Unit4-Gender Challenges and Education/Gender Challenges- The Role of Schools

• Gender equality is a human right, yet a persistent divide is noticed where issues such as access to education, empowerment
and decision making are concerned. In India, despite the presence of constitutional and legal provisions, Honour killing, dowry,
child marriages, domestic violence, sexual abuse, denial of property rights, eve teasing and economic exploitation still occur.
Women bear children, yet they are victims of malnourishment and poor health facilities./
• Education is a catalyst for social change. It helps to usher a multidimensional transformation in the mindset of society towards
equality and equity with respect to gender./
• A school is a learning institution with broad duties that go beyond traditional teaching-learning. It is a place where young
people learn about social relationships, norms and values. Schools play an important role in teaching, modelling, and
reinforcing gender roles. Schools can also be places where prevailing gender roles are challenged and reframed so that
learners can have more freedom to shape their own identities and determine how they want to play out their own gender
role
Role of Schools
• Establish a code of conduct or ethics address gender issues in school. Violence and sexual harassment are two striking
manifestations of gender inequality. The code of conduct will help to address the root causes of gender based violence.
• Schools need to develop policies and curricula that provide safety from harassment and violence. There is need to actively
challenge and work towards changing negative gender stereotyping and gender inequalities
• Schools must promote gender roles that support equality and foster a healthy relationship between males and females. Eg.
Involve boys and girls while planning a school programme. Avoid gender based division of work
• Gender sensitization training for teachers.
5. Research based projects on such topics and address solutions./
6. Gender awareness programs for parents.
7. Counselling centre's for support of LGBT children
8. Encourage all learners to choose from the same wide range of opportunities in courses, extra
curricular activities and career path. For example, if the school is organizing adventure sports and
there are girls interested in the same, encourage them to participate
9. Ensure that the school is a safe place for both sexes .Well lit spaces, adequate and separate toilet
facilities for boys and girls, surveillance measures and restricted entry to strangers will help to have
a safe environment
10. Training teachers in the skills for making teaching and learning processes responsive to the
specific needs of girls and boys
 The Role of Peers/
• Peers influence the language we use and the choices we make. The self esteem of student is encouraged by
their Peer groups. They experience a sense of belongingness to their groups. And hence are likely to imitate
their peers. Peer groups often have great influence upon gender roles and gender equality.
• A peer group is both a social group and a primary group of people who have similar interest, age,
background or social status. The members of this group are likely to influence the person's beliefs and
behaviour. Peer groups contain hierarchies and distinct patterns of behaviour. 18 year olds are not in a peer
group with 14 year olds even though they may be in school together.
• During adolescence, Peer groups tend to face dramatic changes. Adolescents tend to spend more time with
their peers and have less adult supervision. Adolescents' communication shifts during this time as well. They
prefer to talk about school and their careers with their parents and they enjoyed talking about sex and other
interpersonal relationships with their peers. Children look to join Peer groups who accept them, even if the
group is involved in negative activities. Children are less likely to accept those who are different from them
• As children enter School, the input of teachers and the school curriculum regarding gender rules cannot be
overlooked. Finally, as children develop friendships with both same sex and opposite sex peers, they
continue to develop new ideas and receive reinforcement of previously learned ideas
• Like teachers, Peers contributes to the socialization of gender differences by a multiple Pathways.
Upon entering schools, children encounter large members of peers, many of whom model
traditional gender behaviour, producing and reinforcing the content of gender stereotypes. In
addition, schools are categorized by gender segregation. When many peers are available children
tend to select same-sex playmates. Children's gender segregation, in turn affects their play
experiences ,leading them to spend more time in stereotypic play. Furthermore, gender
segregation predicts children's future conformity to gender stereotypes. Peers also contribute to
gender differentiation by teaching their classmates stereotypes and punishing them for failing to
conform to stereotypes via verbal harassment and physical aggression.
• Peer group influence begins in preschool and continuous as children progress through school and
expand their social world. This influence reinforces activities involved in play, academic success,
popularity, body image and dress and continuous throughout the life cycle
 The Role of Teachers

• In India school and classrooms vary in many contexts. There are large and small size classrooms in the urban,
semi urban and rural contexts. The classroom organisation and management goes a long way in shaping
gender relations. Several research studies over the years have clearly shown how the classroom environment
can facilitate students learning and remove gender bias and stereotype. In fact a gender friendly
environment can easily be created by a teacher in any context. Just requires sensitivity and positive intent. A
gender friendly classroom environment and its overall management and build harmonious relations between
boys and girls at different stages of education
• To begin with teachers must define their role as mentors and facilitators and not as instructors and
knowledge experts to disseminate information.
• As a facilitator the teacher should ensure that physical and social environment of a classroom promote
healthy relationship between boys and girls
• Equal participation of boys and girls in teaching learning process must be ensured. Allocation of classroom
duty should reflect gender neutrality. Boys and girls should participate equally in maintaining cleanliness,
observing classroom decorum, decorating the class and conducting routine classroom chores.
 Role of Curriculum
• Curriculum refers to all activities carried out in the educational institution. Curriculum is a major vehicle in
ensuring gender equality and equity.
• Curriculum refers to the means and materials with which students will interact for the purpose of achieving
identified educational outcomes
• Braslavsky states that curriculum is an agreement among communities, educational professionals, and the State
on what learners should take on during specific periods of their live
• Writing into the curriculum women's and girls experiences, achievements and contributions
• Using non sexist language
• Developing and using context which are relevent and meaningful for girls as well as boys.
• Developing curriculum practice which supports and encourages girls and boys in not accepting discriminatory
situations and which enables them to develop strategies to counteract sexist behaviour
• The curriculum should be gender sensitive
• The curriculum should be responsive to gender issue
• The curriculum must foster gender empowerment
• The curriculum must cut across gender barriers
 Role of Textbooks
• Textbooks are a vital tool in the hands of parents ,students and teachers. In a country like India,
where it may not be feasible for students to afford expensive reference books, textbook are the
basic and sometimes the only learning resource available to students.
• Textbooks are the core of the educational policy as they reflect national goals of
education.Textbooks transmit models of social behaviour, norms and values and thus mould the
students. They are a vehicle for social change and also a means of socialisation.
• Textbooks depict both men and women in their content.
• The National Policy for the Empowerment of Women, 2001, stated the importance of making the
textbook gender sensitive and free of biases and stereotypes. The policy mentioned that gender
sensitive curricula would address one of the causes of gender discrimination i.e., sex stereotypes.
Care should be taken to see that textbooks contribute to gender empowerment in a positive
manner.
• Role of Textbooks-
1. Avoid limited or traditional role of women-Textbooks must avoid por traying girls and women in
limited or traditional roles. Include stories of girls and women who have achieved success.
2. Mathematics textbook should show equal share of men and women in sums/
3. Gender-neutral language-Care should be taken to include gender neutral language. Language that is
damaging to the image of women should be strictly avoided
4. Male and female authors should get equal chance to publish his/her books.
5. Gender issues should be shown- Textbooks of subjects like Political Science and Sociology should
contain on social problems that are gender based. Students can be made aware of the laws that
promote gender parity. Textbooks can carry such information and equip students with appropriate
knowledge
6. Careers and professional information should be equal for men and women.
B) Construct of gender in National Curriculum Framework
 C) Contemporary Role Models In India- Urban and Rural

• Contemporary Role Models In India- Urban

1. Kiran Bedi
2. Sumitra Mahajan
3. Mother Teressa

• Contemporary Role Models In India- Rural

1. Sindhutai Sakpal
2. Savitribai Phule
3. Dr. Anandibai Joshi