the east and west; children who are healthy and can think critically about the political rhetoric sprouted by those in power. My point is, women, as the main child rearers, have a lot of power and influence. They pass on values to their children. They care about their well being. Perhaps we should not dismiss the education of women as being unnecessary if they are to be child rearers. Perhaps educating women - not merely to be able to read and write but giving them opportunities to persue higher education - will enable women to be more effective and informed childrearers, because, like it or not, women are raising nations... and yes, to do what may be the question.
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