In most developed countries women do not enjoy their reproductive and health care rights as do women in the developed world (United Nations 2004). This explains the increased population growth in these countries as most of the women cannot access contraceptives because of government legislations, cultural practices and traditional labour laws for example in Rwanda (United Nations 2004).
Therefore, empowering women with education will increase their literacy level on the appropriate use of contraceptives to control the number of child birth they experience and thus offer proper parental care to the children as the resources they have will be enough to effectively cater for the needs of their children. Also deaths that result from internal bleeding or bleeding during child birth due to the weakening of the uterus because of repetitive conception have increased (Ross & Winfrey 2002).
According to Jacobson (2000), the reproductive health matters of women in developing countries have still not attained the required standards because of not educating the girl child in an attempt of elevating this paradigm, in his study he focuses on the Sub Saharan countries in Africa with particular attention to Tanzania. He says the fact that Tanzania government formulated legislations that made primary education both universal and compulsory has not fully played their part because of lack of follow up which has lead to a lot of school drop out after primary level especially to the girl child.
He also blames parents for forcefully marry them off at their girls at tender ages where they can optimize their education by preferring to give those chances to the male. He also criticizes the government, health canters and non-governmental organization in the country who are fighting for gender equity due to lack of sexual education in the informal sector which has increased the rate of early pregnancy in adolescent girls making them to be expelled from school.
The Tanzanian law does not protect the rights of these adolescent girls in going back to school after giving birth (Evans et al. 2001). Jacobson (2000) blames this loop hole in the government legislation for the discrimination accorded to these girls by head of school that refuse to enrol them back and also for the stigmatization they face from other students and the society. Furthermore Jacobson (2000) highlights the predicament these girls undergo due to the rampant state of female genital mutilation in Africa because of cultural practices which mislead the community.
He points out that the practice is mostly prudent in the Morogoro and Iringa community where girls are forcefully circumcised. According to Evans et al. (2001), the circumcision conditions are not sterile therefore contributing to the increased spread of HIV/AIDS in Tanzania as the same equipments are used in the circumcision practice. Therefore, Tanzania should focus and invest more on educating the girl child to make them aware of their reproductive and health care rights and thus advocate for gender equity (Evans et al.
2001). Conclusion From the above facts the importance of educating the girl child in developing countries is depicted. The report portrays the impact of educating the girl child on the improvement of the health care and respect to the reproductive and sexual rights of women. Availing education opportunities to the girl child will help them to eradicate gender inequality because they will be in a better position to hold campaigns that argue against this discrepancy.
The economy of the developing countries will also improve because the welfare of the society will have improved from the efforts portrayed by men working hand in hand with women. Therefore, I am under no obligation but to conclude that educating girls reduces gender inequality in health in developing countries.
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2200 List of references Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) (2002), “Statistics profile on education in Bangladesh.
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