ZENITH International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
Year : 2019, Volume : 9, Issue : 2
First page : ( 111) Last page : ( 119)
Online ISSN : 2231-5780.

Female literacy differentials in the Districts of North Bengal

Tamang Nisha

Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Darjeeling Government College, P.O. & District: Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. Email: tamangneesha@gmail.com

Online published on 2 April, 2019.

Abstract

Education of women is an important tool for reducing gender inequalities as being educated helps to improve the position of women in society. Being educated also helps in social, political and economic empowerment of women through increase in their decision making. Women occupy a very important position in society, yet are confronted with inequalities and discrimination in several spheres, one of them being education.“Investing in women's capabilities and empowering them to exercise their choices is not only valuable in it but is also the surest way to contribute to economic growth and economic development.”(Human Development Report, 1995). Women's education thus is a significant contributor to socio-economic and human development of a nation. The present study endeavors to analyze the female literacy differentials, the rural urban variation and the disparity of women in terms oliteracy in the North Bengal region of the state of West Bengal by utilizing the census data. The study unfolds that the distribution of female literacy does not follow any zonal pattern. Furthermore, it did not find any major heterogeneity in the area although the disparity shows a declining trend. The access to equal and quality education, financial assistance to weaker and marginalized sections of the society and change in the stereotype mindset will go a long way as policy measures.

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Keywords

Development, Disparity index, Empowerment, Gender differentials, Literacy.

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