Girls' Education in District Swat, Pakistan

Abstract

Achieving the goals Education for All (EFA) has been a major concern of education in developing countries since 1990, but its realization does not seem to be easy. One of the major reasons that make realization of EFA difficult seems to be the limited access to school education for girls. especially in South Asia and Africa. Dakar Framework of Action 2000 also indicated that EFA goals could not be achieved without promotion of girls' education. Researches have been made to identify factors obstructing girls' education, but most of them seem to have been focusing on economic situation. However, research should also be made from different aspects such as socio-cultural dimension of education. Noticing the gender disparity in Pakistan, a survey was conducted in September 2005 to the parents in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan to identify social-cultural factors that might have affected on them. The field survey was analyzed from three viewpoints: parents' decision making factor, parents' understanding on the economic participation and the amount of information. The results of the survey revealed that the levels of recognition on the importance of education of their daughters were generally low for parents who have a conservative view of marriage and women's economic participation.