While we celebrate women in history this month, we must not forget the struggles women faced throughout history from the right to vote, to accessing education and striving to achieve equality- struggles that continue to this day.
According to a famous educator, Luis. G. Pedraja who is now the president of Quinsigamond Community College, says it pains him to see how many women were and still are prevented from achieving their hopes and dreams by a society and culture that denies them access to education.
Luis feels it like this because he says, “I cannot help but think of my mother, who wanted to be a nurse. However, my grandfather would not allow them to attend nursing school because it would have been a waste of money because she would wind up getting married and not finish her studies. “Luis’ mother was an immigrant who left everything behind to have a better life for her family.
Due to gender discrimination, there was no equality in education anymore, but over the years QCC ( Quinsigamond Community College ) has been providing access to higher education for women who might otherwise pursue their hopes and dreams through education. In fact over 60% of current students at QCC are women now after Luis’s mother. There is this example of Rose who was also an immigrant and had obstacles in becoming a cardiologist but through hard work, dedication and self-belief she made it to QCC.
Rose is just one of the thousands who has attended this institution, and, as a result has overcome unimaginable barriers in order to change our world. It is colleges like QCC that must continue to provide access to a quality college education that will further empower women to shape their own destinies and futures.
After having a close review of educational equality among women I would like to shed some light on what needs to be shared on my behalf, being a Pakistani author I am proud to say that it is this women’s educational equality over the years that we remember.
Benazir Bhutto was the first female prime minister of Pakistan being a wife and a mother she took full responsibility for running the country. Whereas the famous Malala Yousufzai, an educationist, is an Oxford graduate. A woman’s empowerment is in education.
