At the secondary level the enrollment is half that of boys. In all, the mean years of schooling are about one-third of boys and the period itself an appalling 1.2 years on an average. Just three countries India, Pakistan and Bangladesh stage half the world s battle for girls education. The critical constraints have been long known beyond the paucity of infrastructure itself, there are the issues of the relevance and quality of the education, personal security and the opportunity costs of foregoing a girl s help in household chores and sibling-care. But while each country claims to be grappling with the issues, nowhere is there the necessary large-scale commitment.
Statistics bear out impressions.
South Asia spends a mere 3.5 per cent on all education at present with India s higher 3.8 per cent leveraging up the lower than 3 per cent spending ratios of other countries. Advocacy is now zeroing in on primary education and non-formal education initiatives, but that could yet leave older girls making do with very little. Despite all the constitutional guarantees of equal opportunity it seems that a whole new generation of girl-children will grow up not much different than their deprived mothers. Simultaneously, new dangers and challenges have arisen. The news left many amongst Bangladesh s army of articulate social activists who have consistently documented the growing trafficking from and sexual abuse in Bangladesh stunned.