Education of Women in the Arab World

Education of Women in the Arab World

The population of the Arab world today is around 150 million, inhabiting an area approximately one and a half times the U.S., stretching from Mauritania on the Atlantic Ocean, to Iraq on the Arab Gulf. The area is passing through a period of rapid change and transformation, and racing with time to evolve into a developed society with high standards of living and a secure way of life. Education has been seen as the primary means by which the desircd goals can be accmplished. Without expanding and improving educational opportunities for both men and women, political, social and economic development, cannot be reached.

The education of women in particular is seen to be essential and necessary for the construction of the new society. Women comprise half of the total population, and their contribution to the nation building process is a must.

Modern education for women in the Arab world is of relatively recent origin. The first modern schools were opened in Egypt (1829), Lebanon (1835) and Iraq (1898). In other countries like Kuwait, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, modern education for women is a product of the 20th century.

Progress in female education until recently was slow and extremely limited. Most of the Arab world was under colonialdomination. The British and French colonial powers did not totally relinquish their hold in the area until 1977 when the French left Djibouti.

In several places political independence was incomplete and foreign troops remained in the country until many years later. For example although Britain ostensibly gave up control of Egypt in 1922, British troops did not leave Egypt until 1956. The colonial powers were not interested in expanding educational facilities or making them available to women and, as a result, the illiteracy rate among Arab women remained extremely high. For instance, the illiteracy rate was 96% in Tunisia in 1956, and over 90% in Algeria in 1962.

With political independence and emancipation from foreign domination, education received a big boost. Both the government and the public considered education as the most important means to develop the Arab world and to improve the conditions of the Arab people. There was a substantial increase in the allocation of funds for education in nearly all Arab countries, ranging from twenty to thirty percent of the public budget. Total expenditures on education grew from $976 miltion in 1965, to$1.6billion in 1970, to$8 billion in 1975. Most Arab governments have proclaimed the goal of universal literacy and many possess laws making education free at all levels,compulsory at the first level,and available to as many as possible at the second and third levels.

Governments of some oil producing countries allot stipends both to students in school as well as to their parents, thus reducing any economic burden. The stipend serves as an added incentive to pursue an education.