Malala and the need to control

Women's education, in some ways, has been getting more headline coverage over the last month or so because of a brave young girl named Malala.  Many of you have probably heard about her story.  She is the young Pakistani girl that was shot in the head by Taliban members for both continuing to attend school, after they had banned girls' education in that part of Pakistan and for being incredibly outspoken about female education.  For more general information this is a great summary article. Her father was the Principal at the school and also refused to close his school to girls despite the fact the Taliban was burning, bombing, and ransacking all the girls' schools in the town.

Her story and experience exemplifies one of the key aspects within the fight for women's education - control.  Yes, the Taliban's 'reasoning' may be that it is religious that women are not supposed to be educated but that is clearly a skewed reading of the Qur'an (according to my sources, as I in no way claim to be an expert on Islamic faith and teachings).  What is the real issue?  If you are keeping half your population uneducated, there will be significantly less challenge to your beliefs and way of life.  If you are not permitted to think, speak, philosophize, and question, if you are taught to simply do what others tell you, you are a much better follower (in theory).  While women play a key role in advocating for themselves, I think that men can have an equally large impact (we do inhabit this world together after all).

For men, there is some challenge in the fact that Gender roles are changing.  As a female, I would argue for the better but that brings out many new challenges.  In many cultures, the US included to some degree, there are set responsibilities that are masculine and set roles that are feminine.  Women take care of the house, the children, cooking, cleaning, and certain farming in some cultures.  Men earn the money - which means they are educated, work outside the house, and raise the cash crops (in most cultures).  Many times these roles are held up by both genders, because that is the way it has always been thus that is how it should be.  While, I in no way want to dismiss the power women have in these situations, in some ways, it takes an enlightened male to stand-up for his daughter or wife's rights to education.   As in the case of Malala and both the examples I shared yesterday, men clearly also had a role to play in changing the cultural norms.  So, men, don't stop reading and think this is a women's fight!