Promoting the advancement of girls and boys in community schools

Transcription

[Type here]
[Type here]
2015
Promoting the advancement of
girls and boys in community
schools in Zambia
A Gender
Mainstreaming
Toolkit for
Community
Schools in Zambia
Compiled by:
Ms. Mpala
Nkonkomalimba
List of acronyms
CEDAW
Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women
CDC
Curriculum Development Centre
CRC
Convention on the Rights of the Child
CSO
Central Statistical Office
CSOs
Civil society organisations
GRZ
Government of the Republic of Zambia
MGD
Millennium Development Goals
MoE
Ministry of Education
MP
Member of Parliament
NGO
Non-governmental organisation
NGOCC
Non-Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council
UN
United Nations
ZDHS
Zambia Demographic Health Survey
ZGF
Zambian Governance Foundation
ZOCS
Zambia Open Community Schools
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Table of Contents
List of acronyms ...................................................................................................................................... 1
1.0
Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 4
1.1
Purpose of the toolkit ................................................................................................................ 4
1.2
Intended audiences ................................................................................................................... 4
1.3
Layout of the toolkit .................................................................................................................. 4
1.4
How to use the Toolkit .............................................................................................................. 5
1.5
Recommendations for teacher trainers .................................................................................... 5
Module I: Gender equality – Conceptual and normative framework .................................................. 7
Section I: Basic concepts related to gender equality and gender issues in education ....................... 8
Section II: International instruments promoting gender equality and education for all ................. 11
Section III: National policy and legal framework promoting gender equality in Zambia ................. 13
Section IV Gender equality, human rights and people-centred sustainable development.............. 16
Module II: Gender inequalities in Zambia and in the education sector ............................................. 18
Section I: Culture and tradition ......................................................................................................... 19
Section II: Gender stereotypes – what are they? ............................................................................. 21
Section III: Gender equality concerns in Zambia .............................................................................. 24
Section IV: Gender equality concerns in the education sector......................................................... 28
Module III: The socialisation process .................................................................................................. 31
Section I: The family and the socialisation process .......................................................................... 32
Section II: The church and the socialisation process ........................................................................ 33
Section III: The media and the socialisation process ........................................................................ 35
Section IV: Schools and the socialisation process ............................................................................. 36
Module IV: Gender mainstreaming in community schools ................................................................ 38
Section I: Gender mainstreaming and its benefits............................................................................ 39
Section II: Gender mainstreaming and the governance and management of your school .............. 43
Section III: Sexual harassment in schools ......................................................................................... 45
Section IV: Engaging parents and the community in promoting gender equality at the school ...... 48
Module V: Using gender lens – Gender responsive pedagogy ........................................................... 49
Section I: The role of teachers in promoting gender equality in schools ......................................... 50
Section II: Using gender lenses for curriculum and textbooks ......................................................... 52
Section III: Using gender lenses for teaching and learning ............................................................... 54
Section IV: Gender sensitive lesson planning ................................................................................... 57
References ............................................................................................................................................ 59
Appendices ........................................................................................................................................... 60
Fact sheet I: Adult learning principles............................................................................................... 61
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Fact sheet II: Gender concepts ......................................................................................................... 62
Fact Sheet III: International instruments protecting promoting gender equality ............................ 67
Fact sheet IV: Zambia’s National Gender Policy ............................................................................... 71
Fact sheet V: The Anti-Gender Based Violence Act .......................................................................... 73
Fact sheet VI: The Zambia Education Act 2011................................................................................. 74
Fact sheet VII: Women in the Bible................................................................................................... 75
Fact sheet VIII: Gender mainstreaming ladder ................................................................................. 76
Fact sheet IX: The characteristics of a gender-sensitive teacher...................................................... 77
Fact sheet X: How to make methodologies gender responsive........................................................ 78
Factsheet XI: How to avoid gender-specific pronouns ..................................................................... 79
Exercises and checklists ....................................................................................................................... 80
Exercise I: Match game on gender concepts .................................................................................... 81
Exercise I: Match game on gender concepts – Answer sheet .......................................................... 82
Exercise II: Gender biases – Dealing with stereotypes ..................................................................... 83
Exercise III: Identifying stereotypes in reading books ...................................................................... 84
Exercise IV: Reviewing attitudes through a gender audit ................................................................. 85
Exercise V: Checklist for a gender-responsive teacher and teacher educator ................................. 86
Exercise VI: Assessing teachers’ behaviour in class .......................................................................... 88
Exercise VII: Checklist for measuring the child-friendliness of schools ............................................ 89
Exercise VIII: Checklist for gender-responsive lesson planning ........................................................ 90
Exercise IX: Evaluating a lesson plan ................................................................................................. 91
Exercise X: Evaluating a lesson plan – Chainda Open Community School........................................ 92
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1.0
Introduction
A boy, Clement, and girl, Joyce, are both enrolled at a community school seven kilometres from their
home. They both complete grades one to three but in grade four Joyce’s performance falls below
average. Investigations point to the fact that she is not being allowed enough time to study at home
as she has to help her mother with household chores. Her teachers do not believe she will pass and
focus instead on the brighter children to ensure they continue to perform well. When she sits for her
grade seven exams, Joyce barely passes and the school supervisor advises that she takes less difficult
subjects that she is sure to pass, is despite Joyce insisting she would like to take metal work and not
home economics as a subject. At the end of grade eight, Joyce drops out of school and it is only after
a month that the school learns that, in fact, Joyce who is now 14 has been married off to a 22-yearold man. The issue is discussed in the school staffroom…and thereafter Joyce is forgotten. She
becomes a statistic, just another girl that dropped out of school.
Targeting education is a vital part of trying to ensure that both girls and boys get an equal opportunity
to participate in development as well as enjoy its benefits as they grow and become adults. Girls and
boys can be given the same opportunity to get into school but if the school does not do anything about
the factors that stop them from fully accessing the benefits of education, their chances of completing
school and finding the jobs they want is slim. Education itself is the single most important entry point
for ensuring that men and women and boys and girls in all spheres of life enjoy equal rights,
opportunities and treatment.
1.1
Purpose of the toolkit
The Zambia Open Community Schools has developed this toolkit to help teachers and teacher
educators learn more helping girls’ and boys’ access the benefits of education community schools. The
toolkit is intended to help teachers understand:
•
•
•
1.2
What gender inequalities exist both in the country and specifically within the schools
Why gender equality is important to learners, teachers, schools, communities and the
country
How school supervisors, teachers, parents committees and other stakeholders within the
community can make changes that will help both girls and boys participate in and succeed at
school.
Intended audiences
The primary audiences for this toolkit are teacher educators, school supervisors/managers and
teachers. The toolkit can be used by staff members in organisations running educational interventions
in schools. The toolkit will also provide information useful to other important stakeholders in the
education system, including parents, communities and civil society organisations (CSOs).
1.3
Layout of the toolkit
This Toolkit has been organised in five modules, with each module further divided into four sections
covering specific topics related to the promotion of gender equality and equity in schools.
At the end of each section some points are raised that can be used for further discussion as well as
action points for teachers and school management to take.
Within each section of the Toolkit you will also find the following:
4
Points for reflection:
These are questions that can be used either during the session to raise
discussion points or at the end of the session to ensure that the trainees
have understood the issues covered.
References:
The Toolkit has fact sheets, exercises and checklists attached as Appendices
which the reader will be asked to make reference to.
Potential action points for teachers, school supervisors and the school:
Where appropriate, some sections contain suggestions as to what school
management or a teacher can do. The actions recommended are related
to what is covered in the section.
1.4
How to use the Toolkit
The modules can be read in almost any order, so teachers and other stakeholders can pick what is
important to them at that moment.
Users of this Toolkit can also go directly to a particular module and corresponding sections to get
information they need. Module I explains a few concepts while Fact sheet II contains a large glossary
of key concepts and definitions so users of the Toolkit can check the meanings of any words they don’t
know at any time. The definitions can be kept nearby when using other parts of the Toolkit, or as a
quick reference guide in classrooms or online learning spaces.
This Toolkit is not a one-stop source of professional answers on gender issues. Trainers will use the
Toolkit as reference material when designing training programmes on gender mainstreaming and may
adapt training activities to suit their contexts and needs of the target group.
It is important to carry out a training needs assessment of potential learners to help identify training
needs/gaps. The results will determine the training programmes, methodology and how it may suit
the target group. The Toolkit is organised in modules and the trainer may use all the modules or only
some of them depending on the target group’s specific needs.
1.5
Recommendations for teacher trainers
When being used to train community teachers, it is important that the teacher educator remembers
the following:
1. Before the training, take time to understand the social and cultural issues affecting
education in the areas the trainees are from and adjust the examples to be given based on
the needs and interests of the different trainees.
2. To be appropriately trained, teachers not only need knowledge, but also the right attitudes
and skills so that knowledge can be used independently, responsibly and competently to solve
problems and contribute to transformative action at school and community levels. It is
important therefore that, as much as possible, you include reflection points aimed at getting
the teachers to think through their own attitudes and knowledge that may affect their
capacities to promote gender equality.
3. Always ensure you are connecting any new concept to the trainee teacher’s experience.
Trainees should be aware of the gains from the training and the way they can use their
acquired competencies in the context of their school and classroom practice.
5
4. Throughout the training, encourage trainees to actively draw on their own experiences and
express their opinions as this will help you assess changes in attitudes and beliefs.
5. Refer to Fact sheet I, which outlines issues around adult learning. As a teacher trainer, use a
variety of methods by balancing lecturing/frontal instruction with group work and other forms
of interactive pedagogy.
6. During training activities, emphasis should be put on reflective activities based on developing
critical thinking and other higher-order intellectual skills.
7. Consistently challenge the trainees to question cultural norms and to openly discuss
controversial issues, to manage these discussions and to resolve conflicts constructively.
Gender issues can be controversial!
8. At the end of any training, remember to give the trainees a chance to evaluate training
activities and trainers and self-evaluate their learning progress.
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Module I: Gender equality – Conceptual and normative framework
Module 1 focuses on some of the main conceptual aspects related to gender issues in education, such
as the difference between “sex” and “gender” and between “gender parity” and “gender equality”, as
well as gender biases and gender inequality. The Module also addresses the normative framework for
promoting gender equality both internationally and in Zambia. The teacher competencies developed
through Module 1 will be further reinforced through subsequent modules with specific reference to
teachers’ activities in their schools and communities.
Section I
Section II
Basic concepts
related to gender
equality and
gender issues in
education
International
instruments
promoting gender
equality and
education for all
Section III
Section IV
The national legal
and policy
framework
supporting
gender equality in
Zambia
Gender equality,
human rights and
people centered
sustainbale
development
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Section I: Basic concepts related to gender equality and gender issues in education
What is sex?
Sex refers to the biological differences between men and women. Some of the main biological
differences pertain to the roles men and women have in human reproduction, such as the fact that
women give birth to babies while men do not.
What is gender?
The term ‘gender’ is often confused with ‘sex’, but it actually refers to a set of qualities and behaviours
expected from men and women by society: “Gender is determined socially; it is the societal meaning
assigned to male and female. Gender is used to describe those characteristics of women and men
which are socially constructed, while sex refers to those which are biologically determined. People are
born female or male but learn to be girls and boys who grow into women and men. This learned
behaviour makes up gender identity and determines gender roles”.1
What are gender roles?
Gender roles refer to learned behaviours related to sexuality. These are therefore socially determined
and can change over time, since social values and norms are not static. Gender roles vary widely within
and among cultures depending on socio-economic factors, age, education, ethnicity and religion.
Traditional gender roles often assign women to household work, raising children, caring for other
family members and men to intellectual professions, especially paid work and market production and
leadership in the public sphere. These roles are related to gender as there are no biological or physical
reasons that make it impossible for women to carry out public tasks or for men to take care of
domestic duties. Rather, these roles are perpetuated by social and cultural traditions that are
increasingly being challenged.
What is gender equality?
Gender equality refers to the enjoyment of equal rights, opportunities and treatment by men and
women and by boys and girls in all spheres of life. It does not simply or necessarily mean equal
numbers of men and women or boys and girls in all activities, nor does it necessarily mean treating
men and women or boys and girls exactly the same. It signifies an aspiration to work towards a society
in which neither women nor men suffer from poverty in its many forms, and in which women and men
are able to live equally fulfilling lives. It means recognising that men and women often have different
needs and priorities, face different constraints, have different aspirations and contribute to
development in different ways. Promoting gender equality is about giving both the men and boys, the
women and the girls equal conditions and opportunities to develop their capacities to fully participate
in the development of their families, their community and the country as a whole and ensuring that
both the men and women equally enjoy the achievement of that development.
What is gender equity?
Gender equity is being fair to girls/women and boys/men. To ensure fairness, measures must often
be available to compensate for historical and social disadvantages that prevent women and men
from otherwise operating on a “level playing field”. Within a school, you can ensure that you have
equal enrolment of boys and girls, but to ensure equity, the school would have to work hard to
1
Allana, Asad and Sherali (2010)
8
remove any barriers that make girls more likely than boys to drop out of school or to achieve lower
performance (or vice versa).
What is gender blindness?
Gender blindness is the failure to recognise that the roles and responsibilities of men/ boys and
women/girls are given to them in specific social, cultural, economic and political contexts and that
outcomes can be affected by gender.
What is the Gender Parity Index (GPI)
This is a statistical measure used to assess gender differences at a given level (primary, secondary or
tertiary) of an educational system. The GPI is calculated by the number of girls divided by the number
of boys enrolled at that level. (Look at the figures for Zambia in Module II Section IV.)
What are gender biases?
Biases (or prejudices) are flaws in judgment, such as people’s tendency to draw conclusions very
quickly based on insufficient or irrelevant data. This leads to distorted and unfair characterisation of
a person, situation or idea through either exaggerating their positive aspects (positive prejudices such
as girls are soft and gentle) or their negative aspects (negative prejudices such as boys are naughty).
Three main categories of gender biases are:
•
•
•
Stereotypes, or the unfair and often inappropriate attribution of collective features by
ignoring individual differences, such as assuming that all girls are shy.
Biases resulting from a lack of visibility of women or men with regard to their presence and
participation in different situations (including imbalance and selectivity; fragmentation and
isolation, such as in through pictures depicting only men scientists; or the presentation of
women’s achievements as something exceptional).
Cosmetic biases refer to situations where biases have apparently been eliminated, but in fact
they persist because the changes made to eliminate them are only superficial. For example,
textbooks may mention the participation of women in society, but their contributions are only
associated with secondary or supportive roles (such as doctors’ assistants), while men are
more often portrayed in professional and leadership roles
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Points to reflect on
1. What roles are assigned by society to men and to women in your
community?
2. Have these roles changed over time?
3. What kinds of gender biases are present in your school and
community as a whole?
4. When you have a meeting with the parents and the community,
who serves the food? Who usually chairs the meetings? Why?
References
1. Fact sheet II
2. Exercise I: Match game on gender concepts
3. Unit 27: Gender and education in the Training manual for
Community Schools in Zambia
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Section II: International instruments promoting gender equality and
education for all
Since the founding of the United Nations in 1945, member states have agreed to
several important declarations, conventions and other international instruments
that underpin the struggle for gender equality. Some of these are especially
concerned with affirming and protecting women’s rights and equality in
recognition that women are more likely to suffer from discrimination,
marginalisation and violence.
Many of these international conventions have included sections related to
education because it has huge potential to end poverty and improve people’s
lives in other ways. Without addressing gender issues in education, these
expected improvements can’t be achieved.
Major international instruments concerned with gender equality have taken the
form of a convention and sometimes corresponding recommendations, a
declaration or even a treaty.
A convention and recommendations: Conventions are legally binding
international treaties that may be ratified by member states; recommendations
serve as non-binding guidelines. In many cases, a convention lays down the basic
principles to be implemented by ratifying countries, while a related
recommendation supplements the convention by providing more detailed
guidelines on how it could be applied. Recommendations can also be
autonomous, i.e. not linked to any convention.
Ratification: If it is ratified, a convention generally comes into force for that
country one year after the date of ratification. Ratifying countries commit
themselves to applying the convention in national law and practice and reporting
on its application at regular intervals. Once a country voluntarily ratifies a
convention, they undertake to apply it and ensure that their national law and
practice comply with its requirements and to accept international supervision.
Declarations: These are resolutions used to make a formal and authoritative
statement and reaffirm the importance attached by those making it to certain
principles and values. Although declarations are not subject to ratification, they
are intended to have a wide application and contain symbolic and political
undertakings by the member states.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. Make sure you have
read and understood
what the international
instruments are asking
Zambia to do.
2. Find out what national
laws have been
developed so as to
domesticate the
international
instruments.
3. Get copies of the
national policy and
legislation and read
and understand it.
4. If there are some parts
of the national policy
and legislation that
you feel has gaps,
make sure you raise it
in meetings so it can
become a point of
discussion not only at
the school level but
even within the
community.
