"How many troubles the women may face, they should not skip education. Even Babasaheb Ambedkar had said that education is the greatest weapon to protect one's respect and self-esteem and for the protection of one's rights," Tirath said at a conference of Dalit women here.
"If you are educated, you become aware of your rights. You are not seeking anything from anyone, your rights have been given to you by the Constitution," she said.
Tirath said education would empower women which could bring an end to a lot of social evils. If women are empowered they can stop practices like child marriage by insisting that a girl child below 18 years will not be married, she said.
"To ensure that children get educated, I have sent suggestions to the HRD ministry that schools should be constructed near villages and from schools to houses, there should be pucca roads, and there should be proper seating arrangement, water, toilets," she said.
Education would lead to awareness through which people can benefit from schemes which the government makes for them, she said.
The minister said it was important that children should get proper facilities at schools.
Dalits were becoming aware of their rights and women were no longer weak as they were perceived to be, she said.