group discussion SUMMARY for the Week 2. Education

[babusyatanya]

Education is often regarded as a "magic" intervention.

This discussion thread is for us to work on the Summary of our Week 2 discussion


How about, each of us compose one or two concise paragraphs summarizing the ideas we have and have not yet exchanged in our discussions about the importance of education for girls and women in establishing social conditions for gender equality, and the womens' and girls' own ability to exercise their human rights.



.

Comments

Mary's summary

[(Anonymous)]

There is no magic bullet or one size fits all approach when it comes to educating and empowering women. Although we all may look similar in characteristics our environment, social upbringing and relationships affect who we are and how we choose to behave. Programs that are specific to specific communities will be more far reaching and more palatable to a community if they are based on data from the community. Statistics for a country may have the ecological fallacy attachment.
Gender equity is achieved not only through educational attainment and accomplishments of learning to read and write, but also how to communicate with others to make change happen at each level of the socio-ecological model. Exercising rights comes through policy and acceptance within a community and is a slow process. Continual reach for these goals and non-traditional education can serve a role in continuing the momentum.
Mary Martinasek

Lola week 2 education discussion summary

[(Anonymous)]

Approaching education schooling in regions of poverty and oppression is challenging and when each challenge has been faced valuable lessons are learned we are better prepared to establish a workable solution. Global contributions and support to humanitarian initiatives that are centered in educating and protecting women and children is critical to the delivery of educational services. Equal access to basic human needs is the responsibility of those who have the freedom intelligence to ensure equal fair access to water food. Healthy people make a better world. With these vital needs met collective energy and action could be focused on implementing primary education for all.
77 million girls uneducated
Educate can be defined as
The act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life. The act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills, as for a profession. A degree, level, or kind of schooling: a university education. The result produced by instruction, training, or study:
Education benefits
Increase in family income promotes women and girls rights reduces poverty fosters peace saves children’s lives boosts economic growth raises crop yields.
Education helps in the fight to stop the spread of aids hiv and other diseases.
Education promotes gender equality.
Education is a means to discover new things grow knowledge base.
Education encourages good governance.
Education reduces poverty
Education gives people critical skills thinking strategies problem solving processes allowing for the development of differential thinking providing the ability to knowing right from wrong good from bad.
Education means nurturing minds while preserving cultural traditions.
Education means equal rights equal opportunity
Education is knowledge.
Knowledge is empowering.
Education can bring people together to celebrate achievements bring people together to share knowledge.
You educate a woman; you educate a generation.”(Brigham Young)

tatiana's summary

[babusyatanya.livejournal.com]

the discussion of the Week 2 readings led me to the following thoughts:

I have realized the limitations to my tolerance to "cultural variances": cultural tolerance should not include the cases of violence, humiliation and body mutilation. Knowing that women have been tortured (and this practice persists) humiliates me personally, until there are groups of women who can not expect to be defended against fgm, against husbands' biting, against forced marriage, we can not consider the Human Rights to be a working principle.

I have learned that I always will be in minority, there will never be a force available to stand for my rights or my needs
(emotional of physical) . This knowledge gives me awareness what other women might feel in similar circumstances. And I'll be standing for them because I know - it is unbearable to feel humiliated - in any culture.

Statistics from the World Women and Girls Data sheets 2011 led me to realize that : having women in the power positions does not automatically leads to empowering all other women in that community or a society. Apparently male dominated societies allow women to get those power positions only in case if they agree to serve the interests and agenda of the traditional patriarchy.

Obviously special education is necessary in the situations when those, who think it's ok that husbands are beating their wives just - are female themselves. They can not imagine how it can be different - in their experience it can not, and an occasional resistance to this "tradition" would be seen in the community as just totally abnormal and deviant behavior, because the male dominance in those communities thrives on existing gender inequalities.

The conclusion: education can become a fundamental ground for people to learn how to self-organize their communities, establishing humane social structured and relations for development, creativity and prosperity, as opposed to existing dominance of patriarchy and male supremacy.

Scott's summary

[(Anonymous)]

Educating girls has effects that are far out of proportion to the effort. Girls, when educated, are healthier, better able to contribute economically, and are able to provide better for their children. This has similar effects on the society as a whole. However, there is a problem in that, albeit unconsciously, girls can be treated as inferior in the schools to male students. In order to ensure equitable education for all, then, it is necessary not only to make sure that girls are able to attend school, but that the education they receive does not impart harmful cultural attitudes.

The other issue addressed this week is that of female genital mutilation, or FGM. This is a disturbing act that has long-term ramifications on the woman. Sadly, it is not primarily men that are to blame, but rather, it is a cultural act. Girls are made to feel they are “women” because of this act, rather than through any intrinsic sense of worth. Other, older women perpetuate this view. It can be changed, by showing women that alternative “coming of age” rituals can subtiture for FGM.

Sofya's ideas

[(Anonymous)]

Girls' education is really the most important thing for the furthering of women's rights. Not only does it allow women to prosper financially, socially, physically and economically, but it also enables them to learn how to keep in good health, and how to avoid diseases like HIV/AIDS. Education can free girls from the confines of traditional gender roles and stereotypes. Many goals for humans in general have a direct link to the education of girls (I have argued that all the MDGs depend upon it for their fulfilment). However, the quality of education is just as, if not more, important.

where is week 4

[(Anonymous)]

hi
Just wondering where week 4 is as we are at week 5 tea time Have I missed something are we still a group