Some of the international instruments that Zambia has ratified and is
implementing are:
1948
1979
1989
1993
1995
2000
2000
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UHDR)
Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, 1989)
Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference on Human Rights
Declaration adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing Declaration)
United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Education for All Goals (EFA Goals)
11
Even though the Zambian Government has ratified the majority of the Conventions, unless they are
translated into national law, the Government cannot be held accountable for what is contained in the
Convention.
To date, efforts have been made to domesticate CEDAW and CRC. Zambia has also developed policies
to meet the EFA Goals and has been working to meet the MDGs.
Points for reflection
1. Are you aware of any international Instruments and whether or not
they have been translated into national laws?
2. How can these instruments be used within school systems as a means
of eliminating gender disparities and strengthening gender equality?
References
1. Fact sheet II: International instruments promoting gender equality
2. Unit 20 Human Rights in the Training manual for Community Schools in
Zambia
3. Refer to full texts of the international instruments
12
Section III: National policy and legal framework promoting gender
equality in Zambia
Zambia has a dualist legal system that aims to provide legal protection to
Zambians according to their values. This means that Zambia has adopted both
the African customary law, i.e. the common law tradition and modern
constitutional principles. In addition, it also means that all international treaties
that it ratifies do not apply automatically as part of national law unless
domesticated or internalised by an Act of Parliament. The Zambian Government
has undertaken to improve the status of girls and women by ratifying and
acceding to a number of international human rights and women’s rights
instruments at the global and regional levels. These international instruments
include:
At the international level
1. 1966 – International Human Rights Law
2. 1948 – The United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights
(UNDHR)
3. The International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights
4. Addendum on the Prevention and Eradication of Violence Against
Women and Children, among others
5. 2000 – Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
6. 1995 – Beijing Platform for Action
7. 1993 – United Nations Declaration on Violence Against Women
8. 1989 – United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
9. 1985 – Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies for the advancement of
women (NFLS)
10. 1984 – Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW)
At a regional level
1.
2.
3.
4.
1979 – The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the African Child
2006 – African Plan of Action on Gender Policy
2007 – Africa Union Gender Policy
SADC Declaration on Gender and Development
Local policies and legislation that relate to education
The quest to achieve gender equality in education has been translated into
specific policy and legal reforms undertaken particularly during the period 2000
to 2006. It is important to know that once policies are developed, the
government also establishes programmes through which it will try to achieve
what is set out in the policies. It also agrees to review the policy in a set time
frame.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. Ensure you have
copies of some of
these policies and
legislation.
2. Try to understand
what customary laws
are practised in your
area and how they
affect the lives of the
girls and the boys.
3. Ensure that if there is a
traditional leader near
your school, they are
talked to about the
importance of
education especially
for the girls.
4. A number of
organisations have
tried to simplify some
of the policies and
laws related to
children: try and get
copies of these that
you can share with the
learners.
Because of the dualistic nature of our legislation, the government has also started to work with
traditional leaders to try and influence traditional leaders to support children’s education, especially for
the girls.
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The following table gives details of which policies and laws are available.
Table: Existing laws and policies that have an impact on gender equality in education
Policy/legislation
How the legislation/policy is helping in protecting women’s rights in Zambia
National Gender
The key instrument for mainstreaming gender into the Zambian public sector is the
Policy (2014)
National Gender Policy (NGP) of 2014. This National Gender Policy is aimed at
ensuring the attainment of gender equality in development process by redressing
existing gender imbalances. It provides for equal opportunities for women and men
to actively participate and contribute to their fullest ability and equitably benefit
from national development.
National Cultural
Aims at encouraging positive cultural practices which are not discriminatory to
Policy (2003)
women and also aims to socialise boys and girls as equals in the family and
community.
The Education Act
Provides for equal access to quality education and training for women and men as
2011
well as their retention at all levels of education. It further aims to challenge
stereotypes in education and eradicate GBV in educational institutions.
The National Policy
Facilitates equitable access to education at all levels regardless of sex. Developed in
on Education
1996, it has since been put into practice through a series of implementation
(Educating Our
frameworks. By far the most significant measure in this period has been the
Future)
introduction of the free basic education policy of 2002.
The Re-Entry Policy
Affirmative action to allow those girls that fall pregnant to be readmitted into the
1997
schooling system.
The Employment of
Regulates the employment of young persons and children while the Amendment
Young Persons and
Act No. 10 of 2004 prohibits the employment of children under 15, but allows
Children’s Act
children aged 12-14 years to perform “light” work that is not hazardous to their
health and does not interfere with their schooling.
The Anti-Gender
This is a comprehensive legislation that seeks to eliminate discrimination and
Based Violence Act
Gender-Based Violence (GBV). The Anti-Gender Based Violence Act No. 1 of 2011
among other things provides for the protection of victims of gender-based violence
and establishment of the Anti-GBV Committee and the Anti-GBV Fund.
The Constitution of
With regard to the guarantee of human rights against discrimination, the Zambian
Zambia (under
constitution contains contradictions in that, while Article 11 prohibits
review in 2015)
discrimination and guarantees everyone the enjoyment of fundamental rights and
freedoms, article 23(4) negates this guarantee by allowing the application of
customary law in matters of personal law (marriage, divorce, inheritance,
devolution of property). This duality of the legal system, based on customary and
statutory law creates contradictions in the application of laws that affect women.
The new Draft Republican Constitution has totally removed Article 23(4) of the
current Republican Constitution, replacing it with important provisions on gender.
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1. Are all the staff aware of what the government has said it will do in the its
policies?
2. Are you aware of anything within the policies and law that you think can be
done better? How will you let Government know?
References
1. See Fact Sheet III for excerpt of National Gender Policy
2. See Fact Sheet IV for excerpt of the Anti-Gender Based Violence Act
3. See Fact Sheet IV for excerpt of the Education Act of 2011
4. See the ZGF website for different pieces of Legislation and relevant policies
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Section IV Gender equality, human rights and people-centred sustainable development
Development is improvement in people’s welfare, quality of life and social wellbeing. People-centred
sustainable development recognises that economic growth alone does not necessarily mean there is
human development. For example, even though Zambia’s economy has grown, poverty levels remain
high and extreme poverty is especially high among women. People-centred development means that
efforts focus on improving local communities’ self-reliance, social justice, and participatory decisionmaking. It recognises that economic growth does not inherently contribute to human development
and calls for changes in social, political and environmental values and practices. It also means that
there should be continual improvement in people’s social conditions through improvements to social
services (access, efficiency and quality).
Achieving gender equity is critical to people centred sustainable development. This is because genderbased disparities exist that disadvantage women and limit their participation in decisions that impact
on their lives as well as their access to the benefits of economic development. In Zambia, women are
still underrepresented in all levels of government and other decision-making arenas, whether at work
or, for many, at home. Such lack of power is linked to higher levels of female poverty, especially in
rural areas where women are responsible for 60–80 per cent of food, fuel and water provision yet
have little access or control over natural assets such as land, water and ecological conditions that
create opportunities for a better life.
Human rights are those rights that every human being possesses and is entitled to enjoy simply by
virtue of being human.
Gender equality refers to the equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men, girls
and boys. Equality does not mean that women and men will become the same, but that women’s and
men’s rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or
female. It implies that the interests, needs and priorities of both women and men are taken into
consideration, recognising the diversity of different groups of women and men. Gender equality is not
a “women’s issue”, but concerns and should fully engage men as well as women. Equality between
women and men, girls and boys is seen both as a human rights issue and as a precondition for, and
indicator of, sustainable people-centred development. It is also an essential component for the
realisation of all human rights.2
Linking gender equality and sustainable development is important for several reasons. First, it is a
moral and ethical imperative: achieving gender equality and realising the human rights, dignity and
capabilities of diverse groups of women is a central requirement for a just and sustainable world.
Second, it is critical to redress the disproportionate impact of economic, social and environmental
shocks and stresses on women and girls that undermines their enjoyment of their human rights and
their vital roles in sustaining their families and communities. Third, and most significantly, it is
important to build up women’s agency and capabilities to create better synergies between gender
equality and sustainable development outcomes.3
The rights of children with disabilities
Disability is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the right of individuals
to participate in or contribute to society. Improving educational results for children with disabilities is
2
3
United Nations Evaluation Group (2011)
UN Women (2014)
16
an essential element of Zambia’s national education policy of ensuring equality of opportunity, full
participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for all individuals – including those
with disabilities. One of the biggest problems being faced is that children with disabilities are hidden
from society and the only way Zambia can start to work around this is by intensifying sensitisation on
the rights of these children even to education.
A rights-based argument does not ignore women’s key contributions to promoting development and
a rights based approach also does not ignore the rights of children living with disabilities.
Points of reflection
1. Do boys and girls in your community have equal rights to access
education? If not, why?
2. Do girls and boys have the same rights in choosing what careers they
want to pursue? If not, why not?
3. Do boys and girls have equal access and benefits from the policies on
education and from Government programmes?
References
1. Fact Sheet III, International instruments
2. Unit 20 Human Rights in the Training manual for Community Schools in
Zambia
17
Module II: Gender inequalities in Zambia and in the education sector
Gender inequality is pervasive throughout the world, although the nature and extent of gender
differences varies considerably across countries and regions. In most countries, men and women
experience substantial disparities in their legal rights, access to and control over resources, economic
opportunities, power, and political voice. Women and girls bear the greatest and most direct costs of
gender inequalities, but there are adverse impacts that affect all of society, ultimately harming
everyone. ‘Gender mainstreaming’ is a strategy for redressing these inequalities.
Section I
Section II
Culture,
tradition and
gender
Gender
Stereotypes what are they?
Section III
Section IV
Gender
equality
concerns in
Zambia
Gender equality
concerns in the
education sector
18
Section I: Culture and tradition
In this case, culture consists of the beliefs, practices and material objects that are created and shared
within a group of people, thus constituting their way of life. A group’s culture
provides members with the assumptions and expectations on which their social
interaction is built and in which their identities are forged. It also makes groups
distinct from each other.4 Not only do different groups of people produce culture,
but the cultures they produce are also dynamic.
Cultural norms are symbolic statements of expected behaviours. They are the
actual rules of the game defined by culture and they are consistent with the values
and beliefs of society. In every culture, important practices exist which celebrate
life-cycle transitions, perpetuate community cohesion, or transmit traditional
values to subsequent generations. These traditions reflect norms of care and
behaviour based on age, life stage, gender, and social class and impact issues such
as inheritance, asset ownership, marriage, etc. While many traditions are good and
promote social cohesion and unity, others erode the physical and psychological
health and integrity of individuals, particularly girls and women.
Zambia has 73 tribes with 286 chiefs inclusive of 38 senior chiefs and four
paramount chiefs. As such, customary laws and traditional practices vary
substantially from place to place.
The basis of kinship, in Zambia as elsewhere, is descent from an ancestor. The most
widespread descent group is known as the clan, which can be either patrilineal
(the Namwanga, Mambwe ad Ngoni) or matrilineal (the Nsengas and the Bembas).
The patrilineal type of clan comprise all those who are born from a single founding
ancestor through the male line only; those of the matrilineal type comprise all
those born from a single founding ancestor or ancestress through the female line
only. The patrilineal system is far more common in Zambia than the matrilineal
system.
Patriarchy is an ideology and social system that posits male supremacy or male
power and superiority over women as natural and God given. The belief is that
men are biologically, intellectually and emotionally superior to women and
women are weak and dependent on men for protection, guidance, upkeep and
general survival. A patriarchal belief is the key basis for gender inequality and in
both the patrilineal and matrilineal type of systems patriarchy is the predominant
practice.
Gender-based constraints to education tend to be more pronounced in rural areas
due to the fact that these areas display stricter adherence to traditional cultural
values, attitudes and practices. Some negative traditional and cultural practices
that negatively affect boys and girls include the following:
Puberty and initiation practices: Often girls reach puberty around the time they
finish primary school. In some tribes around Zambia, the girls are still withdrawn
from school for the “purpose of seclusion and initiation rites”. In others, it is the
boys that are withdrawn from school to enable them undergo circumcision.
4
Spade and Valentine (2013)
19
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. Learn about the
dominant cultural
beliefs and practices in
the area you are
working in.
2. If you can, engage the
traditional leaders,
chiefs and
headpersons to
discuss how they can
be involved in
reducing the impact of
negative practices.
3. Ensure that the
children are aware of
the schools position on
issues such as early
marriage and make
efforts to stop such
practices.
4. Engage the parents
during parent teacher
meetings to discuss
these negative cultural
practices and their
impact.
Polygamy: The Tumbuka tribe, like many other patrilineal tribes in the country such as the Namwanga
and Mambwe of Northern Province, practise polygamy. Polygamous families tend to be large and in
rural areas. Men are usually the family breadwinners. With many children, it is often the girls who are
discriminated against in terms of education owing to a lack of financial resources or because they are
seen as carers of other siblings.
The payment of Lobola or bride price: Although practised since time immemorial, bride price and its
impact on women and girls has in recent years been an issue of debate. The main arguments arise
from a misinterpretation of Lobola as meaning that the women becomes the man’s property and by
virtue of the payment has no rights over her children and herself. Such an arrangement deprives the
woman of any authority and of the right to make decisions, which in turn affects the education of
female children.
The preference to send boys to school and not girls: Preference for sons is a powerful tradition. The
main argument was that there was no point in educating the girls as they were going to get married
and be looked after by their husbands. This preference manifests itself in neglect, deprivation, and
discriminatory treatment of daughters to the detriment of their physical and mental health. Male
preference adversely affects females through inequitable allocation of food, education and health
care, a disparity frequently reinforced throughout life.
Early marriages: Early and forced marriages are something that the Government of Zambia has
recognised as an issue and is trying to stop from happening. Early marriages almost always lead to the
end of school for girls. Parents may think they are ensuring a good future for their daughters by
marrying them off early, or they may want to reduce the financial burden of raising a girl or pay the
lower dowry expected with younger brides. In some places, girls may even be kidnapped on their way
to or at school and forced into marriage.
Child labour: The need for children to work is one of the most common reasons for them not to attend
school. A lot of their work is unpaid, either in the household or on the family-run farm, for example.
However, the more children have to work, the less likely they are to get a good education. In the
Eastern part of the country for instance, it is customary to have a young male child start to herd cattle
for someone with the goal being that after four years he should then be paid an animal which he then
keeps. In Luapula province the children are known to withdraw from school during the fishing season
and across the country children are used to collect caterpillars when they are in season.
Questions for reflection
1. Are you aware of any cultural beliefs and practices in your area
that could be impacting on girls and boys education?
2. Is the school interacting with the area traditional leaders on these
issues? If not, how can they
References
1. The Employment of Young Persons and Children’s Act
20
Section II: Gender stereotypes – what are they?
Stereotypes are a fixed idea that people have about what someone or something is like – and as such
it is usually wrong. Gender stereotypes are the ideas that people have about what
boys and men, girls and women are capable of doing. Gender stereotypes are
biased and often exaggerated images of women and men which are used
repeatedly in everyday life.
The following is a list of stereotypes about girls
1. Girls are caring in nature
2. Girls have skills in household-related work
3. Women and girls have less physical strength
4. Girls have less ability in science and mathematics
5. Girls are very emotional
6. Girls are quieter than boys and not meant to speak out
7. Girls are not good at sports
8. Girls are not good at supervising others.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. Stop saying things like
“girls are not good in
maths.”
The following is a list of stereotypes about men and boys
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Boys are not emotional
Boys are less caring than girls
Boys are naturally good at maths, science and other technical fields
Boys are messy and lazy
Boys are all good at sports
Boys are in charge – they are always at the top
Boys cannot cook, sew or do crafts.
2. Challenge others, both
learners and adults,
when they make
stereotypic comments
about girls and maths.
Defining boys and girls through stereotypes can affect the way they live, work,
relate to others, and how others relate to them. The way a person fits into these
stereotypes can affect their self-worth.
3. Provide girls and boys
with lots of examples
of women and girls
who are successful in
maths and science.
Gender stereotyping is a common even in the education system. Often, gender
stereotyping manifests in schools in the manner in which knowledge is imparted.
For instance, boys may be made to believe they are superior to the girls. The biases
that are instilled in schools can follow both girls and boys even after they leave
school, affecting their careers and just what they believe they are.
4. Encourage both the
boys and girls to be
expressive in class and
outside class.
The effects of gender role stereotyping in the classroom
No teacher wants to limit the life opportunities of the children in their care, but by
reinforcing gender stereotypes in the manner in which you teach you can limit both
sexes. Gender stereotypes have different effects on children in school, including
the following:
Violence and bullying: Boys are often raised to believe that they have to be strong
and tough, self-sufficient and in control. From an early age, boys are socialised into
hiding characteristics thought to be “feminine,” such as emotion, weakness or
uncertainty. When boys/men hide their feelings, they limit not only their
vocabulary but also their ability to show other qualities valued in the school
environment, such as compliance, co-operation and teamwork. In some cases, the
loss of those abilities and sense of connection means that boys/men lose their self21
5. Identify how the
children are being
impacted by their
parents and guardians
through things being
said to them and plan
how you will counter
this.
confidence and sense of control, which can lead to anger, bullying and even violence. Boys who believe
they have to conform to a gender role are more likely to behave in aggressive and violent ways, and
this can contribute to a classroom climate of bullying.
