By Iqra Quraishi , Muslim Mirror News ,
New Delhi, July 24: There has been a phenomenal spread in awareness about importance of girls education in the Muslim community in last one decade or so. The latest government report from the District Information System for Education confirms it. Girls’ share in Muslim enrolment at primary level has risen from 49.06% in 2011 to 49.22% in 2013. Besides many factors, a woman has also played key role in educational growth of the community. Dr. Shabistan Ghaffar, Chairperson, Committee on Girls Education, National Commission For Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI), has made tremendous efforts in breaking taboos on girls education in the Muslim community. For last five years, she has been crisscrossing the country with one point agenda – Break all shackles around Muslim girls education.
“Woman is the backbone of society. If you educate her, you educate a generation. Education is a weapon which can take nations ahead on the path of progress. Woman can play a decisive role in this progress,” says Dr. Shabistan Ghaffar in an exclusive interview with Muslim Mirror.
Excerpts from the Interview:
Iqra Quraishi : Please tell us about the Committee on Girls Education of NCMEI and your works?
Dr. Shabistan Ghaffar: NCMEI constituted the Committee on Girls Education in 2007 with four mandates: To generate awareness all over the country to empower girl child through education; To educate and generate awareness among the Muslim community about girls education because there are huge dropouts among Muslim girls at Class VIII, IX and X; To recommend measures to government to empower the girl through education; To find out the reasons behind majority of Muslims being reluctant in girls education.
First I was appointed Member to the Committee on Girls Education in 2008 and then Chairperson of the committee in December 2009. Soon after, Members of the committee including researchers, scientists, academicians and journalists were appointed from across the country. In April 2010, Justice MSA Siddiqi, Chairperson of NCMEI, called a meeting of the entire committee and sketched outline emphasizing that we should do all that we can to provide opportunity to girls for education. We decided to collaborate and network with people working in the field of education at district and block levels. We also fixed responsibilities of all members of the committee.
We visited several states and districts and collaborated with schools and colleges. We joined hands with those working in the field of education and created awareness among people to remove taboos which prevented them from sending girls to schools. We convinced them by invoking Islam and told them that the rights given by Islam are same for men and women and we cannot deprive women of education. This created inspiration among people and they started sending girls to schools and colleges. We motivated parents to get scholarship from government and also from philanthropists, NGOs and organizations so that their girls must not drop out.
Where there were no schools we tried to open schools. We also asked madrasas to tie up with National Institute of Open Schooling for mainstream education. We tried to work on all levels of education – elementary, senior secondary, vocational education, teachers education, and professional education.
In all we held seven regional conferences and more than 300 workshops and seminars all over the country.
To check the results, we held a survey in 2010-11. Our report released by HRD ministry said there was 49% share of girls among Muslim enrolment at primary level. But we also came to know that when these girls reach class VIII and IX there is huge dropout. By graduation level there is just 1 to 1.5% Muslim girls’ share.
We also emphasized on quality education. There are 400 CBSE schools in Kerala, 250 of them are run by Muslims. We got them converted from state to CBSE curriculum. We also called their principals and managers through National University for Education Planning and Administration to Delhi and held orientation programs for two weeks to help them learn how to manage and administer education institutions.
Alhamdulillah, we have got great success in our efforts. We attended several convocations in South and found that at some medical colleges, over 80% of MBBS degrees were awarded to girls. This shows that parents have got motivated and they now understand that they should give well and high education to girls also. We have to replicate that trend in the North also. Philanthropists in south established good educational intuitions from elementary to higher education and gave good access to girls there.
Iqra Quraishi : What are the challenges in the way of empowerment of girls through education?
Dr. Shabistan Ghaffar: There are so many challenges and issues related to girls education. When we talk to parents, we find they are very hesitant in sending their girls to schools because of several reasons including lack of female teachers and lack of toilets. Some areas have only primary and middle schools. For higher secondary, parents do not want to send their girls to district headquarters and put them at hostels for safety reasons. Moreover, some families want to give only madrasa/religious education to girls and don’t allow them modern education because they think if she got higher education then it would be difficult to find match as there are not many highly educated boys in the Muslim community.
I have seen in the South that many are more concerned about dowry for their girls than high education. They go abroad to earn just for dowry.
Our families are not sending girls to modern fields like nursing, medical, law, journalism and education. I ask people engaged in the field of education to set up medical institutions and provide more opportunity to Muslim girls. We find Christian girls in nursing field, they are dedicated and devoted.
The most important work we did was to motivate people in the field of education to open women exclusive institutions at all levels – from primary to professional college.
In this regard, the historical and landmark work has been done by a Muslim philanthropist Dr. Wizarat Rasool Khan. He has established more than 54 educational intuitions in Hyderabad and other parts of Andhra Pradesh. At every level he opened women exclusive institutions. Like if he opened medical college, he opened one for women only. He also opened a management college for women only. You can see the change in Hyderabad. These women are well confident and are rendering great service to society. They are working on law, disabled persons, curriculum and hospitality. They are working in all sectors of society.
Iqra Quraishi : What were your recommendations to government in your April 2012 report?
Dr. Shabistan Ghaffar: We have given more than 30 recommendations to the government including scholarship, open schooling, distance learning, community college, hostels, teachers training, expansion of Hunar scheme and recognition of Muslim women artisans.
Iqra Quraishi : What is your message for empowerment of Muslim girls?
Dr. Shabistan Ghaffar: I would like to quote Mahatma Gandhi: “If you educate a boy you educate an individual. If you educate a girl, you educate a generation.” Woman is the backbone of the society. She plays multidimensional role in the society. We all have to make her strong. We should pose faith in her and give her opportunity for education. Only then we can think of a better nation. Education is a weapon which can take nations ahead on the path of progress. Woman can play a key role in this. We all should work at individual as well as organizational level to provide her opportunity. Girl is a minority within minority. We have to empower her educationally, socially, economically and politically.
Hats off to Dr. Shabistan Ghaffar, we are proud this lady.
Can i have her mail id PLEASE!!
We need more lady crusader like Dr. Shabistan Ghaffar.
Thanks to Muslim Mirror for bringing this story.
Muslim crusader??? Isn’t crusade holy christian war? And in modern days against Muslims.
Anyways she is doing wonderful job. May Allah give her strength to do more for the community. Ameen.
Kindly note her email Id, ShabistanGaffar@gmail.com
Thanks and glad of her!!!
i would be better, if someone wrote about mr. wizarat and his work (in detail ), so that we could learn from it.
Great job. We at ibtada work for meo girls education. Would like to connect with her