Studies have often shown that empowering women is essential to the international development agenda and crucial to reducing poverty globally. Despite knowing that educating women is at the core of alleviating poverty among underserved communities, keeping them in school is still a challenge. It has been noted that women and girls often form the majority of the poor because of the gendered division of assets, cultural norms, and power relations between men and women. Apart from that, women and girls are also the carriers of the unequal burden of bearing the responsibilities of unpaid domestic work. They are also the representatives of precarious domestic and other informal jobs. The result is the failure of women and girls to become part of the education system and education plans among the policymakers of the underserved communities that can help ease the burden of poverty.

Some Facts and Figures on Women and Poverty
Irrespective of the country, it has been studied that women fall prey to poverty more than men. Research has revealed that:
• Less than 20 per cent of women have the right to land ownership.
• 60 per cent of women globally are hungry.
• Out of 796 million women, two-thirds are illiterate.
• 130 million girls are expected to stay out of school.
• Over 15 million girls are estimated to never enter a classroom despite being of primary school age in India.
• Non-state actors are often responsible for upholding gender barriers in primary and secondary education.
• Non-state faith-based education institutes and players have been pivotal in increasing girls’ education; however, it has been found that they reinforce gender-unequal norms.
• 63 per cent of adult women are illiterate.

How Is Female Education and Eradicating Poverty A Mutually Inclusive Goal?
For any community that wants to stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty, education is the key. However, educating the male child exclusively will not reap many benefits because systematically denying education to the girls will result in impoverishing a section of the community. Furthermore, if the above figures are to be considered, despite being quite discouraging, they can provide a basic understanding of creating a tangible step in reducing global poverty. Some of the ways that educating women can help alleviate poverty in the community are:

1. Improve Wages
Research has stated that a woman can increase her earnings by 25 per cent by staying in school for every additional year. It is quite obvious that educated people are in a better position to earn more, and women with education have the chance to seek better-paying work. The increase in the chance of a better payment will result in economic growth and reduce poverty in the community.

2. Halt generational poverty.
Often, poverty goes from one generation to another, and the impoverished families stay near each other, creating a community of the poor. However, with education and better employment for women, this cycle can be broken. Women can educate their children, increase their earnings, and help others in the community understand the value of education, thus lifting the economic structure. More than a father’s education, a mother’s education has a far-reaching trickle-down effect on children and the community.

3. Betterment of the Community
Most women living in underserved communities remain within the clan. When they get educated, the chances of them giving back to the community are higher. It has been estimated that when there is inequality in education and girls are inadequately educated, a country can lose about $1 billion. Hence, by educating the women, the country is empowering them, helping them to be part of leadership roles, equipping them to educate the communities further, and preparing them to make better decisions for the communities. In the long run, it will improve the socioeconomic structure of the community.

Tej Kohli Is Helping To Eradicate Poverty.
While the education of women can help in eradicating poverty, there is another way that alleviating poverty at the grass-roots level is possible. Philanthropist Tej Kohli, along with eye surgeon Dr. Sanbduk Ruit, has been working in underserved regions globally to create a poverty-free, sustainable world. Their NGO, Tej Kohli & Ruit Foundation, has been restoring eyesight to people suffering from cataract-induced blindness in poverty-ridden areas. The objective is to give them their sight back so they can continue to work and stay out of poverty. It has been seen that women are more prone to cataract-induced blindness and often stay without treatment. Mr. Tej Kohli has been working tirelessly to ensure that women get the much-needed cataract removal operation so they can create a sustainable life and community.