Subject-specific struggles: The stereotype that boys are better in maths and science while girls are
better in languages and arts can stunt growth and make the children think that because of their gender
they can't excel in a particular subject. This can affect the child's career, limiting their options. Gender
role stereotypes tend to create a self-fulfilling prophecy, and this means that boys will struggle with
"girl" subjects and girls will struggle with "boy" subjects. This is especially true of girls and maths. The
"stereotype threat" is the tendency of people to conform to stereotypes about their group when
they're reminded of their membership in the group or the stereotype itself. Girls perform more poorly
in maths in gender-stereotypical classrooms; similarly, boys who aren't encouraged to pursue the
stereotypically female domains of literature and English may struggle with these topics, limiting their
life opportunities.
Reinforcing gender stereotypes: A classroom that reinforces gender roles by, for example,
encouraging boys to be rowdy and loud and girls to be quiet and nurturing reinforces gender
stereotypes. Girls may believe that being assertive is unacceptable, while boys may struggle to
embrace empathy and kindness. These skills are required in a host of fields, so gender stereotyping
could limit a child's lifelong capabilities.
Sex segregation: When a classroom reinforces stereotypes about gender roles, students are more
likely to segregate themselves along gender lines. This gives students fewer opportunities to interact
with the opposite sex and makes it more likely that students will develop stereotypes about the other
sex, perpetuating the cycle of gender stereotyping.
Gender stereotypes and their impact on boys and girls
Careers: Gender stereotyping can play a role in a person's career. For example, because girls are more
caring, they make better nurses. Girls are not good at supervising others and so do not make good
managers. Gender stereotypes make it more difficult for women to cross over into what has been
labelled a "man's job," and vice versa. As children, these stereotypes can affect the course boys and
girls take towards a particular career.
Emotional: The stereotype that boys don't cry can affect the way men process painful moments,
leading to stress. For girls, who might be raised to think women are overly emotional, the ability to
handle crisis can also be affected. Placing emotional labels on genders can play a role in a person's
emotional stability and affect the way others view the person if she isn't conforming to the stereotype.
Boys taught that men should be aggressive can develop poor social skills.
Poor preparation for adult life: Common practices like giving boys wider leeway in behaviour and
excusing non-social behaviours by saying “boys will be boys” do not teach boys responsibility or help
them understand what is expected of them. When teachers let boys/men act up in class or other
learning environments, they don’t learn the material being taught or other important life skills. When
men are then asked to take on responsibilities in their adult life in increasingly complex contexts, they
have little support or preparation for the tasks. In contrast, challenging learners to achieve and
providing them with practical skills and life skills is very important if they are to succeed as adults.
22
Questions for reflection
1. Are you aware of any gender stereotypes you are reinforcing in the
school?
2. Are you aware of any other people around the children that are
influencing children by reinforcing stereotypes?
3. How can you as a teacher counter the negative stereotyping that
the children are exposed to even outside the school?
References
1. Exercise II: Gender biases – dealing with stereotypes
2. Exercise II: Identifying stereotypes in text books
3. Unit 27: Gender and education in the Training manual for Community
Schools in Zambia
23
Section III: Gender equality concerns in Zambia
Gender inequality
This can be summarised as unequal access to and control over the various material and non-material
resources and assets of their society based on gender.
The gender inequalities that exist in the various sectors (health, education, politics, and employment)
of society in Zambia can best be understood by analysing the Gender Inequality Index (GII). The index
demonstrates the high levels of gender inequality in the social, economic and political spheres in
Zambia and points to the fact that men are still at a more advantaged position compared to women.
It ranges from 0, which means that men and women are treated equally, to 1, which means women
fare poorly. According to the Human Development Report 2013 (The Rise of the South: Human
Progress in a Diverse World), Zambia has a GII value of 0.623, ranking it 136th out of 148 countries in
the 2012 index. In 2011, Zambia had a GII of 0.627 and was ranked number 131 out of 146 countries.
In 2010, this stood at 0.623.5
The feminisation of poverty
Although Zambia was declared a low middle-income country in 2011 and is said to have experienced
economic growth with GDP averaging 6%, the majority of Zambia’s citizens remain poor. This has
implications on both the persistence of gender inequalities. The proportion of the population falling
below the poverty line reduced from 62.8% in 2006 to 60.5% in 2010. The percentage of the extremely
poor marginally declined from 42.7% to 42.3%. The analysis further shows that poverty in Zambia has
continued to be more of a rural than urban phenomenon with the level of rural poverty being three
times that in urban areas. In 2010, rural poverty was estimated at 77.9% compared to urban levels at
27.5%. Slightly more women-headed households (80%) live in poverty compared to male-headed
(78%), and extreme poverty (reflecting a household’s inability to meet its nutritional requirements)
affects 60% of female-headed households. 6
Poverty and disability
There is a circular relationship between poverty and disability. Poverty causes disability, particularly
in women and girls, who in the face of limited resources are more likely than their male counterparts
to be deprived of basic necessities, such as food and medicine. Disability, in turn, can contribute to
poverty, because of the additional expenses that it can entail. Thus, disabled girls are more likely to
grow up in poor families, a reality that places them at an educational disadvantage. Disabled girls living
in rural areas also have less access to education. In addition, there are some indications that girls with
mobility disabilities may have more access to education, particularly community-based education,
than girls who are blind, deaf or have other disabilities since mobility-impaired students, if they can
get in the building, are less likely to need modified teaching techniques and devices.7
Illiteracy rates
There is a strong link between level of under-development and illiteracy. The regions with high
illiteracy in Zambia are generally also the ones with low income levels and low child participation in
education. Female illiteracy is generally high mainly because many parents, particularly those in rural
5
UNDP (2013)
Central Statistical Office (2011)
7 Rousso (2003)
6
24
areas, attach greater importance to the education of male children and see the education of girls as
only good for marriage and not for employment.8
Formal and informal employment
Employment in Zambia is dominated by the informal sector. Informal sector employment is defined
as employment where the employed persons were not entitled to paid annual leave, social security,
pension and/or gratuity and worked in an establishment employing less than five people. Women also
continue to make up the majority of people working in the informal sector. This is because women
continue to experience difficulty in accessing employment opportunities due to their relatively low
educational standards, which are exacerbated by barriers experienced in pursuing higher education –
a prerequisite for entry into most professions.
Segregation in formal employment
There are two types of segregation that you see in formal employment:
Horizontal segregation – the tendency of men and women to be employed in different occupations
(e.g., teacher vs. construction worker). Due to gender roles, men and women also take different kinds
of jobs. While men are more likely to take jobs in the sciences, such as physics, chemistry and
technology, women are more often in caring professions, such as nursing, social work and teaching.
These differences often stem back to early education, in which boys are encouraged in areas of maths
and sciences while girls are expected to excel in the humanities. These employment differences reflect
the differing gender stereotypes of women as caregivers and men as more logical. It is also significant
that the traditionally male professions have far higher pay than the female professions.
Vertical segregation – the tendency of men and women to be employed in different positions within
the same occupation or occupational group (e.g. the majority of school supervisors are men while the
majority of teachers are women).
Men and women’s participation in politics
Since 1991, Zambia has continued to hold multiparty democratic elections every five years. These
tripartite elections are held at the local level for Councillors and at the national level for Presidential
and Members of Parliament.
Table: Percentage representation of female Members of Parliament 1964-2009
Years
1964-1968
1968-1972
1972-1978
1978-1983
1983-1988
1988-1991
1991-1996
1996-2001
2001-2006
2006-2009
Total
8
No. of female MPs
5
2
7
6
4
6
6
16
19
22
93
Percentage
6.67
1.9
5.6
4.8
3.2
4.8
4.8
10.6
12.66
15.19
7.4
No. of male MPs
70
103
118
119
121
119
119
134
131
128
1162
Ministry of Education (2010)
25
Percentage
93.3
98.1
94.4
95.2
96.8
95.2
95.2
89.4
88.34
84.81
92.59
Source: GIDD report Women in Zambian Political Governance – Documenting Women’s Representation in the
Parliament and the Executive
The obstacles to women’s participation in politics are many and include the high illiteracy rates and
low levels of educational attainment that exacerbates their lack of leadership and management skills,
as well as broad discrimination against women based on a stereotype that they cannot do as good a
job as men.
Women’s representation as policy and decision makers – Cabinet Ministers
The new cabinet after the 2011 elections only has two women that have been appointed as full cabinet
Ministers in the 19-member cabinet. This represents just 10.5% of the cabinet. There are also only
four women that have been appointed as deputy Ministers.
Table: Number of cabinet Ministers and percentage of women cabinet Ministers 2006-2011
Total Cabinet Ministers
Total no. of women
% women
2006
21
5
23.8
2008
22
3
13.6
2011
19
2
10.5
Source: Ministry of Gender and Child Development, Gender Status report: A baseline 2011
Gender-based violence
The Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) 2013-2014 data indicates that 43% of women age
15-49 have experienced physical violence at least once since age 15, and 37% experienced physical
violence within the 12 months prior to the survey. Overall, 47% of ever-married women age 15-49
report ever having experienced physical, sexual, and/or emotional violence from their current or most
recent husband or partner, and 31% report having experienced such violence in the past 12 months.
Among ever-married women who had experienced spousal physical violence in the past 12 months,
43% reported experiencing physical injuries; 10% of women reported experiencing violence during
pregnancy; 9% of women who have experienced violence have never sought help and never told
anyone about the violence.
Prevalence of HIV and AIDS
13 percent of adults age 15-49 are infected with HIV (15% of women and 11% of men). A comparison
of the HIV prevalence estimates from the 2001-02, 2007, and 2013-14 ZDHS surveys indicates that HIV
prevalence among adults in Zambia has decreased over time (from 16% in 2001-02 to 13% in 201314). HIV prevalence increases with age, peaking at 23% in the 40-44 age group and declining
thereafter. HIV prevalence is highest among respondents living in Copperbelt (18%) and lowest among
those living in Muchinga (6%).
Teen pregnancies
The 2013-14 ZDHS surveys indicates that 29% of women age 15-19 have already had a birth or are
pregnant with their first child. The percentage of women who have begun childbearing increases
rapidly with age, from 5% among women aged 15 to 59% among women aged 19 years. Teenage
pregnancy is much higher in rural areas (36%) than urban areas (20%). Teenage childbearing is lowest
in Copperbelt (16%) and highest in North Western (41%).
26
Points for reflection and discussion
1. What is the HIV prevalence rate in your district?
2. Are you aware of any children that are witnessing GBV in their homes?
3. Are teenage pregnancies an issue at your school? If they are what is
the underlying factor promoting them?
4. How does a lack of education affect boys and girls capacities to get
formal jobs?
References
1. Fact Sheet IV: Zambia’s National Gender Policy
2. Fact Sheet V: The Anti-Gender Based Violence Act
27
Section IV: Gender equality concerns in the education sector
Girls are subject to multiple forms of discrimination in all spheres of their lives, including education.
Girls’ unequal access to and performance in education are both a cause and a result of this
discrimination. The factors behind the gender inequity and inequality in education include negative
cultural values, attitudes and practices that foster teenage pregnancy, early marriage, sexual
harassment, excessive domestic chores and the disregard of the importance of girls’ education. There
is also the lack of gender responsiveness among teachers, in the curriculum, in teaching
methodologies, in teaching and learning materials, and in school management systems and the overall
school environment.
Examples of gender discrimination in academic settings
“In the Eritrean lowlands, school age girls averaged about 4.5 hours of non-school work every day, while
school age boys averaged 2.5 hours.” It can be concluded that girls in school perform more work outside the
school than a boy does.
“In southern Malawi, girls spend 70% of their time on domestic work, on average, while boys average only
38%; boys spend 41% of their time playing and in other leisure activities, while girls spend only 13%.”
“Research has shown that teachers treat boys differently than girls; identifying them more readily and
giving them more attention. Because of this, boys learned that they are valued and feel comfortable taking
risks while girls feel that not much is expected of them and are not as confident in speaking out in the
class.”
Source: Allana, Asad and Sherali (2010)
One of the easiest ways to understand gender inequality in schools in Zambia is to look at the Gender
Parity Index (GPI). This is the number of female students enrolled in primary, secondary and tertiary
education to the number of male students in each level. A GPI of less than 1 indicates that there are
fewer females than males in the formal education system to the appropriate school-age population.
A gender parity index of more than 1 means that there are more females than males attending school.
A score of 1 reflects equal enrolment rates for males and females. The index helps identify unequal
access to education among females.
Overall, the GPI for those currently attending school was 0.96, indicating that there are fewer females
than males currently attending school. The GPI for rural areas was 0.90 while that of urban areas was
1.02. Lusaka Province had the highest GPI of 1.03 while Northern Province had the lowest at 0.87.
Zambia has made significant progress in school enrolment, especially at primary school levels, with
net enrolment ratio of 0.96 (2009). However, gender parity drops to 0.88 at secondary school level
(2009). According to available statistics gender parity index at tertiary is even lower at 0.74 (2008).
This shows that there is a challenge of retaining girls in higher grades due to social and economic issues
including high poverty levels, early marriages and teenage pregnancies, especially in rural areas. Other
factors affecting girls’ progress in schools include inadequate capacity and infrastructure, lack of
appropriate sanitary facilities and insufficient resources to implement the free education policy.
There are several situations in which gender inequality can be seen. These include the following:
Spending more time on household chores and therefore having less lime to spend on school work:
in rural areas girls are expected to carry on household chores like other women as part of their
socialisation, especially after coming of age. These chores involve collecting firewood and cooking: the
uses of inefficient technologies results in reduced performance at school and exposure to dangerous
fumes and flames which can affect health.
28
Large percentage of girls dropping out of school: with large gender disparities in education, girls are
typically more likely to drop out than boys and they usually have lower achievement rates. The main
reasons given for dropping out of school were lack of financial support, failing exams, pregnancy and
early marriage, the need to help out at home, and feeling it is unsafe to travel to school.
Table: Percentage dropout rates for (Grades 1-9 and Grades 10-12 by sex and province in 2010)
Percentage dropout rate (Grades 1-9) by sex and province
Males
Females
Total
Central
1.43
2.24
1.83
Copperbelt
1.37
1.81
1.59
Eastern
2.06
3.01
2.53
Luapula
2.79
4.05
3.40
Lusaka
1.12
1.28
1.21
N. Western
2.99
4.54
3.75
Northern
2.62
3.83
3.20
Southern
1.41
2.46
1.92
Western
2.06
3.21
2.62
National
1.88
2.71
2.29
Source: CSO, Gender statistical report 2010
Percentage dropout rate (Grades 10-12)
Males
Females
Total
0.52
1.59
1.01
0.39
0.96
0.66
0.79
1.86
1.23
0.57
1.84
1.06
0.37
0.72
0.54
1.70
3.28
2.36
0.80
2.40
1.42
0.64
1.89
1.22
0.74
2.90
1.74
0.62
1.58
1.05
Unequal access to Government resources: Government has also been giving out bursaries for grades
8-12 and covering school fees but not associated costs (transport, books, stationary, rent etc.).
Bursaries for grade 1-9 are administered through the district office but have been known to be
diverted for other uses. Recent statistics show that the number of girls receiving bursaries in basic
schools declined tremendously from 45,173 in 2007 to 11,566 in 2008, while that of boys more than
doubled from 41,836 to 103,489 in the same years (Ministry of Education, 2008).
Some differences in course taking patterns by the end of high school: Overall, it has been found that
the girls tend to take less technical subjects such as home economics than they would technical
drawing or woodwork. This then affects the subjects they can take at tertiary level.
Gender, children with disabilities and the education sector
Girls with disabilities face multiple barriers to gaining access to primary and secondary school and to
obtaining an equitable education once they are enrolled in school. In many cases, these are attitudinal
barriers – gender bias compounded by disability bias – although transportation, architectural and
other types of barriers are also significant.
Disability bias limits disabled girls’ opportunities in a lot of ways. Families often assume that a disabled
daughter will not marry, which may add to her devaluation since in some cultures the prospect of a
good marriage is the primary value given to girls. In contrast, it is assumed that boys, even those with
disabilities, will become breadwinners, as well as marry. In addition, in many cultures, disability is a
source of stigma, so that having a disabled daughter is seen as a double liability that can lead to the
devaluation of the whole family. Hence in some families, not only are girls with disabilities denied
access to school, but they are also hidden away.
The challenge of educating girls with disabilities is inextricably linked with the education of boys with
disabilities. To date there has been very little consideration of gender as a significant factor in policy
or practice in relation to the education of children with disabilities. What is significant is that there has
been little attention paid even internationally to investigating and addressing gender issues among
children with disabilities in education sector plans and the literature on girls’ education seldom
29
considers girls with disabilities. This is something that the community schools need to start to focus
on by starting to document the types of impairments that they find among the learners and specifically
documenting progress being made by these children.9
1. What kinds of educational inequality have you experienced in your
school and community?
2. Does educational inequality also affect boys and men in your
community? In what ways?
