Educational Empowerment of Rural Women: A Study of Punjab Village

Abstract

Equal access to educational opportunity is a basic human right essential to well-being. Educational gap at attainment levels between male and female and further between female of rural and urban have been remained as focus of research. This paper is based upon the study of a Punjab village to assess the educational empowerment of rural women residing in that village. The study has been carried out on a sample of 200 women identified and designed as rural women in the age group of 20 to 50 years. Semis structured interview schedule, field notes along with observation were the techniques used in study. The findings of the study reveal that rural women have very low level of education. Among all social groups, scheduled caste women are at margin level. Poverty in the family and non-availability of the school in village has been emerged as major cause behind educational deprivation of rural women. Empirical finding have shown that increase in educational level among rural women, their family income enhances. It is suggested that education is pertinent domain to make women empowered and self-reliant. Efforts should be made through different ways to make women educated and self-dependent. Ensuring educational opportunity to all is essential for more than one reason.