Higher Education- Without Gender Discrimination

Javeria Asad, Al Khobar – We are in the 21st century and you will still find many Asian families and Societies. Debating on the right to get Higher education for girls. We always rush to take Insurance policies of higher studies for our sons but when it comes to Girls. Parents are more happy and comfortable in buying Marriage Plans for their Daughters.

Once a girl is born, Parents start collecting her dowry and start saving money for her wedding expenditures. And most of them never plan or do not save up any amount for the expenses of her higher education. Being a woman, I find this treatment totally unfair and will call it as a basic flaw in our society. When parents apply double standards and do gender discrimination within their families. It’s a very common phrase that, ‘Mother is the first institution for her kids’. But if we will not let our daughters access proper education. Then it is hard to see the practical implementation of this expression. Only educated and knowledgeable mothers can deliver appropriate and meaningful brought up to their kids.

Engineering Degree Years

During the four years of my Engineering Degree, I repeatedly used to hear that I have consumed one seat of a male student, even though, I had independently managed to secure this admission totally on my merit through my hard work and dedication. After graduation, I later successfully fulfilled my job requirements in an Engineering firm related to my field, for four years before I got married.

Once I got married and started my family life. I had to face tougher reactions and had to justify my Engineering Degree Qualification. As now I was not pursuing my professional career due to my supplementary responsibilities as a wife and mother. To a certain extent, I admit that being a woman our priorities are different from men. But somehow, we cannot overlook the importance and significance of any professional degree. Even, if it has been acquired by a girl. In thick and thin of her life, she can use this degree to morally and financially support her family.

When I came to the Kingdom, I got the impression that ladies restrict to work here at the professional level. This perception usually discouraged many qualified ladies not to pursue their career and some ladies took this as an excuse and backed off, but I did not. I explored the options to work part-time or remotely, as a freelancer with many engineering companies, managing my home and career at the same time. I did not take this step because of any financial need, but the idea was to keep myself and my brain mobilized by practicing and applying my up to date engineering knowledge. So, in the future, if ever I had to resume my full-time career from where I left, I can easily chase it.

I would urge all my readers (professionally qualified women), to come up and restart your careers to prove those people wrong, who in this modern age, still believe that a professional degree is not suitable for girls.

As Michelle Obama said
“When women are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous.”