3. What professions is it difficult for women and men to enter in your
community?
4. What has changed in recent years in your school and community
with regard to promoting gender equality in education?
9
Rouusso (2003)
30
Module III: The socialisation process
The socialisation process is the means through which social, cultural and moral norms are taught to
children. The socialisation process is a complex one that involves many models and contributors that
starts from birth. Furthermore, the socialisation process regularly forces individuals to adopt genderspecific behaviours and attitudes. In this sense, socialisation of gender roles refers to teaching children
to adopt gender-specific behaviours and attitudes. Gender socialisation is the process of learning the
social expectations and attitudes associated with one's sex. For example, girls learn to do different
household chores than boys: girls learn to bake and clean, and boys learn to mow lawns and take out
garbage. Gender socialisation occurs through such diverse means as parental attitudes, schools, how
peers interact with each other and mass media.
Section I
Section II
The family and
the
socialisation
process
The church
and the
socialisation
process
Section III
Section IV
The media and
the
socialisation
process
Schools and
the
socialisaiton
process
Media
School
Family
31
Religion
Section I: The family and the socialisation process
Gender roles refer to the learned behaviours related to sexuality. The two most common gender
distinctions are masculine and feminine, which are primarily assigned to those biologically defined as
male and female, respectively. Gender roles are taught by society, and some find that the ways that
gender roles are defined create dangerous stereotypes and narrow ways of living for both men and
women. Parents play a big role in influencing how girls and boys think of themselves. This can be done
in the following ways:
Gender roles are learned from birth, usually unconsciously and through the different ways that
parents raise their children. This can be seen through the following:
1. Buying pink clothes for girls and blue clothes for boys, which reinforce ideas about what
colours are appropriate for boys and girls to wear.
2. Encouraging boys in activities that involve large motor skills or technological use and girls in
verbal skills or playing with dolls. Even toy manufacturers generally create girls’ toys in pink
and focus on dolls, makeup and model household toys, while boys’ toys are often
technological or mechanical, such as cars, planes and trains. Girls are playing with dolls, they
are learning to prepare food and clothes and everything that is associated with “women’s
duties” and boys are playing with small cars, weapons, are encouraged to practise different
sports and are taught to be the “masters of the world”.
3. Encouraging girls in their nurturing role by insisting that they are always working with their
mothers helping in the kitchen while boys are encouraged to play outside.
4. Encouraging particular behaviour in which girls are submissive and boys aggressive. This is
particularly in the case where the boys are taught not to express their emotions and girls are
encouraged to do so, or when boys are encouraged to express aggressive tendencies and
girls not. This leads to shame in men who want to express emotion or women who turn their
anger or aggression inward because it is not acceptable for women to express these
masculine emotions. Girls are taught from a very early age that they have to obey, and boys
that they have to be strong and to be leaders.
1. Have you noticed any difference in the way in which parents in
your community treat boys versus girls?
2. What are some of the ways in which parents are promoting
stereotypes in your community?
3. Are there any cultural beliefs that are prompting parents to treat
the boys and girls differently?
32
Section II: The church and the socialisation process
Zambia is predominantly a Christian nation. According to the 2010 census, in terms of religious
affiliation, Protestants and Catholics made up 75.3% and 20.2% of the population, respectively.
Muslims and other religious affiliation made up 2.5% of the population. In 1991, the government
declared Zambia a “Christian nation”, which went on to be included in the Zambian Constitution by
amendment in 1996. Religion can sometimes be used to reinforce gender inequalities in society by
positioning women in a subordinate status to men.
The Bible’s teaching is debated. Corinthians 14:34-35 says women should remain silent in the church:
if they want to enquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home. Another
passage says that wives should submit to their husbands is often used to justify dominating or even
abusing women. Jesus, however, always showed by his actions that he respected and valued women.
He included them among his closest companions, and sometimes went against the conventions of his
time which kept men and women apart. Jesus made it clear in the Parable of the Good Samaritan how
his followers should treat people – he made no distinction between men and women.
The three mother bodies in Zambia, namely the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), Evangelical
Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) and the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) have produced a gender
document called The Voice of the Church on Matters of Gender in Zambia: Addressing Ourselves to
Issues of Gender Based Injustice (GBI) and Gender Based Violence (GBV). In this document they outline
that the Church has been known to sustain patriarchal structures, starting with its own leadership
systems. This is attributed to some religious traditions and misinterpretation of some Bible passages.
Within church circles, the document notes the following gender inequalities:
1. Decision making (Executive board): There are cases when men are in a board meeting and
make resolutions on behalf of the women majority. The women remain outside to do the
cooking and serve the food. In many instances, middle and high level leadership roles in the
Church are dominated by men. Lack of women’s empowerment, male chauvinism or feelings
among the men that they are better than the women prevents women from taking the lead
in the presence of men.
2. Employment imbalances in the church: In many Church departments and associations, there
are more men than there are women. Where there are more women, it is in positions where
they cannot influence policy.
3. Divorcees: Divorced women are sidelined in counselling or handling marital cases in churches
because they are looked upon as failures.
4. “Barren” women are ridiculed and despised irrespective of her age.
5. The widow is only thought about in matters of charity, mostly because property is grabbed
from her, making her vulnerable.
6. Counselling and ethical standards: It is often the woman that is counselled before the
wedding and different ethical standards are set for the men and the women. These standards
are based on cultural and traditional perceptions.
Did you know there are 187 women named in the Bible, and hundreds more mentioned? Most of us
know Eve, Sarah, Mary the mother of Jesus, and the sisters Mary and Martha. As a teacher, know your
Bible and be able to give examples of some of the greatest women in the bible including:
1. Deborah: Judges 4-5 tells how Deborah became the only woman to be a judge, or tribal ruler,
during the time before the Israelites had kings. Deborah was known as a woman of great
wisdom and spiritual depth whose decisions were guided by her ability as a prophetess – that
33
is, someone who contemplates God and discerns instructions from such meditations. And talk
about strong women in the Bible! Deborah went into battle to help the Israelites throw off an
oppressive Canaanite ruler. In a reversal of the typical Old Testament marital record, we know
that Deborah was married to a man named Lappidoth, but we have no other details about
their marriage.
2. Jezebel: 1 and 2 Kings tell of Jezebel, another notable among strong women in the Bible. To
this day Jezebel, Philistine princess and wife of King Ahab, has a reputation for wickedness,
although some scholars now say she was only being a strong woman according to her culture.
While her husband was officially Israel's ruler, Jezebel is depicted as the ruler of her husband
and as a plotter seeking to gain both political and religious power. The prophet Elijah became
her enemy because she sought to establish the Philistine religion in Israel. In 1 Kings 18:3,
Jezebel is depicted as giving the order to have hundreds of Israelite prophets killed so that she
could install priests of the god, Ba'al, in their place. Finally, during the 12-year reign of her son
Joab after Ahab's death, Jezebel took the title of "Queen Mother" and continued to be a power
both publicly and behind the throne (2 Kings 10:13).
3. Jael: Judges 4: Sisera was pursued by the people of Israel at the request of Deborah the Judge.
When the Israelites came at Sisera with 10,000 men, Sisera fled. Israel was routing Sisera and
his army when Sisera broke off from his men and fled alone. He came to the tent of Jael. Jael
knew who Sisera was and invited him into her tent to hide. He asked for some water to drink.
Jael, in her cunningly kind way, gave Sisera a bottle of milk. After enjoying his milk, he fell fast
asleep. Jael sneaked into the tent with a tent peg and hammer. The Bible says that she drove
the nail through his temple and pegged his head to the ground. He was dead by the time the
pursuing army found him.
1. Which churches are prevalent in your area?
2. What do they teach about girls and boys, men and women?
3. Does this have an influence over the way in which the boys and girls
behave in school?
References
1. Fact sheet VI: Women in the Bible
2. The Zambian National Gender Policy
3. The Anti-Gender Based Violence Act
34
Section III: The media and the socialisation process
The media play a big role in portraying stereotypical images of women and men that reinforce gender
inequalities. Media helps form our social values. They report on current events, provide frameworks
for interpretation, mobilise citizens with regard to various issues, reproduce predominant culture and
society, and entertain. As such, the media can be an important stakeholder in the promotion of gender
equality especially in terms of fair gender portrayal and the use of neutral and non-gender specific
language.
The following issues have been identified as being particularly a challenge when promoting gender
equality within the media sector:
1. In TV advertisements, women always appear in advertisements promoting kitchenware or
items such as washing machines, while men stand out more as successful professionals.
2. When covering gender specific crimes like rape, sexual harassment and child abuse, the
principle of basic crime reporting is not applied and instead blame is put on the survivor and
their stories are questioned.
3. Men are portrayed in macho roles associated with power and control. This perpetuates their
subordination and suppression of women. Men are struggling with the burden of masculinity,
i.e. the pattern of social behaviour or practice that is associated, in a given society, with the
position of men. Equating masculinity with being tough and not at all vulnerable means that
certain issues faced by men such as GBV do not receive appropriate coverage.
4. Television dramas and stories on the internet feature women's subservience to men as the
social norm.
5. Cases of GBV are reported in a sensational manner that often worsens the trauma for the
survivor. Further, the media uses insensitive language that does not inspire survivors of GBV
to come out and speak out on their plight.
6. Zambia continues not to regulate viewing of cinematic materials. In high density areas and in
the rural areas in some communities, the illegal showing of pornographic materials is on the
increase. Pornography fosters the idea that the degradation of women is acceptable and is
associated with notions that women are sex objects or sexual commodities.
7. Weekend newspapers publish pictures of half-naked women. This demeans women and
objectifies them rather than humanises them.
8. Women are invisible in the news as sources. The proportion of women’s voices in the news is
still very low compared to that of women. Women are rarely portrayed as successful and
courageous people who deserve recognition.
9. On TV, the showing of music videos almost always has women only partially dressed, which is
demeaning for women.
10. On radio programmes, there is usually an imbalance of programme presenters and
interviewers with there being more male presenters and interviewers than there are female.
During call-in programmes, more men than women call in to discuss issues.
1. What media are the children in your area subjected to?
2. How is this impacting on them and the way their socialisation
process?
3. Are you aware of any ways in which media can affect yourself and
the children?
35
Section IV: Schools and the socialisation process
Schools and homes are the basic sources of development of the understanding of gender and gender
relations. The influence of teachers and educators as change agents in this area cannot be
underestimated. Whereas the numbers of girls enrolled at grade one has indeed
gone up, there have been other problems that have stood in the way of
attendance and performance. These include the following:
1. Teaching materials: A lot of educational materials have widespread
messages endorsing gender bias. The images that children receive from
these books are women with babies in their hands, or women preparing
food, or women working in the field, or, at the high end – women nurses,
women teachers. Men are usually soldiers, playing some prestigious
sport, executing some heavy job, and, of course, leaders. Somehow the
perception that being a soldier and carrying weapons is more important
than giving birth and taking care of life is induced in the minds since the
very beginning of the conscious life of children. This leads to further
divisions, stereotyping and to the perception that women have to give
and to accept and men have to take and to impose.
2. Teaching methodologies: Classroom education can act as the biggest
instrument of gender stereotyping in school. Teachers impart certain
messages that make the segregation obvious – for example, "boys in the
men’s corner, girls in the doll’s corner" that may hinder children's
overall development. Such ideas may deter students from rising to their
potential. Students who cannot adhere to norms of gender are often
victims of harassment and bullying; this issue arises for both boys and
girls.10
3. Gender hostile attitudes among teachers: Teachers are role models in
school. By being teachers, they demonstrate how to be professionals
and show that teaching is a job suitable for both men and women.
Teachers’ conduct is a very important issue in education because it
impacts on students’ participation and success in education
opportunities as well as in their life choices. They also, intentionally or
unintentionally, teach the hidden curriculum of appropriate roles for
boys/men and girls/women, and how gender relations work. Here are
some of the ways teachers may communicate bias, even if they don’t
intend to:
a. Showing, through their comments and interactions, that they
believe boys/men are naturally superior to girls/women,
boys/men perform better than girls/women and women/girls
should not challenge men.
b. Praising, encouraging and helping boys/men more; criticising
girls/women and giving them little feedback or indicating
surprise when they get the right answer.
10
Read more: www.ehow.com/info_8653589_gender-stereotypes-schools.html
36
WHAT CAN YOU DO
1. Take time to reflect on
how you as a teacher
speak to girls and boys
in your class.
2. If you receive any
books as donations,
ensure that you assess
them and make sure
they do not contain
anything that will
reinforce stereotypes.
3. Be aware of what the
children are being
exposed to at home
and deliberately make
efforts to counter any
negative influences.
4. Teachers can be role
models. Avoid bad
behaviour such as
coming to work drunk
or even being seen
drunk and unruly
outside of the school.
c. Using harsh or abusive language, or just language that is demeaning to girls. For
example
i. Calling girls imwe amai (women)
ii. Telling a boy he talks too much, like a girl
iii. Telling a girl to be strong like a boy
iv. Telling a girl to be less active or she will not get married.
d. Shrugging the shoulders or rolling the eyes when a student is answering a question
— even speaking in particular tones of voice can show bias in what a teacher thinks
about boy or girl students.
e. Using gender stereotypes when providing feedback, such as telling a girl to stop
acting like a boy when she is being assertive, or telling a boy to stop acting like a girl
when he shows emotion.
f. Asking more questions of boys than girls, or not calling on girls because they take
longer to raise their hand or to answer a question.
g. Expecting boys to do well in maths and science, and expecting girls to do well in
reading.
h. Having different standards for boys and girls, such as praising a girl for getting 70%
on a maths test but criticising a boy who got 80%. On the other hand, teachers —
and parents — might show that they think boys are not going to do as well
academically as girls.
i. Using stories and examples in which boys/men are active and girls/women are
passive. Also using stories where the boys/men are heroes and the girls/women are
being saved.
j. Expecting boys/men to do heavier chores and expecting girls/women (including
female teachers) to do the larger number of “domestic” chores, such as sweeping
the classroom, cleaning the latrine or making tea.
k. Calling on the boys more than girls even when the girls have raised their hands,
opting to instead have the boys provide answers.
l. Acknowledging the boys and not the girls in class, this is done by having the teacher
for example greet the class by saying “good morning gentlemen” despite the class
having girls in it.
m. Allowing the boys more leniency for mild classroom misbehaviour which may even
include bullying. This reinforces the stereotype that boys are supposed to be
aggressive.
n. Encouraging the boys to be members of the Jets clubs and girls to be members of
the dancing and poetry clubs.
1. Are there any textbooks or materials you are using as a school that
are reinforcing gender stereotypes?
2. Are you aware of women in your area that have achieved something
in society and that you can use as examples in your class?
37
Module IV: Gender mainstreaming in community schools
Education is one of the sectors of society thought to be effective for promoting gender equality. The
international conference Education for All in Dakar in 2000 showed the commitment of Governments
to promote gender equality in education by agreeing upon specific goals: eliminating gender
disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education
by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls‘ full and equal access to, and achievement, in basic education.
Section I
Gender
mainstreaming
and the
benefits
Section II
Gender
mainstreaming
and your school
Section IV
Section III
Engaging parents
and the
community in
promoting
gender equality
in the school
Sexual
harassment in
schools
38
Section I: Gender mainstreaming and its benefits
Mainstreaming generally is the process of engaging in a structured way with an issue as an
organisation, at the workplace, at the school, in all your programmes and at the policy levels. It is done
in order to address (and avoid increasing) marginalisation, discrimination or exploitation.
Although the concept of gender mainstreaming had been in existence for some years previously, the
adoption of gender mainstreaming as the main global strategy for promoting gender equality was
established in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. Gender mainstreaming is
defined as:
“The process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including
legislation, policies or programmes in any area and at all levels. It is a strategy for making
women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic
and societal spheres so that women and men can benefit equally and inequality is not
perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality.”
With a mainstreaming strategy, gender concerns are seen as important to all aspects of development
for all sectors and areas of activity, and are a fundamental part of the planning process. Gender
mainstreaming is important because it is a very effective tool for achieving gender equality. Gender
mainstreaming means that gender equality issues are integrated into all activities. In education,
gender mainstreaming requires that schools and teachers consider the living situations, needs and
perspectives of girls and boys, female and male teachers. In education, it is processes through which:
“Girls/women’s, as well as boys/men’s concerns, perspectives and experiences are integrated into
the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all education legislation, policies and
programmes so that women and men benefit equally.”
Both women’s and men’s learning and development needs are taken into account in the planning,
design and implementation of curricula in both formal and non-formal education. In practical terms it
starts with you collecting data about the situation and making specific decisions based on this. It
means that:






Women and men are equally involved at all levels of decision making.
Sex-disaggregated data (for example, on school enrolment and achievement) are available.
Research is conducted to generate gender analytical information of school and classroom
environments, curricula, textbooks, teaching and learning practices, assessment strategies
and management. This can be linked to the research department of the Curriculum
Development Centre (CDC) based in Lusaka.
Specific actions to promote gender equality are carried out at school and community levels in
compliance with local contexts and needs of the community.
