Our Duty: A short piece on pressure and privilege in education for women around the world.
"To whom much is given, much is expected." —Luke 12:48, The Holy Bible: King James Version
It is no secret that, as Havergal students, we are incredibly privileged to be afforded such an expansive and lavish education. Yet, in the rush of our daily lives, we often forget to pause and truly appreciate the weight of everything we have. We carry a legacy that was not always guaranteed. For hundreds of years, women were denied the same opportunities as men regarding education and positions of power. Confined to the domestic sphere, women were often viewed as mere accessories to history rather than the architects of change or the drivers of movements. Today, we live in an age and a place where we are allowed to be whatever we want. Because of this, it is vital that we look back at our history, look around at our present, and look forward to the future of women across the globe.
The pressure to maintain high grades, to perform at our peak, and to build a lasting community is not for nothing. It isn't just about college admissions or parental recognition; it is for all women. By striving for more, rising to the challenge, and choosing to do the hard things, we prove our capability and reaffirm our place in seats of power. While we navigate our hallways, billions of women face a different reality:
1 in 5 do not finish secondary school.
1 in 10 receive no schooling at all.
1 in 2.5 do not attend university.
1 in 4 are married before the age of 18.
1 in 5 do not have equal legal rights to men.
1 in 4 are paid less than men for the same work.
1 in 10 live in extreme poverty.
1 in 3 lack access to essential healthcare and safe sanitation.
In Canada, women excel in the classroom, yet the limit remains stubbornly intact in the professional world. As of 2023, 61% of Canadian women aged 25 to 64 have a tertiary qualification: the highest among G7 nations. Yet, women still hold only approximately 30% of senior management positions, and the gender wage gap persists, with women earning roughly 88 cents for every dollar earned by men.
Rising Against Regression
Despite many gains, we are entering a precarious era. In the United States and parts of Europe, we are seeing a cultural and political shift that subtly and sometimes overtly dissuades women from pursuing higher professional degrees. Social media trends glorifying "traditional" roles often mask a regression in the perceived value of female ambition. While the 2010s were defined by the "Lean In" era of female independence, the current decade is seeing a rise in conservative views that filter into our media, suggesting that a woman's true place is outside the sphere of influence. This shift makes our pursuit of education not just a personal choice, but a defensive necessity. We must rise as far as possible precisely because the path is being narrowed for others.
Global Academic Resilience
We must also dismantle the propaganda that suggests liberty and intellectualism belong only to the West. In Iran, for instance, women comprise over 60% of university students, dominating fields like STEM and medicine at rates that often put North American statistics to shame. Similarly, Tunisia has long been a regional leader, where over 60% of university graduates are women. In Africa, Rwanda has nearly achieved universal primary school enrollment for girls and leads the world in female political representation, with women holding over 60% of parliamentary seats. These examples remind us that the "duty" of education is being fulfilled in every corner of the globe, often under far more scrutiny and pressure than we will ever face.
The Double-Edged Sword
Academic pressure is the weight of opportunity; privilege is the floor beneath our feet. For us, a difficult exam is a hurdle; for a girl in Kabul, it is a forbidden dream. Education is undeniably difficult, but as women who have been given every tool for success, we must persevere for the sake of those who cannot. We do not study merely to "succeed" in the traditional sense; we study as an act of resistance against the global trend of regression. We carry the weight of our books today so that the women in Chad, Mali, Niger, Afghanistan, and Sudan (who are currently fighting for the right to even open one) might one day have the power to carry it for themselves. Our privilege is not a gift to be hoarded; it is a tool to be sharpened. To whom much is given, much is required; and today, our requirement is excellence.