Social stratification refers to the disparity in accessing power, autonomy,resources, and status across social groups. It implies an existence of social inequality between different groups since some groups have higher access to the resources than others do. Gender inequalities do exist in education and they are problematic since they lower the wellbeing of the victims. The inequalities can also be termed as a form of injustice. As such, there is urgent need to reduce gender stratification not only in education but also in health and other related fields. Statistics reveal that 16 million girls around the world will never set foot in a classroom. These girls will be disadvantaged in many ways as they lead their lives in the society. Women also account for two-thirds of 750 million uneducated people in the world.
Hannun (2005) in Hong & Qian (2010) posited that in the rural areas of China girls were disadvantaged in education transitionand enrolment, especially those who came from families that had limited resources. However, Hong & Qian (2010) now report that researchersdemonstrate that girls’ education performance,enrolment, and transition is comparable or even higher than that of boys. However, they say that thereremains an open question of whether the certificates offer girls and boys similar chances and life opportunities. Some other reports indicate that gender discrimination in the market still exists, albeit in small proportions. In places like Beijing, women’ job searchingexperiences reveal that they are more disadvantaged than men are; this istrue before and after joining the labor market. In the study, women in Beijing are affected more by the socio-economic status of their families since a family that has limited resources chooses to educate boys at the expense of girls. Consequently, men graduate more and have larger resources later in life.
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Klasen &Lamanna (2009) statethat gender inequality in education has an impact on the economic growth of any nation. Literature suggests that gender inequality in education reduces the average human capital in the society; therefore, harming the economic performance of nations. The inequality has an artificial effect of constraining the pool from which the society needs to draw talent. It does this by locking out highly qualified girls and instead of taking boys who do not have high qualifications. At the same time, it gives declining marginal returns to education as the marginal returns gained from educatinggirls is higher than that of educating boys.
Klasen &Lamanna (2009) also posit that educating girls has some externalities such as reducing fertility levels, promoting education in upcoming generations, and reducing child mortalities. Klasen &Lamanna attribute each of the above factors to positively affecting the economic growth of a nation. They further argue that the existence of gender gaps in education robs the society of the benefits of female education. They also posit that the timing issue is important as reduced fertility rates in girls today, lead to advantageous demographic constellation after 20 years. The above implies that for several decades the working-age populace will grow faster than the entire population; the effect of this is that the dependency rates will be lowered, leading to higher per-capita income.
Klasen &Lamanna (2009) as wellhypothesize that reducing gender stratification in education increases international competitiveness. Many countries in East Asiause women-intensive-export-oriented manufacturing industries as a strategy for competitiveness. The trend has also taken shape in Asia and other countries in the developing world. For such success to be attained the women need to be educated and the barriers to their education and employment need to be removed. On the other hand, gender stratification may largely hinder such success.
At the same time, Klasen &Lamanna (2009) state that gender gaps in employment have similar effects as gender gaps in education. The average ability of a workforce is negatively affected any time the gender inequality occurs. The above is not only for the employed but also for the self-employed people in sectors such as agriculture and technological fields. Gendergaps in employment also cause higher fertility levels in women, reducing the economic growth in a similar manner as education does.
Women education also has an effect of increasing their bargaining power within a home. Educated women are able to seek employment and have their own earnings, and this makes them more active when it comes to bargaining. The power not only benefits the women in question but also the whole family and the society. The measure causes higher savings, better investments, and repayment of credit. Moreover, such women make higher investments in their children’s education and health, saving the human capital for the next generation. The overall effect is better economic growth in the country and the world at large.
Klasen &Lamanna (2009) also posits that women workers are less prone to nepotism and corruption than their men counterparts are. These findings suggest that educating women and employing them is beneficial for countries that have been plagued by corruption. The economic performance of such nations will improve vehemently upon educating and employing more women.
References
Hong, Y., & Qian, M. (2010). Educational and Social Stratification in China: Ethnicity, Class, and Gender. Chinese Education & Society , 43 (5), 3-9. Doi: 10.2753/CED1061-1932430500
Klasen, S., &Lamanna. (2009). the Impact of Gender Inequality in Education and Employment on Economic Growth: Ne W Evidence fora Panel of Countries. Feminist Economics 15 (3), 91-132.