Teachers, school heads and other stakeholders are constantly working to improve their
competencies to address gender issues and promote gender equality through specific capacity
development activities, such as exchange visits, networking with other schools that they hear
are doing well, training workshops and on-the-job training.
School staff work as a team in order to address gender issues and promote gender equality as
a 'whole school’ approach, meaning that everybody in the school is actively promoting gender
equality in a comprehensive and consistent way.
39
Gender mainstreaming is not a one-time activity. Instead, it requires ongoing attention when
developing education programmes and budgets, designing schools, developing curricula, governing
and managing schools and, of course, teaching and using learning materials. The goal of gender
mainstreaming in terms of education should be:
1. Equal enrolment of both genders in all levels of education.
2. Equal completion rates of boys and girls, women and men in all levels of education.
3. Elimination of a situation where girls are only found doing certain subjects and boys doing
others.
4. Elimination of gender bias in curricula and textbooks.
5. Achieving a gender-sensitive approach in teaching and training that is equally encouraging to
both genders and makes the best use of society’s human resources.
The whole point of mainstreaming gender in education is to ensure that girls and boys both get an
opportunity to access education and have an opportunity to complete their education without having
to face barriers that are a result of the teaching and learning methodologies or indeed the school
environment. It will include various components are indicated below:
1. Organisational commitment: In this case, it is the school that has to show commitment by
putting in place a policy that commits it to promoting the inclusion of girls and boys in
accessing education and ensuring they also access the benefits from it. Once this policy is
developed, it is important that all staff and pupils are made aware of it. Remember, it need
not be a long document, but rather it should be a simple and short, outlining the commitment
of the school to gender equality and how it will ensure it fulfils its commitment.
2. Workplace mainstreaming: This builds on the policy that will have been developed and
includes undertaking activities such as the sensitisation of teachers and building their capacity
40
to promote gender equality as well as the sensitisation of the children on their rights and on
gender equality as a whole.
3. Programme mainstreaming: It is important that before any project, the school is clear about
how the project will impact on the men and women, girls and the boys. For example, if women
are expected to participate in the project, consideration should be made with regard to the
time they have available to participate to ensure that the project does not become a burden.
4. Sensitisation: Considering that the community schools are based in the community where the
children continue to be influenced by their parents, peers and other people, it is important
that the school undertakes to sensitise the community as a whole on what gender equality is
and what it is doing to promote it.
5. Policy engagement: There are many factors that will impact on the capacity of the boys and
girls to access education and benefit from it. These factors include the availability of schools
in the area, the availability of trained teachers and quality teaching materials. If as a school
you identify that some of these things are not available, plan to inform the policy makers
(Councillor, Member of Parliament) about this.
In all of these, the participation of girls and boys, men and women is important to ensure meaningful
involvement. Any planning being done should include both sexes at all times.
The benefits of gender mainstreaming in education
Considerable research has been done that clearly shows the benefits of educating girls and women as
well as boys and men, and the links between gender equality and poverty reduction. Some of these
benefits are summarised below.
1. Benefits to girls/women and boys/men:
 Secondary education is the most important economic asset for women/girls and men/
boys. Educated, healthy women are more able to engage in productive activities, find
formal sector employment and earn higher incomes than their counterparts who are
uneducated or suffer from poor nutrition and health.
 Improved employment opportunities and higher incomes for women and their families.
Opportunities for women to earn regular income are likely to give them more
independence and decision-making power.
 One more year of school can mean 10–20% more earnings.
 Education increases women’s participation in governance and politics.
 Better-educated women are more able to profit from new forms of technology and the
opportunities presented by economic change than are less educated women.
 Intergenerational effects on child schooling. Educated women give greater emphasis to
schooling their children, thereby improving the productivity of the next generation.
2. Benefits to health and households:
 Increases in women’s education decrease infant and child deaths.
 With more knowledge about health issues, educated women and men are less likely to
get HIV and, if they already have it, are less likely to pass it on to their children.
 90% of the money that girls and women earn stays in the primary household, compared
to 30–40% from boys and men.
3. Benefits to countries:
41
•
•
•
•
Lowering the rate of population growth. Education – especially female education – slows
population growth. In low-income countries, reduced population growth helps to
increase saving and investment rates and also lowers the stress on natural resources and
the environment
If all learners learn basic reading skills, they could be lifted out of poverty.
If all children complete primary school, with improved levels of learning, growth in
countries will increase too.
If the share of women who complete secondary education increases by one per cent,
growth in those countries could increase by 0.3% each year.11
1. What education interventions have contributed to gender
mainstreaming in your school and community?
2. How can women be included in decision making at all levels of the
education system?
3. What activities can be carried out in your school so that teachers are
aware of the learning interests of both boys and girls, as well as the
problems they are facing in learning?
References
1. Fact Sheet VII: Gender mainstreaming ladder
2. Fact Sheet IV: The National Gender Policy
11
Frei and Leowinata (2014)
42
Section II: Gender mainstreaming and the governance and management of your school
All of your actions as a school must fall into one of the following categories:
What you are

Gender
Positive

–
?
Gender
Negative
Gender
Neutral
Unknown
What it means
 improved gender equality indicators
 maintaining a positive gender equality situation
 supporting gender mainstreaming capacity building, or
 enhancing visibility and awareness of gender-related issues
 Contributing to a worsening of gender equality indicators
 Doing nothing to improve a negative gender equality
situation, even though it was within the scope of your actions
 Your action does not have a gender equality dimension
 Lack of information means that impact is unknown.
Your goal is to try and make your school one that is “gender positive”. Actions
fall into the “unknown” category when you do not have the information needed
to determine whether your actions have a positive or negative impact.
There are very specific areas in which as a school you will need to try to
ensure that you are being promoting the inclusion of boys and girl as well as
men and women. These include the following:
In the schools governance board and committees
Does the school have a simple and short policy outlining its commitment to
promoting gender equality?
Your school must have a school board made up parents and teachers and may
also have some committees managing some projects. How many women are
represented in the parents and teachers committee and in the other
committees?
When meetings are called with the committee, it is also important to find ways
of encouraging the women present at the meetings to make contributions
during the discussions.
In addition, it is also important to hear the voices of girls as well as boys when
making decisions at the school level, both to improve those institutions and to
provide girls with experience in contributing to political decision-making. Does
your school allow for the children (both boys and girls) to present their issues
to the board?
In the school teaching staff
How many of the school teachers are male and how many are female? Even if
they are all of one particular sex, how sensitised are they around gender issues?
Gender training is an important tool for ensuring that teachers are promoting
both boys’ and girls’ participation and access to education. It would provide
them with awareness, knowledge and practical skills about gender equality to
help them reflect on and change their self-perception, their ways of relating to
the children and each other, their beliefs, their problem-setting and problem-
43
WHAT CAN THE
SCHOOL DO?
1. In the selection of
parents to sit on the
board, ensure that
there is representation
from the women.
2. Set up within the board
a small committee of
children that can also
meet before the main
board meetings to
prepare to present to
the main board any
issues they are facing.
3. Review the number of
male and female
teachers at the school
and make sure they are
all aware of the need to
promote gender
equality as they work.
solving skills, and their competence and knowledge. It also motivates people to implement activities
that will promote gender equality.
1. How can women be included in decision making at all levels of the
education system?
2. What activities can be carried out in your school so that teachers are
aware of the learning interests of both boys and girls, as well as the
problems they are facing in learning?
44
Section III: Sexual harassment in schools
Sexual harassment in schools is unwanted and unwelcome behaviour of a sexual
nature that interferes with the right to equal educational opportunities. It
includes any unwelcome sexual advances or verbal, visual or physical conduct of
a sexual nature, acceptance of which is explicitly or implicitly made a condition
for a favourable decision affecting schooling (e.g. passing an exam), or which has
the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with the learner’s school
performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, abusive or offensive schooling
environment. Quite apart from forcible sexual relations, sexual harassment
includes abusive language and gestures, sexual advances, touching and groping,
passing unwanted notes, and character assassination through graffiti.
In Zambia, many girls are raped, sexually abused, harassed, and assaulted by
teachers and male classmates. They are also subjected to sexual harassment and
attack while travelling to and from school and in some cases girls report being
sexually harassed and abused even in their homes. Sexual abuse can include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Touching (in a way that the child feels uncomfortable)
Fondling
Kissing (in a way that the child feels uncomfortable)
Looking at the child’s private parts
Showing the child pornographic material
Making the child touch or look at the abuser’s private parts
Child pornography and prostitution
Oral sex
Rape/Sodomy
Verbal sexual abuse
Girls who experience incidents of sexual abuse in school rarely report them,
fearing stigma, blame, retaliation, or unresponsiveness on the part of school
authorities. School and other officials often fail to respond effectively to sexual
harassment and violence in schools, and girls who do report are frequently
unable to obtain redress.
Teachers, like other members of society, carry the values and attitudes of their
society into the classroom. Teachers themselves are frequently the perpetrators
of sexual harassment in the schools. Yet sexual harassment has far-reaching
implications for the teaching and learning processes. Sexual harassment on the
part of teachers is said to take different forms that include:
1. A teacher telling sexually charged stories in class
2. A male teacher using a female learner as a teaching aid and touching
her inappropriately in the process
3. A teacher making inappropriate remarks about girls’ bodies
4. Promising money for food, school fees, and other necessities or small
luxuries to lure students into sexual relationships
5. Giving the girls they are dating preferential treatment, helping them to
pass even when they do not warrant good marks
45
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. Develop and enforce a
codes of conduct for
teachers, school
employees, and
students that prohibit
all forms of sexual
violence and
harassment at school.
2. Sensitise the teachers
and learners about
sexual harassment.
3. Respond effectively
and expeditiously to
reports of sexual
violence or
harassment.
4. Discipline teachers and
students found to
have engaged in sexual
violence or
harassment.
5. Report sexual violence
cases to District
Education Board
Secretaries and to the
police or Victim
Support Unit.
6. Strengthen guidance
and counselling
resources available to
students at school and
ensure that students
are aware of and can
comfortably access
such support.
6. Not punishing girls they are dating when their classmates are punished
7. When the girls turn down the teachers advances, creating a hostile environment by sending
students out of class or punishing them needlessly.
Consider a girl who has just been sexually harassed by a male teacher now sitting in class taught by
the same teacher. Such a girl will be traumatised and unable to concentrate on her studies. The
presence of the perpetrator will elicit anger, fear and resentment that may hinder learning.
Sexual harassment is not only perpetrated by teachers but also male learners who face peer pressure
to prove their manhood and might, for example:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Come up to girls at school and ask them to have sex
Send girls explicit messages and pornographic materials through telephones
Touch girls’ breasts or buttocks
Place a mirror under girls’ skirts/dress when playing
Make sexual comments
Threaten girls if they do not submit to sexual advances
Use physical violence against them.
Girls also face harassment from men and boys as they travel to and from school. In addition, in places
where the school is far away from home, boys and girls are allowed to find rooms closer to the school
that act as boarding facilities. Men from the surrounding community sometimes harass girls or
physically assault them.
Sexual harassment causes serious physical and emotional injuries to young girls, the effects include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Contracting sexually transmitted infections including HIV
Getting pregnant and dropping out of school
Getting pregnant and aborting, which in a lot of cases leads to death
Failing to concentrate in class, leading to poor performance
Being stigmatised by fellow learners.
Teachers must create a conducive classroom environment that is free of all forms of sexual
harassment.
1. This starts with the teachers themselves as educators exercising sexual self-control and
avoiding any situation that may lead to sexual harassment. Teachers must see themselves as
guardians and remember that they are responsible for the students’ safety, welfare and
wellbeing.
2. They must make it absolutely clear that they will not tolerate such activity in their classroom.
3. When a code of conduct is set at the school, establish that this prohibition extends to
relationships between teachers and students regardless of the student’s age and whether she
consented, and requires teachers to comply with the code of conduct as a condition of
employment.
46
1. What forms of sexual harassment exist in your school? What action
have you taken to eliminate them?
2. Do you know any specific steps teachers can take to control
themselves from sexually harassing their students?
3. Does the school have any rules, regulations, policies or guidelines
related to the control of sexual harassment?
References
3. The Penal Code
47
Section IV: Engaging parents and the community in promoting gender
equality at the school
Parents (or guardians) play a vital role in their children’s education. Their
involvement takes various forms: after-school support to children in completing
assignments and homework, helping children and young people choose which
programmes they wish to pursue, or formal involvement in parent associations or
school boards. For these reasons, parents also need to be supported and offered
guidance for enhancing gender equality in the education sector.
In addition, because of the influence of culture as a whole, girls’ community
participation is important when trying to address local obstacles to girls’ enrolment
that are created by social norms as well as economic conditions. Engaging the
traditional leaders is particularly important as they are able to pass laws stopping
particular harmful practices in their areas. For example, in some parts of Zambia,
it is the traditional leaders who are leading in the fight against early marriage by
passing laws to make its punishable in their areas.
It is important to specifically engage both the women and the men to participate
in the school planning process because women as a group better understand the
gender issues in education and the men need to be engaged so they can support
the activities planned by the school.
Teachers have an important role to play in mediating parent involvement in their
children’s education. For example, it is worth considering the messages that
teachers pass on to parents and children that might unintentionally entrench
gender stereotypes in family life:
1. Which parent does the teacher contact when they wish to discuss a
child’s performance or behaviour?
2. Which parent is invited to school meetings?
3. Which parent is contacted when a child is sick or injured at school?
An assumption is often made that only mothers are involved in the schooling and
raising of children, and teachers might support this assumption by shutting fathers
out of parent-teacher dialogue. Engaging the fathers is therefore very important.
1. Who are the stakeholders you usually work with
in your school?
2. Which stakeholders do you think should be
involved in promoting gender equality?
3. Are all stakeholders supportive of gender
equality?
4. How should stakeholders who may not be
supportive of gender equality GE be approached?
5. Why is it important to involve stakeholders in
education and in promoting gender equality more
specifically?
48
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. If the school has a
teacher-parent
committee, ensure
that there is a fair
representation of both
the men and the
women.
2. During parent and
other stakeholder
meetings, make sure
that you allow both
the women and the
men a chance to
speak.
3. If the women are not
speaking, allow time
during which you
should split the
women from the men
and talk to the women
alone before bringing
them back together
again.
4. Encourage the parents
and other stakeholders
to advocate improved
education for children
in the area.
5. Consider forming a
sub-committee to help
discuss and resolve
any gender issues in
the community.
Module V: Using gender lens – Gender responsive pedagogy
‘Gender lenses’ is a term that is widely used to refer to a person’s capacity to incorporate gender
perspectives in all areas of human life, including education. Using gender lenses, one becomes more
aware of the perspectives, experiences and needs of both girls/women and boys/men. Without clear
and well-focused gender lenses, a condition known as gender blindness may develop, which only
allows a person to see only the perspective, voice or participation of one gender. The use of gender
lenses is linked to developing gender sensitivity, or the awareness of an insight into the state of both
genders. A good pair of gender lenses also sharpens a person’s ability to think critically; that is, to use
a system of clear reasoning to process new information and ideas from a gender-friendly perspective.
People wearing gender lenses are, in all situations, keenly aware of the perspectives of both genders
and open to applying them in the context of their family, public and/or professional lives.
Section I
The role of
teachers in
promoting gender
equality in
schools
Section II
Using gender lenses
for curriculum and
textbooks
Section III
Section IV
Using gender lense
for teaching and
learning
Gender sensitive
lesson planning
49
Section I: The role of teachers in promoting gender equality in schools
Teachers play a critical role towards the achievement of the Education for All goal on gender equity.
Gender issues prevail in society in all areas of life – to diminish them issues we need to start changing
the mindsets of the younger generation so that they can bring about change in society with their
innovative ideas, thoughts and practices. To do this we need good educated teachers who have a
sound knowledge of gender issues.
Teachers play a very important part in the early upbringing of the child: their ideas and beliefs can
change the thought patterns of young students. Teachers must constantly be aware of the fact that
their actions/attitudes/behaviour/perspectives/approaches/manner/outlook/mindset will help to
shape a child’s gender role. They need to use multiple strategies and interventions to ensure that
students have equal opportunities to set and obtain their goals.
Teachers need to be able to do the following:
1. Understand that all children they teach are unique because of their family backgrounds,
experiences, abilities and ways of learning.
2. Adapt their approaches, methodologies and strategies to meet the needs of each child,
based on that child’s unique personal and academic situation, including socio-cultural
setting.
3. Respect, engage, listen to, involve and inspire all students — boys/men and girls/women
equally.
4. Recognise any attitudes, biases or stereotypes they may have learned in school, in their
communities and in their homes. All teachers need to work to overcome the gender biases
and stereotypes they have absorbed. They can accomplish this through training, reading,
peer support, and faithfully implementing national and school policies on gender equality.
They can put these policies into action by embracing a culture that is inclusive and respectful
of every learner.
