EDUCATION: A Means to Empower Women?

The 17th of October is “World Poverty Day.” Poverty is a widespread phenomenon confronted by countries across the world. Every year, on the occasion of World Poverty Day, the authorities tell us how much they are doing for the poor. But despite this, we find that poverty particularly among women, is growing in the country.
According to Sylvia Chant, a Professor of Gender Studies at the London School of Economics, “poverty is a deprivation of resources, capabilities or freedoms and that the feminization can be applied to indicate a gender biased change in any of these dimensions or spaces to use their rights, capabilities and opportunities to control their lives.” In Mauritius, we find that the gap between men and women, caught in the cycle of poverty has continued to widen in recent years.
Several factors such as lack of income, lack of opportunities and inability to enjoy basic rights like freedom and to control one’s lives affect the feminization of poverty, which in turn place women at higher risks of poverty. Our policy makers keep on telling us that education is the best tool for poverty eradication and a better life. But how far is this true in our Mauritian patriarchal society? Are women really benefitting from education?  Many more women are getting access to education but as Professor Bunwaree from the University of Mauritius notes there seems to be no correlation between Mauritian women’s high levels of education and their economic and political empowerment. According to figures from Statistics Mauritius, for the third quarter of 2012, women accounted for 61 % (47,100) among the unemployed as compared to only 39 % (18,600) for males despite the fact that women excel in their studies.  In some cases, even if they manage to get a job, they are usually poorly paid. For instance, the average monthly income was lower for women than for men, Rs 11,000 against Rs 16,400 and among employed women, in some sectors, 28.7% drew a salary of up to Rs 4,000 compared to 7.9% among employed men. Such gaps only highlight the extent to which women ‘citizens’ continue to be discriminated against.  
To conclude, if women are not to fall in the vicious cycle of poverty, it is important that gender mainstreaming and gender lenses be applied in all spheres of development and that the state comes up with a national minimum wage. The latter can go a long way in making a dent on the feminisation of poverty. It is also important that the state finds a way of rewarding the hundreds of women who are in the ‘care’ economy since financial autonomy remains an important component of women’s empowerment.