THE STORY A OF A MILLION LIVES.

In 2018, a study showed that only 13.5 percent of 15-16 year old girls were out of school but for 15-18 year olds , the figure rose to 40 percent. This shows that as girl children are compelled to drop out into their teen years. Education is a right. Then why are so many girls dropping out?

The RTE though effective in getting girls to school, it could not ensure the completion of their education. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself stated that to think that we have passed a law and all children will get educated is not right. Moreover, the RTE has not made any provisions for banning housework or agricultural work in children.

According to the OECD, Indian women spend 577% more time doing housework than men. 65% of girls who dropout of school are engaged in extensive housework. Indian women do the most unpaid domestic work and care than any country globally barring Kazakhstan. This shows that the Indian government does not invest enough in social care and women bear the burden of familial chores foregoing their right to education.

Another issue is the lack of menstrual education and hygiene.

A 2014 UNICEF report pointed out that in Tamil Nadu, 79 per cent girls and women were unaware of menstrual hygiene practices. .

Many girls, though enrolled in school, drop out due to poor menstrual hygiene facilities and the taboo surrounding the biological event. Only less than 20 percent of women in India use menstrual hygiene products. A majority of these women in urban areas, the rest are forced to stay home and potentially miss many hours of education every month. India, being a very religiously led country, has a myriad of blasphemous practices hindering women from going to school. 23 million girls drop out of school after menarche every single year. The lack of menstrual education and lack of availability of cheap menstrual products is a major achilleas heel in women's education today.

Also, another snag in the completion of higher education of an Indian woman is the marriageable age. It is 18 for girls and 21 for boys. Many parents prefer to get their children married early which hinders a woman's plans of a higher education. The stereotypical responsibilities that also come with being a wife impedes the woman's ability to learn to her highest potential.

These are issues so ingrained in society that they are almost normalized. We need to push for the abandonment of gender typical roles, and include representation of non stereotypical characters in media presented to growing children.

Quoting Emma Watson , "Women share this planet 50/50 and they are underrepresented-their potential astonishingly untapped."