Not only should teachers work toward making all students comfortable, they should also model
appropriate behaviour for students to follow. To be gender responsive means that teachers include
gender considerations in all of their activities as teachers, including:
•
•
•
•
•
Lesson planning
Calling on, engaging, supporting, praising, criticising and evaluating learners
Working with other teachers and education staff
Assigning chores and other responsibilities to students or other teachers
Their own conduct inside and outside of school.
Be aware of gender biases and avoid reinforcing them in school and classroom practices.
1. Trust boys and girls to possess equal potential to learn and achieve
2. Motivate and encourage boys and girls to perform while also supporting them equally to cope
with learning problems and difficulties
3. Ask boys and girls to play and work together in the context of interchangeable roles
4. Support both boys and girls in identifying their strengths and weaknesses, talents and interests
while exposing them to a wide range of equal opportunities for them to develop competencies
for studies, life and work.
50
1. How can teachers promote gender equality in community schools?
2. What skills and knowledge do they need to have to do this effectively?
3. In reviewing your role as a teacher, what are the key characteristics
that you need to have in order to promote gender equality in the
school?
References
1. Unit 1 in Training Manual for community school teachers in Zambia
2. Factsheet IX: The characteristics of a gender sensitive teacher
3. Exercise IV: Reviewing attitudes through a gender audit
4. Exercise V: Checklist for a gender-responsive teacher and teacher
educator
5. Exercise VI: Assessing teachers behavior in class
51
Section II: Using gender lenses for curriculum and textbooks
As the main blueprint for shaping teaching and learning processes, the formal
school curriculum has a central role in promoting gender equality. Textbooks
form part of the curriculum and convey messages that not only instil knowledge
but also help shape attitudes, values, and behaviours. For example, if both boys
and girls are portrayed doing household chores or working together to clean up
the schoolyard, children of both genders are encouraged to participate in these
tasks cooperatively. As another example, equal representation of men and
women in scientific and technical work gives learners of both genders the clear
impression that they have equal potential for these roles.
Teaching and learning materials are fundamental to the pedagogical process and
are critical for shaping young minds. Yet an examination of textbooks and other
learning materials reveals that they implicitly communicate traditional and
limited gender roles. Too often the message of the textbook is that women and
girls are weak, passive and submissive. They are mostly depicted in domestic,
caregiving and supportive roles. Men, on the contrary, are portrayed as
powerful, assertive and intelligent as well as leaders in society. Personality
attributes portrayed in textbooks are consistent with traditional societal notions
of male superiority and authority. As a result, teaching and learning materials
reinforce gender stereotypes.
It is therefore important for teachers to be able to review the textbook and other
teaching aids for possible gender stereotypes. They should also be able to
develop and utilise gender responsive teaching and learning materials.
Teaching quality has a significant impact on academic access, retention and
performance. Yet many teachers, conditioned by male-dominated values in their
communities, employ teaching methods that do not provide equal opportunities
for participation for girls and boys. Neither do these methods take into account
the individual needs of learners, especially girls.
As a way of avoiding such biases, the content of curricula, textbooks and other
learning materials should be closely examined. In many cases, examples of
gender discrimination in both text and images contained in these materials are
not obvious to users, partly because they have become so used to them. To help
educators apply gender lenses to identify biases in learning materials, the
following questions are offered.



How frequently are male and female characters portrayed? For
example, does the maths textbook only include images or names of
boys?
How are the male and female characters portrayed? For example, are
only girls shown doing housework?
How are roles and relationships between males and females
portrayed? Is the mother always telling the children what to do? Is the
father always disciplining the children?
52
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. Review any donated
books to make sure
they are not
reinforcing any
stereotypes.
2. Analyse all the text
and learner books and
ensure you prepare
examples that will
counter any negative
messages you have
identified.
3. Note not only the
pictures being used
but the language as
well. Where you can
point this out to the
children and so give a
positive message.
4. Review your own use
of language and
ensure it is gender
sensitive.
5. Sit with fellow
teachers to discuss any
stereotypes and come
up with a common
message to give to the
children.

What adjectives are used to describe male and female characters? Are females ever referred
to as strong? Or are males ever referred to as caring?
Teachers can use books that represent females and males in non-traditional gender roles and talk
about these roles with the students. Books should include both male and female protagonists. When
books or course content arises that follow or reinforce stereotypes, this can be pointed out. Open
discussions with students about these stereotypes can help to discourage this way of thinking and
empower students to question them.
There are various opportunities at all school levels and in many different subjects where a gender
aspect should and could be formally integrated into the curricula. Particular areas of focus for in-depth
coverage of gender roles and relations should be:
1. Health education and sex education: gender equality in interpersonal relations, the family,
and the household; gender-based violence.
2. Civic studies: gender equality issues in political representation and participation; civil society
and NGO efforts in supporting gender equality.
3. Human rights education: issues of justice and fairness; anti-discrimination on the basis of
sex.
4. History: the role played by women in changing the course of history.
5. Language and literature: the use of gender sensitive language.
6. Media studies and cultural studies: the influence of culture on gender equality
At the same time, it is equally important that all subjects are taught in a gender-aware manner;
otherwise positive messages risk being undermined by contradictory messages.
Co-curricular activities: The school environment is also an important site of socialisation and
interaction of young people. Models of behaviour enforced at this level will often be replicated in
adulthood. After-school activities and student councils should also therefore be examined from a
gender perspective. Are both boys and girls offered equal opportunities to engage in activities that
are both “traditional” and “non-traditional” for their gender? Do student councils respect principles
of equal participation and gender equality?
Play and sport, teachers can use playtime to enforce gender equity. When students show a particular
interest or ability in an activity, this should be encouraged regardless of gender. For instance, if girls
show an interest in football, they should be encouraged to pursue the sport.
1. Are you aware of how images in textbooks can negatively
influence children?
2. What is a gender blind textbook?
3. How can you as a teacher promote gender equality in some of
the subjects you teach?
References
1. Exercise III: Identifying stereotypes in text books
53
Section III: Using gender lenses for teaching and learning
Pedagogy is the art of teaching, its theory, its practice and its methods – a concept
that embraces virtually all teaching and learning processes. Within the context of
classroom settings, pedagogy is a term that includes what is taught, how teaching
takes place and how what is taught is learnt.
Gender responsive pedagogy refers to teaching and learning processes that pay
attention to the specific learning needs of girls and boys. Gender responsive
pedagogy calls for teachers to take an all-encompassing gender approach in the
processes of lesson planning, teaching, classroom management and performance
evaluation. Many innovative pedagogical approaches are available and in use,
including role plays, group discussions, case studies, demonstrations and study
tours. None of these, however, is necessarily inherently gender responsive and as
a teacher you have to try and adapt them so that they are.
Sitting arrangements
How the classroom is arranged can contribute positively or negatively to teaching
and learning processes. Schools may find it difficult to address the issue of
classroom set up, particularly when classes are large. An overcrowded classroom
makes it difficult to organise seating arrangements that can enhance childcentred learning. It is important for teachers (and school managers) to understand
how the configuration and maintenance of learning spaces affects the quality and
gender responsiveness of the education provided therein.
Many girls, especially in the rural areas, are socialised not to speak out. Seating
arrangements that place them at the back or in corners reinforce this tendency,
which in turn leads to poor performance. The typical traditional seating layout,
with desks arranged in neat rows facing the teacher, does not encourage studentcentred learning environment, which is the most appropriate for enhancing active
student participation – particularly by girls. Or, high stools in science laboratories
can constrain girls’ participation in science practicals, especially if their uniform is
a fitted skirt. A different arrangement such as breaking the class into smaller
groups may encourage the girls to participate more.
A gender responsive classroom set up responds to the specific needs of both boys
and girls. This approach considers the following:
1. A classroom set up that mixes girls and boys.
2. A classroom set up that enhances the participation of both girls and
boys.
3. An arrangement of the desks that encourages girls to speak out and
overcome their shyness.
4. Stools in laboratories that are appropriate in size and shape thus
enabling effective participation of both girls and boys.
5. Visual aids on the walls that send gender responsive messages.
Many schools do not have adequate or appropriate infrastructure and furniture.
These constrain the teachers’ ability to organise the classroom set up for
effective learning. Additionally, teachers may have no say about what type of
54
WHAT CAN THE
TEACHER DO?
1. Even when there are
too many children in a
classroom, ensure that
the desks and chairs
are arranged to allow
for you as a teacher to
reach all the children,
both boys and girls.
2. If you notice that the
girls are opting to sit at
the back of the class,
encourage them to
move forward and
where appropriate mix
them with the boys.
3. Make an effort to
identify some
professional people in
the community even
those that have retired
that you can ask to
come to the school to
talk to the learners as
role models.
4. Always remain
conscious of your body
language, for example
rolling your eyes or
turning away from one
section of the class,
usually where the girls
are sitting.
furniture is found in the school. Despite these limitations, an innovative teacher
should still be able to organise the classroom set up in such a way that it is
conducive to learning.
Terms and expressions and tones of voice used by the teacher
In many instances, teachers are not aware that the language they use in the
classroom reinforces negative gender attitudes. They may use terms and
expressions – and tones of voice – that give the impression that girls are not as
intelligent as boys, or that girls do not need to perform well because they will just
get married. Inappropriate language use can transmit negative messages and
inhibit learning. A teacher’s constant use of harsh, abusive and threatening
language may instil fear in the learners and hinder communication between
them. A teacher can enhance students’ performance by using encouraging,
inclusive language in the classroom. Sometimes teachers say, “Girls don’t study.
This school would be better if it were just boys. Girls are ruining the reputation.”
These types of discriminatory attitudes affect girls’ self-esteem.
The teacher’s body language
Spoken language is only part of the equation. Much offensive communication is
not verbal. An indifferent shrug of the shoulders or rolling of the eyes suggests
that the student is too foolish or bothersome to warrant attention. Other
gestures and body language, such as winking, touching, brushing, grabbing and
other moves may be overtly sexual. This type of communication may go
unnoticed by others for a long time, but it can be extremely damaging to learners
who may be discouraged from participating in class.
WHAT CAN THE
SCHOOL DO?
1. Locate sex-segregated
latrines carefully in
relation to the main
school buildings;
separate enough for
girls to have privacy
but not too far away
and too isolated so as
to create protection
concerns.
2. Provide hand washing
facilities and, where
possible, more private
bathing facilities.
3. Provide a separate and
well-located latrine for
women teachers,
parents and other
visitors to the school.
Use of role models
A teacher can bring to the classroom professionals who are working in nontypical gender jobs to talk about their work. Girls often lack appropriate role
models in the sciences and engineering, and therefore may lose interest in these
occupations. Bringing female professional scientists to the classroom will break
the stereotype and teach children that girls can be just as skilled at science and
maths as boys.
Group work
Boys can sometimes fill stereotypical roles of leaders and speak out more in
classroom settings while girls shy away from active participation. Girls should be
encouraged to participate actively. One way to do this is to use groups that are
single-sex. While this may seem to promote divisiveness, girls in groups are less
likely to speak up or take leadership roles if there is an assertive boy in the group.
Using same-gender groups can give girls more of a say. Teachers can encourage
leadership in both genders, by giving out leadership responsibilities equally.12
Ensuring a safe learning environment
12
Read more: www.ehow.com/info_7895309_activities-promote-gender-equality-kindergarten.html
55
4. Ensure adequate and
clean water and
sanitation, especially
to enhance
menstruation
management and the
overall health of the
school community.
A gender-sensitive learning environment is considered to be one which is safe, healthy, inclusive and
conducive to learning. The safety of both girls and boys is a growing concern, as recent studies have
shown that both physical and psychological violence and harassment are commonly found in schools
throughout the world. Strategies for prevention of all forms of violence, including gender-based
violence, are essential for creating inclusive, enabling learning environments.
Although the Government is promoting education for all and especially for girls by providing special
incentives and stipends, there is enough anecdotal evidence to suggest that these attempts will yield
little if not accompanied by improvements in the water and sanitation situation. Irregular attendance
to school will negatively impact on achievement.




Lack of separate sanitation facilities particularly affects adolescent girls as it means that
menstruating girls may miss classes each month during their period. Even if they are able to
attend school, with limited and make-shift sanitary materials they may be very
uncomfortable and unable to participate in class out of fear that they will have an ‘accident’.
Ensure that the sanitation facilities are adequate enough for children living with disabilities
and have room enough for wheelchair users.
Where learners have to use latrines that are far away from the main school area, and
possibly out of sight of the school authorities, they are at risk of sexual violence; this is
especially the case for girls.
Lack of boarding facilities and long distances from school also impact negatively on learners
and especially girls who face being sexually harassed on their way to and from school.
1. Would you consider your school a safe environment for
children? Why or why not?
2. What are some of the challenges in creating a safe environment
in community schools?
References
1. Fact Sheet IX: How to avoid gender-specific pronouns
56
Section IV: Gender sensitive lesson planning
Lesson planning involves a wide range of decisions – the learning materials to use, methodologies,
content, learning activities, language use, classroom interaction, classroom set up, assessment of the
learning, etc. Whereas many teachers have the skills to develop good lesson plans, making the plans
gender responsive requires a special set of skills and attitudes.
A gender responsive lesson plan takes into consideration the specific needs of girls and boys in all the
teaching–learning processes – content, learning materials, methodologies and activities, classroom
arrangement, and so on.
The content of the lesson will be determined by the syllabus. Once this is decided, the teacher has to
see how the lesson plan takes into account gender considerations in the delivery of this content in the
class. Gender responsive lesson planning asks the teacher to do the following:
Teaching and learning materials: Review the teaching and learning materials for gender
responsiveness. Does the material contain gender stereotypes? If so, what techniques can be used to
address them? Faced with a history textbook that portrays only male heroes, draw up a list of female
heroines. If a chemistry textbook portrays only male scientists as inventors, include a discussion of
female scientists. Throughout, carefully review the gender responsiveness of the language used in the
teaching and learning materials.
Teaching methodologies: Select teaching methodologies that will ensure equal participation of both
girls and boys. Some teaching methodologies like group work, group discussions, role play, debates,
case studies, explorations and practicals can be very effective in encouraging student participation
and will therefore give the girls opportunity to participate more actively. In practice, take care that
dominant individuals do not sideline less assertive ones.
Learning activities: The lesson plan should make allowance for all students to participate in the
learning activity. When doing a practical science experiment, ensure that both girls and boys have a
chance to use the equipment and chemicals. There should also be equal participation in such activities
as making presentations. When assigning projects, ensure that both girls and boys are given leadership
positions and roles. Take into account how the learning materials will be distributed equally to both
girls and boys, especially in cases of shortages, and consider the needs of children with disabilities.
Classroom set up and interaction: The lesson plan should consider the classroom set up. Consider
how to arrange the classroom and interact with the students in a way that will promote equal
participation of girls and boys. Plan in advance to ask substantive questions to both girls and boys.
Think about where to stand, sit or move about the classroom during the lesson. Even in cases where
the classroom space is too small, try to create space so that you as a teacher can move around and
reach all the children during the lesson as well as allow the mobility of any children with disabilities.
Management of other gender constraints to learning inside the classroom: Allow time to deal with
gender specific problems, if any, such as girls who have missed class due to menstruation, household
chores or family responsibilities. Watch for indications of bullying, sexual harassment, adolescent
hormonal upheavals, the impact of HIV and AIDS, peer pressure, among others. Know where these
issues can be reported should they actually be serious.
Feedback and assessment: Make time for adequate feedback from both girls and boys to ensure that
both girls and boys have understood the lesson.
57
1. How can a teacher improve their lesson planning to make it more
gender sensitive?
2. What are some of the things a teacher can say during feedback to
encourage both the boys and girls to perform better?
References
1. Fact Sheet VIII: How to make methodologies gender responsive
2. Exercise VII: check list for gender-responsive lesson planning
3. Exercise IX: Evaluating a lesson plan
58
References
Allana, Anita, Nargis Asad and Yasmin Sherali (2010) ‘Gender in academic settings: Role of teachers’,
International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, Vol. 1, No. 4.
Central Statistical Office (2011) Living Conditions Monitoring Survey 2010. Government of the
Republic of Zambia.
Mlama, Penina, Marema Dioum, Herbert Makoye, Lornah Murage, Margaret Wagah and Rose
Washika (2011) Gender responsive pedagogy: A teacher’s handbook. Forum for African Women
Educationalists.
Frei, Sibyl and Sevilla Leowinata (2014) Gender mainstreaming toolkit for teachers and teacher
educators. Burnaby, BC: Commonwealth of Learning.
Ministry of Education (2010) National Implementation Framework III: 2011-2015. Government of the
Republic of Zambia.
Rousso, Harilyn (2003) ‘Education for All: a gender and disability perspective’. Background paper
prepared for the Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2003/4 Gender and Education for All:
The Leap to Equality. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Spade, Joan and Catherine Valentine (2013) The Kaleidoscope of Gender: Prisms, Patterns, and
Possibilities, 4th Ed. Sage.
UN Women (2014) World survey on the role of women in development 2014: Gender Equality And
Sustainable Development.
UNDP (2013) Human Development Report: The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse
World.
United Nations Evaluation Group (2011) Integrating human rights and gender equality in evaluation
– Towards UNEG Guidance.
