The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day c6.80

c6.80

The raising of the marriageable age of girls has helped the cause of the female education in a remarkable degree. We have seen above that the lowering of that age to 9 or 10 by the 8th or 9th century a. d. was the main cause of the decline of education among girls. As this cause is being now gradually removed, we may expect a corresponding advance in the progress of female education. Economic conditions also are helping its spread. Services of educated women are still in great demand ; this circumstance also is helping the growth of female education. An idea of the progress made by female education during the last ten years can be gathered from the fact that while the number of girl scholars was 1,230,698 in 1924-25, it rose to 2,890,246 in 1934-35. Much leeway, however has yet to be made ; only 16.5 per cent. of the girls of the school going age are attending schools, and of these only 13 per cent. reach the 4th class. The ratio¹ of literate women to men is 1 : 4.