An Overview on Education and Gender Inequalities in Yunnan and Manipur

Abstract

The rapid economic growth in China and India during the last two decades is unparalleled in modern history. However, this economic dividend accruing from the high growth was not evenly distributed among the people. These marginalized sections in these parts remain disgruntled to threaten to disturb the social-political stability, thereby posing a challenge to the leadership in Beijing and New Delhi. Having seen the inequalities in both the countries, I’m convinced to study the Yunnan province of Southwestern part of China and Manipur from Northeastern part of India, taking China and India to map the broad contours in comparing education and gender inequalities between the two provinces. Education is expected to play a significant role in bringing classes and groups together and promotes an egalitarian society. The government of both the countries also made an attempt to encourage female literacy, which has a direct impact on several socio-economic indicators for development. But in spite of all these efforts, education remains a huge gap to a vast section of society particularly the marginalized and girl child. The rate of enrolment may be negligible at primary level but as it goes to higher level the disparities or gap becomes wider. The rate of enrolment may be high at some level but this does not confirm the quality of education and the rate of retention at the end of the academic year especially in rural and mountainous region of both the provinces. Therefore, the present paper is intended to study the inequalities which prevail in Southwestern China and the Northeastern part of India. Stratification in society is normal and inevitable, and it functions to maintain stability in a given society. But the gap should not be too wide as the provinces are facing today. Rather we must thrive to reduce inequalities which are built into the system over the years.