59
Appendices
60
Fact sheet I: Adult learning principles
Interactive pedagogy is a concept enrooted in constructivist approaches emphasising the social
construction of knowledge and meaning, as well as the benefits of collaborative learning based on
flexible and open task sharing, leadership and coordination.
Traditional methods, such as lecturing, can be used during training courses, but teacher trainers
should also introduce interactive and participatory methods that will allow trainees to share their
own experiences and opinions.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
Adults learn best when they want to learn
Adults learn best when information is given to them in a logical order and in small units
Adults learn best when they are treated like adults
Adults learn best when they do something
Adults learn best when they get an opportunity to practice what they are learning
Adults learn best when they know how well they are doing and when they get some feeling
of success
g) Adults learn best when the training and topics are of use in their daily lives
h) Adults learn best when there is repetition
i) Adults learn best when the trainer recognises that they have experience and makes use of
this experience in the training
j) Adults learn best when the new knowledge is related to something they already know
k) Adults learn best when they feel free to ask questions and there is some discussion between
learners and the trainer.
Retention rate: The trainer must therefore understand their retention rates to ensure maximum
learning takes place.
The figure below illustrates the retention rate after using each of the training methods: you have to
remember that adult learners have a wealth of knowledge and experiences; adults learn what they
want to learn; they see what they want to see; they hear what they want to hear; the learners are in
a hurry.
Lecture
(5%)
Reading
(10%)
Audio visual (20%)
Demonstration (30%)
Discussion group (50%)
Practise by doing (75%)
Teaching/facilitate other immediate use of
learning (90%)
Source: National Training Laboratories Bethel, Maine
61
Fact sheet II: Gender concepts
The following glossary explains important concepts and definitions related to gender awareness and
responsiveness. The glossary is a reference for individuals who are learning about gender equality and
trying to be part of changing gender biases and stereotypes so that all girls/women and boys/men can
be more successful in school and in life. The definitions can be discussed in groups — whether faceto-face or through technology — or copied to keep handy as a quick reference guide.
Gender
A concept that refers to the roles and responsibilities of women/girls and men/boys that are defined
in our families, our societies and our cultures, including what characteristics, aptitudes and
behaviours are expected of each gender. These roles and expectations are learned, not biologically
predetermined or fixed.
Sex
Sex refers to the biological and physiological differences between males and females as determined
by nature. It is God-given, universal and non-changeable.
Social construction of gender
Refers to how society values and allocates duties, roles and responsibilities to women, men, girls and
boys. This differential valuing creates the gender division of labour and determines differences in
access to benefits and decision making which in turn influences power relations and reinforces gender
roles. This is done at various levels of gender socialisation including family, religion, education, culture,
peers and the media.
Gender and culture
Culture refers to people’s way of life, systems of beliefs, values, rituals, interaction patterns and
socialisation which determine attributes, roles, responsibilities, and expectations in a society. It
determines what the society wants and expects from women, men, girls and boys. It defines the status
and power relations between women, men, girls and boys. Gender concerns are as a result of cultural
context and socialisation in society. Examples of these are:






Preference for a boy to a girl child
Heir to property
Naming systems
Initiation ceremonies
Marital practices
Gender based violence
Gender roles
Gender roles are reflected in activities ascribed to men and women on the basis of perceived
differences which are reinforced through the gender division of labour. This arises from the
socialisation of individuals from the earliest stages of life through identification with specific
characteristics associated with being male or female.
Gender relations
Refers to social relationships between men and women within a specified time and place. These social
relationships explain the differences in power relations between the sexes.
Gender stereotypes
62
A stereotype is an oversimplified positive or negative characteristic that is used to describe or label a
group of people. Gender stereotypes use roles, attitudes or behaviours to describe girls/women and
boys/men differently. For example, girls/women might be expected to fill traditional roles, making it
hard for them to reach their full potential. Stereotypes are structured sets of beliefs about the
personal attributes, behaviours, roles of a specific social group. Gender stereotypes are biased and
often exaggerated images of women and men which are used repeatedly in everyday life.
Gender blindness
The failure to recognise that the roles and responsibilities of men/boys and women/girls are given to
them in specific social, cultural, economic and political contexts and backgrounds, and that outcomes
can be affected by gender.
Gender discrimination
Denying opportunities and rights or giving preferential treatment to some people on the basis of their
sex.
Gender division of labour
The different types of work that men and women do as a consequence of their socialisation and
accepted patterns of work within a given context.
Gender equity
The process of being fair to women and men in the distribution of resources and responsibilities.
Increased gender equity leads to greater gender equality. (Note that there is no broad agreement on
the distinction between “gender equity” and “gender equality”; sometimes they are used
interchangeably). To ensure fairness, measures must often be available to compensate for historical
and social disadvantages that prevent women and men from otherwise operating on a “level playing
field.”
Gender equality
Gender equality refers to the enjoyment of equal rights, opportunities and treatment by men and
women and by boys and girls in all spheres of life. It is the absence of discrimination on the basis of a
person’s sex, in terms of rights, responsibilities, opportunities and benefits. It does not simply or
necessarily mean equal numbers of men and women or boys and girls in all activities, nor does it
necessarily mean treating, men and women or boys and girls exactly the same. It signifies an aspiration
to work towards a society in which neither women nor men suffer from poverty in its many forms,
and in which women and men are able to live equally fulfilling lives. It means recognising that men
and women often have different needs and priorities, face different constraints, have different
aspirations and contribute to development in different ways.
Gender analysis
Gender analysis or gender-based analysis is a way of looking at the impact of development on women
and men. It requires separating data by sex and understanding how work is divided, valued and
rewarded. It asks how a particular activity, decision or plan will affect men and women differently. It
is a process of examining roles and responsibilities or any other situation in regard to women and men;
boys and girls, with a view to identifying gaps, raising concern and addressing them; investigating and
identifying specific needs of girls and boys, women and men for policy and programme development
and implementation.
63
Gender audit
The analysis and evaluation of policies, programmes and institutions in terms of how they have made
changes based on gender considerations and whether they succeed in meeting gender-related
criteria.
Gender awareness
An understanding that there are socially and culturally determined differences between women/girls
and men/boys based on learned behaviour, which affect their ability to access and control resources.
Gender issue
This is a point of gender inequality that is undesirable and therefore an intervention. It results from
some form of gender discrimination or oppression. A gender issue arises when there is inequality,
inequity or differentiated treatment of an individual or a group of people purely on the basis of social
expectations and attributes of gender. Gender issues are sometimes called gender concerns.
Gender practical needs/interests
These are needs related to the roles of reproduction, production and community work of men and
women which, when met, do not necessarily change their relative position/condition in society, which
arise from the gender roles.
Gender strategic needs/interests
Refers to higher level of needs of women and men which, when met, help change their status in
society. Examples of such needs are decision making and access to information.
Gender sensitivity
This is the ability to perceive existing gender differences, issues and equalities, and incorporate these
into strategies and actions.
Gender responsiveness
This means planning and implementing activities that meet identified gender issues/concerns that
promote gender equality.
Gender transformation
Describes a situation where women and men change their way of thinking from patriarchal towards a
gender equality perspective.
Gender mainstreaming
The process of assessing the implications for women/girls and men/boys of any planned action —
including legislation, policies or programmes — in all areas and at all levels. This includes creating and
sharing knowledge, awareness and responsibility for gender equality. It is also a strategy for including
the concerns of girls/women and boys/men in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation
of education policies and programmes so that girls and boys, women and men benefit equally. It is the
process of integrating a gender equality perspective into the development process at all stages and
levels. Gender mainstreaming is a strategy for the achievement of gender equality.
Empowerment
64
The process of gaining access to resources, opportunities and decision-making processes, and of
developing the skills, abilities and confidence to participate actively in shaping one’s own life and one’s
community in economic, social and political terms.
Gender neutral
Having no positive or negative impact on women/girls or men/boys, and not showing or intending any
bias towards women or men.
Gender parity in education
This concept is achieved when the percentage of boys compared to girls enrolled in the education
system is the same as the percentage of boys compared to girls of the same age group in the
community, region or country. This data is generally based on a count of students at the beginning of
a school year. (Note that this narrow interpretation of gender parity in education does not consider
other factors, including extended absences, the number of girls or boys who drop out during the year,
how successful each person’s learning is, or the impact of other factors, such as gender mainstreaming
in the classroom, through online distance learning and in the curriculum.)
Gender responsive
This concept refers to planning and carrying out programmes, policies or activities in ways that
consider the different needs of men/boys and women/girls and involve them in decision-making,
participation and opportunities. This usually requires developing specific actions to bring about more
equitable gender relationships, and it may require clearly targeted budget allocations.
Good practice
Good practice is not necessarily very detailed or perfect. Instead, it is an available solution to a specific
problem, given the available resources, environment and context. A good practice in gender
mainstreaming should be any procedure that not only “works well” in terms of actions, methods or
strategy but also is part of a wider strategy for gender mainstreaming.
Practical gender needs
These are basic needs or survival needs that relate to inadequacies in living and working conditions,
such as toilet facilities, food, water, housing, clothing and healthcare. Girls/women and boys/men
often have different needs.
Productive work
Any work that generates payment in cash or in kind. Men’s productive work usually takes place outside
the household and generates monetary income. Women’s productive work commonly occurs around
the household and is generally less valued, or not even taken into account.
Quality education
Aspects of quality in education include the freedom to enter school, to learn and participate there in
safety and security, to develop identities that tolerate others, to promote health, to complete
secondary education, to become literate and numerate, and to enjoy economic, political and cultural
opportunities. Quality education also encompasses the content of learning materials and the
curriculum, the nature of the teaching and learning materials, and teacher-learner relations.
Reproductive rights
65
The right of any individual or couple to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing
of their children and to have the information and means to do so and the right to attain the highest
standard of sexual and reproductive health.
Reproductive work
Work in and around the household, such as raising children, cooking and cleaning, that usually does
not generate monetary income. It is typically assumed to be the responsibility of women, yet men also
often perform reproductive work such as taking care of machines or washing the car.
Sex-disaggregated data
Information that is collected separately on men and women or boys and girls. These data can be used
to look at how girls and women are faring compared with boys and men, rather than only using data
that lump them together.
Sex discrimination
Treating a person less favourably because of his or her sex.
Sexual harassment
Unwanted conduct of a sexual nature affecting the safety or dignity of women, men, boys or girls,
including the conduct of superiors and peers. In addition to a forced sexual act, sexual harassment
includes abusive language and gestures, sexual advances, touching and groping, passing unwanted
notes, and character assassination through graffiti or gossip.
Strategic gender interests
These are root causes of inequality between genders, such as access to education and training, control
over resources and control/influence over decision-making. Work on these interests seeks to change
power imbalances and is usually long term.
Tokenism
A specific action to include one or a few members of a marginalised group, such as women or people
with disabilities, without making significant changes to address the real discrimination.
Violence
Includes bullying, verbal abuse, physical assault, corporal punishment, gang violence, unwanted
physical contact such as touching and groping, sexual harassment and forced sexual activity.
66
Fact Sheet III: International instruments protecting promoting gender equality
Instrument
UN Universal
Declaration of
Human Rights
(1948)
UNESCO
Convention
Against
Discrimination
in Education
(1960)
ILO/UNESCO
Recommendatio
n Concerning
the Status of
Teachers (1966)
UN Declaration
on the
Elimination of
All Forms of
Racial
Discrimination
(1963)
UN Convention
on the
Elimination of
All Forms of
Discrimination
Against Women
(1979)
Content
This agreement promotes universal respect for and observance of human rights and
fundamental freedoms — including that all of these rights apply equally to women
— by describing what they are and how such rights can be protected. Article 26
states that everyone has the right to an education, and that at least the elementary
level of education should be free and compulsory. It also states that other levels of
education should be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit, and that
education should strengthen respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
It also affirms parents’ right to choose the kind of education given to their children.
www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/#atop
This agreement recognises that UNESCO and the countries that signed the
convention have a duty to eliminate and prevent any form of discrimination in
education, as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Countries are
responsible for promoting equality of opportunity and treatment for all in education
at all levels, including access to education, the standard and quality of education,
and how and where it is provided. The convention also calls for provision of training
for the teaching profession without discrimination.
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.phpURL_ID=12949&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
This agreement applies to all teachers in both public and private schools up to the
end of secondary education. Key points are:
• Teaching should be regarded as a profession, and promotion should be
based on an objective assessment of the teacher’s qualifications.
• Teachers have a responsibility to contribute to social, cultural and economic
progress.
• All aspects of the training and employment of teachers should be free
from any form of discrimination.
• For female teachers, marriage should not prevent women from teaching,
and they should receive fair pay. Women should not be fired for
pregnancy or maternity leave. Women with family responsibilities should
be given teaching posts close to home and encouraged to return to
teaching after leaving to look after family responsibilities.
www.ilo.org/sector/Resources/sectoral-standards/WCMS_162034/lang-en/index.htm
This agreement addresses discrimination on the basis of race, colour or ethnic origin,
as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and states that
discrimination should be prevented, especially in: civil rights; public facilities; and
access to citizenship, education, religion, employment, occupation and housing. In
terms of education, Article 8 says that steps should be taken to eliminate racial
discrimination and prejudice, and promote understanding, tolerance and friendship
amongst nations and racial groups in the fields of teaching, education and
information
www.hrcr.org/docs/CERD/cerd2.html
This agreement, commonly called CEDAW, is often described as an international bill
of rights for women. It defines discrimination against women, describes national
actions to end such discrimination, and details ways to ensure women’s equal access
to and equal opportunities in political and public life, education, health and
employment. The specific ways that countries can ensure equality between women
and men in the field of education are covered in Article 10, including:
• access to education and scholarships at all levels;
• same curricula, exams, staff, schools and equipment;
67
•
UN Convention
on the Rights of
the Child (1989)
UN
International
Convention on
the Protection
of the Rights of
All Migrant
Workers and
Members of
Their Families
(1990)
Beijing Platform
for Action
(1995)
Millennium
Development
Goals (2000)
eliminating stereotypical roles in education programmes, textbooks and
teaching methods;
• reducing early dropouts and reaching those who leave school early;
• opportunities to participate in sports and physical education; and
• access to information about the health and well-being of families, including
information and advice on family planning.
www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/cedaw.htm
This agreement recognises the special care due to children, that they are entitled
to human rights protections just like all other people, and that any actions by social
welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or other public
institutions need to be in the best interest of the child. Article 28 says that every
child has the right to an education, primary education shall be mandatory and free,
and secondary education shall be available and accessible to every child.
www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx
This agreement restates the basic rights of migrant workers that are already covered
under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In terms of education, Article 30
says that migrant workers’ children have the same rights to basic education as
nationals of the country where their parents are working.
www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/internationalmigration/international-migrationconvention/
The final large UN World Conference for Action on Women took place in Beijing,
China, in 1995. At that large meeting of government and civil society
representatives, the Platform for Action was developed, built on CEDAW and the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The strategic objectives in the Beijing
Platform for Action specific to education are:
• B1: Ensure equal access to education.
• B2: Eradicate illiteracy amongst women.
• B3: Improve women’s access to vocational training, science and technology,
and continuing education.
• B4: Develop non-discriminatory education and training.
• B5: Allocate sufficient resources for and monitor the implementation of
educational reforms.
• B6: Promote lifelong education and training for girls and women. A Special
Session of the U.N. General Assembly in June 2000 reviewed progress on
the Beijing Platform for Action and proposed actions to accelerate
implementation.
www.unesco.org/education/information/nfsunesco/pdf/BEIJIN_E.PDF
The largest ever gathering of world leaders adopted the UN Millennium Declaration
in 2000, forming a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty. They created
a series of targets to be reached by 2015 that are known as the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). They are listed here, with more detail on Goals 2 and
3, which relate to education:
• Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
• Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education. Ensure by 2015 that children
everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of
primary schooling.
• Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women. Eliminate gender
disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all
levels of education no later than 2015.
• Goal 4: Reduce child mortality.
68
•
•
Dakar
Framework for
Action:
“Education for
All” (2000)
Global
Partnership for
Education
(2002)
Commonwealth
Plan of Action
for Gender
Equality 2005–
2015 (2005)
Goal 5: Improve maternal health.
Goal 6: Combat HIV transmission as well as AIDS, malaria and other
diseases.
• Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability.
• Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development.
www.unmillenniumproject.org/goals
A World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal, in April 2000 looked at the results of a
very large evaluation of education, called the Education for All (EFA) 2000
Assessment. The Dakar Framework set goals for meeting the basic learning needs of
every child, youth and adult by 2015, with special attention to education in disasters
and conflicts. The “Education for All” goals are:
• Goal 1: Expand and improve comprehensive early childhood care and
education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
• Goal 2: Ensure that by 2015, all children — particularly girls, children in
difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities — have
access to, and complete, free and compulsory primary education of good
quality.
• Goal 3: Ensure that the learning needs of all young people and adults are
met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills
programmes.
• Goal 4: Achieve a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by
2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing
education for all adults.
• Goal 5: Eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary education by
2005, and achieve gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on
ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education
of good quality.
