Battling Discrimination

One of the main causes of the disparity between literate boys and girls throughout the world is gender discrimination. It takes place in many developing and developed countries such as China, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Algeria, Egypt and Morocco where boys are valued more than girls. Many girls are aborted before they are born, or face abuse and malnutrition once they are. In these cultures, girls are seen as inferior and as an economic burden to the family. Ironically enough, they are seen as an economic burden because they are uneducated and so they cannot go out and get jobs to help support the family. It is a vicious and deadly cycle that could be stopped if only girls were provided educational opportunities. The discrimination in these countries (also some of the most populated countries) has created a global gender disparity. Naturally, there tends to be more women born than men, but studies have shown that there are some 100+ million girls "missing" (aborted), 50 million in China alone [1].

Women who are not educated will be abused and discriminated against their whole lives until they assume the mother role that they have no choice but to pursue. This sometimes means child marriages and teenage pregnancies for many girls. The lack of education and opportunities for women in these countries are arguably what keep these countries from being more wealthy and developed. No developed and successful country has gotten that way without educating their women. Equal opportunity for all and equal rights to education are what make a country and a population successful. When will these developing countries catch on? They will have to overcome their cultural hurdles first.