Breaking Barriers: Educational Rights of Minority Women in India

As Swami Vivekananda correctly stated, "Unless the status of women is improved, there will be no change in the welfare of the world."  Without women's education and development, a country cannot advance. Education is one of the most effective tools for social transformation. Yet, for minority girls in India especially those from Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, and Parsi communities accessing quality education remains an uphill struggle. 

Despite constitutional protections in India like Article 15, Article 21A, and the Right to Education Act, challenges continue. Socio-cultural barriers such as early marriage, gender bias, limited mobility due to safety concerns, and preference for religious schools over formal education often keep girls from completing their studies. Infrastructure gaps like a lack of girls’ schools in minority-concentrated areas and parental illiteracy further compound the problem. 

However, there is a major improvement minority student enrolment to 30.1 lakh in 2021-22 from 21.8 lakh in 2014-15 (an increase of 38%). Female Minority Student enrolment has increased to 15.2 lakh in 2021-22 from 10.7 lakh in 2014-15 (42.3% increase), signalling the positive impact of initiatives such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Maulana Azad Scholarships, and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram. 

What can bridge the gap further? 

1. Community engagement to shift social attitudes. 
2. Culturally sensitive curricula and multilingual learning resources. 
3. Improved access through better infrastructure. 
4. Targeted financial aid and scholarship awareness. 

At LegalEase CSR, we believe that sustainable change requires both policy and action. In the next blog, we will spotlight our contributions and collaborations with partners like Katalyst and Hobart Foundation, who are enabling access, safety, and rights in education.

- Hamda Akhtarul Arfeen, Associate - Delivery