RI needs to prioritize girls' education: Unicef
RI needs to prioritize girls' education: Unicef
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has urged the
Indonesian government to make the education of girls a priority
if it is to improve the country's development prospects.
In its recent report, Unicef warned that international
development efforts were drastically short-changing girls and
that without accelerated actions to get girls into schools over
the next two years, global goals to reduce poverty would not be
reached.
The world body said a Ministry of Education report confirmed
the seriousness of the situation in Indonesia, particularly for
girls who wished to go to secondary schools, or those from poor
families and in rural areas.
"Data from the Ministry of Education compiled last year shows
significant gender gaps in school dropout rates, both at primary
and junior secondary levels. Girls are more likely to drop out of
schools than boys.
"In primary schools, out of every 10 children who drop out,
six are girls and four are boys. It's the same in junior
secondary schools. The gender gap slightly widens at the senior
secondary schools to seven girls dropping out of every three
boys," Unicef's representative in Indonesia Steven Allen said.
He said the results of this education gap between the sexes
could be seen in the national adult literacy rate.
"Nearly 20 percent of women are illiterate compared with less
than 10 percent of men," he said.
He asserted that Indonesia stood little chance of
substantially reducing poverty, child mortality, HIV/AIDS and
diseases if it did not assure both girls and boys equal access to
basic education.
Unicef also criticized the government for its low spending on
education, which is now the lowest in East Asia and Pacific.
The UN body has identified a number of issues that impede
girls getting equal education, including gender biased textbooks,
gender stereotyping and early marriage.
Unicef claimed the textbooks widely used in schools across the
country reinforced the gender stereotypes.
National Development Planning Agency's (BAPPENAS) Education
and Religious Affairs Director Nina Sardjunani agreed with
Unicef, blaming the society's conservative perception toward
girls.
"The textbooks our children use in schools portray the gender
stereotype that women should stay at home, thus, they should just
get married early and be good housewives," said Nina.
This gender stereotyping indicates a form of "voluntary
discrimination" practiced by both females and males, according to
Unicef.
"It is evident in some majors offered in schools. You'll see a
lot of female students enroll in social sciences or cooking, and
male students enroll in engineering," Nina said.
Although the situation now has changed as more female students
are going to engineering and technical schools, Nina said the
government still had a lot of homework to do to change
stereotypes.
"We need to change this perception that women belong nowhere
but at home. We need to raise the public's awareness that women
are no less better than men," Nina said.
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has urged the
Indonesian government to make the education of girls a priority
if it is to improve the country's development prospects.
In its recent report, Unicef warned that international
development efforts were drastically short-changing girls and
that without accelerated actions to get girls into schools over
the next two years, global goals to reduce poverty would not be
reached.
The world body said a Ministry of Education report confirmed
the seriousness of the situation in Indonesia, particularly for
girls who wished to go to secondary schools, or those from poor
families and in rural areas.
"Data from the Ministry of Education compiled last year shows
significant gender gaps in school dropout rates, both at primary
and junior secondary levels. Girls are more likely to drop out of
schools than boys.
"In primary schools, out of every 10 children who drop out,
six are girls and four are boys. It's the same in junior
secondary schools. The gender gap slightly widens at the senior
secondary schools to seven girls dropping out of every three
boys," Unicef's representative in Indonesia Steven Allen said.
He said the results of this education gap between the sexes
could be seen in the national adult literacy rate.
"Nearly 20 percent of women are illiterate compared with less
than 10 percent of men," he said.
He asserted that Indonesia stood little chance of
substantially reducing poverty, child mortality, HIV/AIDS and
diseases if it did not assure both girls and boys equal access to
basic education.
Unicef also criticized the government for its low spending on
education, which is now the lowest in East Asia and Pacific.
The UN body has identified a number of issues that impede
girls getting equal education, including gender biased textbooks,
gender stereotyping and early marriage.
Unicef claimed the textbooks widely used in schools across the
country reinforced the gender stereotypes.
National Development Planning Agency's (BAPPENAS) Education
and Religious Affairs Director Nina Sardjunani agreed with
Unicef, blaming the society's conservative perception toward
girls.
"The textbooks our children use in schools portray the gender
stereotype that women should stay at home, thus, they should just
get married early and be good housewives," said Nina.
This gender stereotyping indicates a form of "voluntary
discrimination" practiced by both females and males, according to
Unicef.
"It is evident in some majors offered in schools. You'll see a
lot of female students enroll in social sciences or cooking, and
male students enroll in engineering," Nina said.
Although the situation now has changed as more female students
are going to engineering and technical schools, Nina said the
government still had a lot of homework to do to change
stereotypes.
"We need to change this perception that women belong nowhere
but at home. We need to raise the public's awareness that women
are no less better than men," Nina said.