Tina Dabi, a Delhi girl recently topped the Civil Services Exams. This was her very first attempt at an exam notorious for being very difficult to pass. The political science graduate from Lady Shri Ram College is the second Delhi girl to achieve this feat. Last year as well it was Renu Raj who topped the CSE. Four of the five toppers in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) last year were women as. In CBSE exams as well girls outperforming boys is a consistent trend.
What studies say about girls outperforming boys
Numerous studies have demonstrated that girls do better at boys in several spheres of education when all other factors are equal. In about 70% of countries worldwide, it has been seen that girls outperform boys in mathematics, reading and science literacy. The phenomenon was seen even in countries with low levels of political, economic and social equality.
One of the reasons for this is the fact that girls are generally more conscientious about their work than boys. Boys use the internet more than girls and spend more time in the virtual world playing games and so forth. It is also seen that girls read more than boys; which enhances their general awareness and the sum of knowledge. Women are also seen to mature earlier, and assume roles of responsibility earlier in life than men. All these could be contributing factors.
Why the achievements of females mean even more in India
For all the men that probably reacted with a laconic shrug and a so what in response to the news of women going better than men in competitive exams, it is important to view these achievements in their correct context. In a country where female education is a low priority for most lower income group families, it is tough for girls to get even the most basic education, much less to gain admissions into the portals of higher learning.
In a society where the boy child is prized and the girl child is viewed as a burden, the achievements of women are more significant because typically, far fewer of the family’s resources are utilised for the female child. In terms of educational expenditure, facilities /assistance provided and freedoms accorded, male children in India are undoubtedly the more privileged gender.
Girl children are expected to help out in the house and learn domestic skills where there are no such burdens on a boy’s time typically; it is considered more important for a boy to ‘concentrate on his studies’. When we consider the fact that parents give far less importance to the education of girls because she will after all leave when she gets married and it is the boy who will presumably provide for the parents’ old age, the achievements of girls assume that much greater significance.
So kudos to Tina Dabi, Renu Raj and numerous other women who have triumphed and done so despite the odds. Tina Dabi has chosen Haryana as her preferred place to work; pointing to the abysmal sex ration in the state; saying that she would like to contribute to women’s empowerment there. We wish her all the very best.
Author – Reena Daruwalla
