Recently, Muslim women have become the subject of much discussion and controversy. Many onlookers in the West have accused Islam of treating women unfairly. However, wives and mothers hold an honored place in Muslim society, and many of the problems are based on culture that can be improved through education. Women are responsible for guiding and taking care of their children. Mothers nurture and nourish their sons and daughters. If a mother is educated, she is more likely to raise educated children. Ælfwine Mischler wrote, “Becoming a mother is one of the greatest joys of a Muslim woman. She knows that her child is both a gift and a trust from God. She carries a great responsibility in raising a family, not only in caring for their physical needs, but also in educating them in their religion and morals.”
A child’s education begins at an early age. While they are young, their morals and values are formed by following the example of their parents. A mother holds a great responsibility in raising her children because family is her main priority. In many cultures, it is the husband’s duty to support his wife, which gives her more time to spend with and educate her children. She can have a special opportunity to instill a culture of education and become a positive role model. How can she do this if she has no education?
Both parents have a responsibility to teach their children life skills and about their faith and values so those children can grow up into responsible adults. All Muslims have a responsibility to pursue knowledge. Women must then extend the knowledge she has gained to her children. “…Islam has encouraged the woman to educate herself and to know Allah and know her duties, so that she can educate her children. She is discouraged from leaving her children without guidance and example. Moreover she is given the most honorable and important job in the universe, she is more encouraged to be a mother.”
A women’s education is related to her family’s economic status. Mothers with a four-year college degree are three to ten times more likely to live above the United State’s federal poverty line than mothers without a high school degree. Shanta Pandey, a social work professor at Washington University, stated, “Poverty among college-educated mothers, irrespective of their marital status, is consistently low”.
Around the world, women make up two-thirds of all the people who can’t read[5]. This is affecting their ability to educate their children. When asked by the National Household Education Survey, 91% of children with college educated mothers said they had been read to at least three times that week by a family member. Only 61% of the children whose mothers had less than a high school education could say the same thing[6]. Mothers with higher educations are also more likely to participate in school events and attend meetings with teachers. All these things contribute to better educated and more successful children.
An Indian study has also found a link between a woman’s ability to read and the health and well being of her family. For example, infant mortality had an inverse relationship with the education level of the mother. Literacy also has an impact on the mother’s nutritional status. A culture of education is important because illiteracy is a 100% curable disease.
Women who are well educated are more likely to marry more educated men. The tendency of men and women to marry people of the same education level, known as educational homogamy, is becoming more and more common. The intelligence and knowledge of the entire family will be greatly increased if both parents are educated. If women are educated, it will encourage the education of the whole society.
Fighting illiteracy and poor education is the most effective way to end the cycle of poverty. In countries where less than half its citizens can read, there is a per capita income of less than $600. Compare that with the $12,600 made in one year by someone living in a country with a literacy rate of higher than 95%!
Educated mothers raise educated children. A woman with an education can read to her children and help them with homework. She will instill values and help create a culture that promotes her children’s education. Education will keep those children from becoming illiterate and trapped in poverty. Without proper education, we can not hope to end the horrible cycle of poverty that inflicts the world. Muslim illiteracy can not be eradicated without educating the Muslim girls.
