THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS' AWARENESS OF GENDER

EQUALITY PROMOTION BY NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ON THEIR CONFIDENCE

INSIDE THE SCHOOL PREMISES

The issue regarding gender inequality has been rampant and there are numerous issues
that different genders face every day. Despite the promotion of inclusivity and gender and
development programs, gender inequality is still present in our society, especially inside school
premises and within students. Most of the time, male students and members of the LGBTQ+
community are the ones being affected by gender inequality inside the school premises even
though they are given equal opportunities in terms of education, there is still a gender gap and
the Philippines has a record of 21.7% in gender gap (World Economic Forum, 2022). Despite the
equal opportunities, female students are the one given more attention and favorable in terms
of education (Paqueo & Orbeta, 2019). Also, boys are more likely than girls to face sexual abuse
and other types of violence (UNICEF, 2016). Since gender inequality is present in school, It's
equally important to consider the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)
population, especially within the school premises.

The issue is not left out by the government since they have programs and policies to
address this issue. The government has already implemented programs, such as Gender-
Responsive Basic Education Policy and Comprehensive Sexuality Education, but the aim of this
research study is to determine the relationship of the awareness of gender equality promotion
by non-governmental organizations and the confidence of the Senior High School students.

In every region and places in the Philippines, gender inequality is prevalent and the
school can turn into a hostile environment as students deal with these difficulties, whether
individually or collectively. Students stated how bullying, discrimination, and exclusion caused
them to lose focus, skip class, or attempt to move schools, all of which interfered with their
right to an education in addition to causing them physical and psychological harm. In a study by
Santos and De Jesus, their respondents were 152 college students, most of them were
members of the LGBTQ+, and the results show that they have experienced verbal and written
bullying in their school. They were even threatened, intimidated, and teased persistently by
their fellow students. This situation shows how worse the issue of gender inequality is inside
school premises despite the programs implemented by the government. Hence, the awareness
of the Senior High School Students on gender equality promotion by Non-Governmental
Organization and its relationship on their confidence is needed to be studied to determine the
effects of gender inequality and the promotion of equality inside their school.