In recent years, a noticeable increase has been observed in the involvement of girls in education in Azerbaijan and worldwide. This trend manifests itself not only at the general education level but also at the higher and vocational education stages. It is particularly gratifying that, compared to previous years, girls' interest in IT, engineering, finance, economics, and other technically oriented specializations has significantly increased.
It is interesting to know, what are the main social and cultural factors influencing girls' inclination towards technical specializations?
Education expert Elchin Afandiyev, commenting on the topic to AzEdu.az, stated that a positive dynamic is observed in girls' interest in education both in our country and worldwide. According to him, both awareness-raising activities and state policy play a significant role in this development:
“Compared to previous periods, girls' interest in education was low in various regions of our country. In particular, cases of early marriage after the 8th-9th grades were widespread. Girls would drop out of school after the 9th grade, either entering employment or starting vocational schools. This prevented them from pursuing higher or advanced education.
In recent years, as a result of both awareness-raising activities and decisions adopted by the state, such as the tightening of regulations concerning early marriage and truancy, interest in education has significantly increased among both parents and girls. Currently, an increase is observed in the number of girls applying to higher education institutions, secondary specialized, and vocational education institutions. Considering the demands of the labor market, they increasingly prefer fields such as IT, pedagogy, and engineering (oil and gas, chemistry, food, etc.). Alongside this, positive changes are also occurring at the societal mentality level”.
These changes have also affected the role of women within the family and society:
“Whereas previously all family responsibilities were placed on men, now women also share the family burden. This creates opportunities for women to pursue education and self-development. Thus, girls' interest in education is increasing as a result of state policy, social and cultural changes, and awareness-raising”.
Despite all these positive trends, some concerning situations regarding the treatment of girl children are still encountered in society:
“Unfortunately, certain problems still persist in the matter of sex selection. One of the disturbing trends observed in recent years is the decreasing number of girl children. This is particularly evident in birth statistics.
If, on the one hand, we are taking encouraging measures for girls' education and active participation in public and social life, on the other hand, instances of preventing their birth are observed. This could lead to both a disruption of the demographic balance and a weakening of women's representation in society in the future”.
The way to overcome this problem begins with the family and parental attitudes:
“Parents must change their approach towards girl children and abandon the mindset that prevents their birth. Girl children are as valuable as boys. The first step to their participation in education, life, and society is to create conditions for their existence”.