• Goal 6: Improve all aspects of the quality of education and ensure
excellence of all so that recognised and measurable learning outcomes are
achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001211/121147e.pdf
Established in 2002, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is made up of almost
60 developing countries, donor governments, international organisations, the
private sector, teachers and non-governmental organisations. GPE works with
developing country partners to create education plans. Their strategic objectives
are:
• Supporting education in fragile and conflict-affected states;
• Promoting girls’ education;
• Increasing basic numeracy and literacy skills in primary school;
• Improving teacher effectiveness through training and recruitment; and
• Expanding funding and support to education in GPE countries.
www.globalpartnership.org
Although not specific to education, this plan of action provides the framework within
which the Commonwealth will advance its commitment to gender equality and
equity. Based on current and emerging challenges, the Plan of Action identifies four
critical areas:
• Gender, democracy, peace and conflict
• Gender, human rights and law
• Gender, poverty eradication and economic empowerment
• Gender, HIV and AIDS
http://assets.thecommonwealth.org/assetbankcommonwealth/action/viewAsset?id=19545&index=1&total=41&view=viewSearch
Item
69
Global
Education First
Initiative (2012)
Recommendatio
ns to the 10th
Commonwealth
Women’s
Affairs
Ministerial
Meeting from
the Partners’
Forum (2013)
Charter of the
Commonwealth
(2013)
The Global Education First Initiative is led by the Secretary-General of the United
Nations, Ban Ki-moon. It is intended to draw attention to the importance of
education by strengthening the global movement to achieve quality education for
all, including by increasing donors and donations. In support of the 2000 Education
for All goals established in the Dakar Framework, the three priorities of this initiative
are to:
• Put every child in school;
• Improve the quality of learning; and
• Foster global citizenship.
http://globaleducationfirst.org/about.html
Known as the 10WAMM, the meeting included representatives from 17
Commonwealth countries and stakeholders from civil society, business, academia,
media, governments, parliaments and donor communities. Although not focused
specifically on education, the recommendations that resulted from the meeting,
based on moving forward on the MDGs post-2015, called on governments to do
the following:
• Prioritise women’s and girls’ economic empowerment in the post-2015
development agenda.
• Urgently address specific barriers to women’s economic empowerment in
their countries through:
• Strengthening policies to promote women’s entrepreneurship across the
Commonwealth;
• Preventing and eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls;
and
• Recognising and addressing the needs of women and girls with disabilities.
www.commonwealthfoundation.com/sites/cwf/files/downloads/10WPF%20Reco
mmendations.pdf
This agreement was developed as a way for members of the Commonwealth to work
together as a force for good and a network for co-operation and development. The
Charter affirms and supports: democratic rights; human rights; international peace
and security; tolerance, respect and understanding; freedom of expression;
separation of powers (between elected politicians, the cabinet and the legal
system); the rule of law; sustainable development; protecting the environment;
access to health, education, food and shelter; gender equality; the importance of
young people; recognition of the needs of small states and vulnerable states; and
the role of civil society.
• In terms of education, the focus is on education being affordable, and the
promotion of health and well-being.
• In terms of gender equality, it is recognised as essential to human
development and basic human rights.
http://thecommonwealth.org/sites/default/files/page/documents/CharteroftheCo
mmonwealth.pdf
Adapted from: Frei and Leowinata (2014)
70
Fact sheet IV: Zambia’s National Gender Policy
The National Gender Policy is aimed at ensuring the attainment of gender equality in the development process
by redressing the existing gender imbalances. It also provides for equal opportunities for women and men to
actively participate and contribute to their fullest ability and equitably benefit from national development.
VISION
Government’s Vision on gender and development is:
“A nation where there is gender equity and equality for sustainable development”.
RATIONALE
The reasons for revising the National Gender Policy of 2000 are as follows:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
The need to address the gaps identified in the process of implementing the 2000 National Gender
Policy;
The need to address persistence and emerging gender related issues such as the increased
prevalence of gender based violence especially among women, feminization of HIV and AIDS,
rising rate of cervical cancer, drug trafficking and climate change;
The need to align the Policy to regional and international instruments to which Zambia is a State
Party; and
The need to align the National Gender Policy to the current Government’s aspirations and
priorities.
The implementation of this Policy shall be guided by the following principles:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
GENDER EQUITY AND EQUALITY This Policy rests on the principle that women and men are equal
in all respects, differentiated only by their physical traits and biological functions. It follows that
all forms of discrimination based on sex and gender should be eliminated.
RIGHTS BASED APPROACH The Policy is premised on the human rights approach that seeks to
improve the rights of women, men and children to ensure full participation and equal benefit
from the national development processes.
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR GENDER MAINSTREAMING Under this principle, stakeholders both public
and private are required to account for gender mainstreaming in the implementation of their
policies, programmes and activities.
CORE CULTURAL VALUES Stakeholders are expected to uphold and advance cultural values and
practices that promote respect for both women and men.
TRANSPARENCY Under this principle, stake holders are expected to uphold open communication
and accountability.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION Notwithstanding the principle of gender equity and equality, this Policy
acknowledges that special measures (legislative and/or otherwise), are necessary for the
advancement of those who are disadvantaged due to gender discrimination.
The policy has 15 objectives, the most relevant for this toolkit include the following two:
CULTURE, FAMILY AND SOCIALISATION OBJECTIVE
To curb traditional and cultural practices which inhibit the advancement of women, men and children.
MEASURES
a) Engage traditional leaders as champions of change
(i) Identify harmful/negative traditional practices that infringe on women’s and girls’ rights.
71
(ii) Revise syllabus content of girls and boys undergoing initiation ceremonies to include values
that promote traditional and cultural values.
(iii) Create awareness regarding ill-effects of forced, early/child marriages on girl children.
(iv) Lobby for elimination of negative cultural and traditional customs that inhibit equal
participation of men and women in traditional governance and other grassroots structures.
(v) Disseminate messages at various forums that promote equal sharing of household
responsibilities between men-women and girls-boys.
b) Engage young people on issues of negative cultural practices
(i) Sensitisation workshops in educational institutions.
(ii) Organise inter-generation dialogue between young people and senior citizens.
c) Ensure advancement of girls in education
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
Lobby for construction of more boarding houses to accommodate girls.
Establishment of girls’ technical schools.
Converting boys only technical schools into co-education.
Re-enrolment of girls who have dropped out of schools especially due to pregnancies.
EDUCATION AND SKILLS TRAINING OBJECTIVE
To increase access to quality education and skills development for all.
MEASURES
a) Engender the education system
i)
b)
Review and revise curriculums, syllabuses and TLM
 Teacher education
 School education
 Higher and Technical Studies
 Adult Education
 Functional Literacy
ii)
Promotion of enrolment and availability of infrastructural facilities.
iii)
Encourage enrolment of girls in technical courses.
iv)
Strengthen readmission of teenage girls who have dropped out due to pregnancy.
v)
Raise awareness amongst girls and boys to prevent incidences of teenage pregnancies
and forced early/child marriages.
vi)
Increase availability of educational institutions.
vii)
Increase ICT skills and facilities to enable continued education for girls, boys, women and
men.
viii)
Increase availability of residential facilities attached to educational institutions. ix)
Ensure educational institutions have adequate toilet and water facilities particularly for
female staff and students.
ix)
Appoint equal number of women and men as teachers.
x)
Provide support to improve completion rates especially amongst girls.
Promotion of adult functional literacy and education
i)
Organise functional literacy initiatives for women and men.
ii)
Organise training programmes (in line with Transformational Education and
Ladder of Citizen Participation) for women and men to enable them to
become active citizens and participate in the decentralisation processes for
local governance.
72
Fact sheet V: The Anti-Gender Based Violence Act
This is an Act developed to protect citizens from Gender Based violence (GBV). It provides a legal framework in
the fight against GBV by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Counselling and rehabilitating victims
Removing them from abusive situations
Ensuring the victims are protected and are not forced to return to abusive situations
Instituting punishment and rehabilitation for the perpetrators of GBV.
The Act provides a guide to the definition of GBV and lists the various GBV offences. GBV is defined as any
form of sexual, physical, economic or psychological harm or threat of harm, directed against a person on the
basis of gender.
Types of GBV offences and their commonly known names
Categories of
GBV offences
a. Sexual abuse
GBV offences as
provided for by the Law
• Defilement
• Incest
• Rape
• Indecent assault
b. Physical abuse
•
•
•
Spouse battery
Assault
Torture
c. Psychological/
emotional
/mental abuse
•
Use of insulting
language
Abusive language
d. Economic
abuse
•
•
•
•
Property grabbing
Failing to provide
Depriving the
beneficiary
Commonly known name of GBV offences
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Harassment (any type of unwanted sexual attention)
Touching sexual parts of the girl/women, boy/man’s
body
Touching in a sexual manner against the will of the
girl/women, boy/man (e.g. kissing, grabbing, fondling)
Rape (forces sexual intercourse)
Use of a weapon to force into the sexual act
Forced prostitution
Beating
Biting
Kicking
Pulling hair
Choking
Throwing objects
Using weapons
Emotional/mental torture
Insulting
Yelling
Recalling past mistakes
Constant criticism
Expressing negative expectations
Humiliation
Silent treatment
Family desertion
The Act also provides guidelines on how to report these cases. E.g. How to report sexual abuse
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Report to the police
Go to a Government Health Centre to have a medical examination
Take the medical report to the police
Police open a case based on the findings of the medical report
Police make an arrest
Court hearing about the case
73
Fact sheet VI: The Zambia Education Act 2011
The Zambia Education Act 2011 provides for equal access to quality education and training for women and men
as well as their retention at all levels of education. It further provides for challenging stereotypes in education
and eradicating GBV in educational institutions. Examples include:
Article 31: Gender balance and equity in educational institutions and educational systems:
(1) The Minister shall promote equity in access to education, participation in, and successful completion of
education at all levels, irrespective of gender, social class or disability.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of sub-section (1), an Education Board or board of management shall
develop and implement plans for the promotion of equal opportunities of access to, and participation in, the
various levels of school education for which the education board or board of management is responsible.
(3) An Education Board or board of management shall ensure that both the curriculum and the associated
teaching materials at an educational institution are gender sensitive.
(4) Gender issues and the development of gender sensitive teaching methodologies shall be integral to the
pre-service and in-service training of teachers.
(5) The Minister shall endeavour to provide equal education opportunities for both male and female learners.
Article 32: Provision for protection against gender-based violence
(1) An Education Board or board of management shall develop procedures for preventing the gender based
violence of employees, teachers and learners at educational institutions.
(2) An education board or board of management shall establish mechanisms of dealing with cases of genderbased violence.
The Act reinforces the National Policy on Education of 1996, which has specific provisions aimed at eliminating
factors that hinder access, progression and accomplishment of girls in schools and colleges. Female and male
students are to be treated as equal beneficiaries and participants at all levels of education.
Part IV 18 (1) of the policy provides that:
Subject to the constitution and any other written law, a learner who is a child, shall not contract any form of
marriage.
2) A person shall not:
(a) Marry or marry off a learner who is a child; or
(b) prevent or stop a learner who is a child from attending school for the purpose of marrying off the learner
who is a child.
(c) a person who contravenes this section commits an offence and is liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment
for a period of not less than fifteen years and may be liable to imprisonment for life.
Section 19 says that an educational institution shall not discriminate against a learner in any manner.
Section 22(1) provides that the Minister shall ensure equal access to quality education to all learners, including
poor and vulnerable children.
While section (5) ensures that education board and the board of management of an educational institution
shall adopt a policy of positive and affirmative action in relation to poor and vulnerable children.
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Fact sheet VII: Women in the Bible
Did you know there are 187 women named in the Bible, and hundreds more mentioned? Most of us
know Eve, Sarah, Mary the mother of Jesus, and the sisters Mary and Martha. Look below at the lives
of women who may not get much attention, but they all served a purpose in God’s plan of redemption.
1. Lot’s Wife (Gen. 19 & Luke 17:32). Lot’s wife had a choice — she could obey the messenger of the
Lord and follow her husband to safety out of Sodom and Gomorrah, or she could hang onto her
old life of sin and worldly pleasures. Unfortunately, she couldn’t completely turn her back on her
old life and was turned into a pillar of salt.
2. Miriam (Ex. 2:4-10; 15:20-21; Num. 12:1-15; 20:1; Micah 6:4). We first meet Miriam when she’s
following her baby brother Moses down the river, where their mother had sent him to save his
life. Later, Moses and his brother Aaron led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. After crossing
the Red Sea, Miriam led the women in singing and dancing to praise the Lord for His deliverance.
3. Samson’s Mom (Jug. 13). In the days when Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord (Judges 13:1), a
messenger from God visited the wife of Manoah. He told her that she would give birth to a son
who would be a Nazarite, he would be set apart for the Lord’s service. She followed the
messenger’s instructions and named her son Samson. Even though Samson didn’t always obey
God, he is listed as a hero of faith in Hebrews 11. He clearly learned lessons of faith from his
obedient mother.
4. Abigail (1 Sam. 25). Abigail was a beautiful, intelligent woman married to Nabal, whose name
literally meant “fool.” Nabal insulted David, who wanted retaliation on Nabal and his household.
Abigail wisely interceded and saved their lives. David saw Abigail’s beauty and intelligence, and
when Nabal died, David married Abigail.
5. Naaman’s Maidservant (2 Kings 5). Although she had been captured in Israel and brought to Syria
as a house servant, this teenager told her mistress about a prophet in Samaria who she said could
heal her master Naaman’s leprosy. She could have withheld this information out of anger, but she
did not and showed God’s mercy in this pagan land.
6. Gomer (Hosea). Gomer was the unfaithful wife of the prophet Hosea. God used their relationship
as a picture of His love for Israel. Hosea’s relentless love redeemed her from a life of harlotry.
7. Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-25, 57-66). God sent a messenger to Elizabeth’s husband Zacharias, telling him
they would give birth to a son, John, who would be great in the sight of the Lord, filled with the
Holy Spirit even when in Elizabeth’s womb. While still pregnant, Elizabeth’s cousin Mary came to
visit, revealing she was also pregnant. Elizabeth immediately knew Mary was the mother of the
coming Saviour. Elizabeth was a friend and mentor to Mary during her pregnancy.
8. Anna (Luke 2:36-38). Anna had been a widow for decades, and was serving at the temple. She saw
the baby Jesus when He was presented at the temple. She praised God and told all those she met
about Him. I would consider Anna the first evangelist!
9. James & John’s Mom (Matt. 20:20-28; 27:56; Mark 10:35-45; 15:40; 16:1). Also known as
Zebedee’s wife, James and John’s mom was proud of her sons for being in Jesus’ inner circle. So
proud, she asked Jesus if James and John could sit at His right and left hands in His Kingdom. Jesus
used her question to teach His disciples about true greatness. This mom to the Sons of Thunder
learned an important lesson from the Son of Man.
10. Dorcas (Acts 9:36-43). Dorcas was a beloved disciple in the town of Joppa, so beloved that when
she died, her friends called Peter and showed him the tunics and garments she had made for the
widows. Peter prayed for her to raise from the dead, and she did. Dorcas had a servant’s heart,
and her legacy was one of love and care for others.
Source: http://donotdepart.com/top-10-women-in-the-bible
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Fact sheet VIII: Gender mainstreaming ladder
Learning and
action
mainstreaming
What it means
Gender equality changes have clearly been acted on, systems for
monitoring and evaluating results are set up, further gender analysis is done
based on the new data, and more changes are introduced as needed.

Implemented
mainstreaming
It is clear how the institutions and teachers acted on the gender-equality
changes recommended by the gender analysis, and integrated them into
the curricula.

Institutionalised
mainstreaming
The results of the gender analysis are evident in some aspects of how the
institutions or teachers acted on the findings, including by changing the
curricula.

Integrated
mainstreaming
A gender analysis is done, but there is little evidence of how the institutions
or teachers consistently acted on the findings or made changes to the
curricula.

Pro forma
mainstreaming
A token sentence or paragraph is found in institutional or curriculum design
documents, with no evidence that it affected the structures, how teachers
are trained or how classes are taught.

Zero
mainstreaming
There is no mention of gender equality anywhere, or just an obviously
superficial reference.
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Fact sheet IX: The characteristics of a gender-sensitive teacher
Characteristics of an eagle
1. Eagles have vision
If you ever happen to see an, watch closely and
see how attentive the bird is. The body sits still
and the head will be tilted side to side to observed
what is happening below, around and above it.
Eagles have a keen vision. Their eyes are specially
designed for long distance focus and clarity.
2. Eagles are fearless
An eagle will never surrender to the size or
strength of its prey. It will always give a fight to
win its prey or regain its territory
3. Eagles are tenacious
Watch an eagle when a storm comes. When other
birds fly away from the storm with fear, an eagle
spreads its mighty wings and uses the current to
soar to greater heights. The eagle takes advantage
of the very storm that lesser birds fear and head
for cover.
4. Eagles possess vitality
At the age of 30, eagles find time to look back at
their life and re-energize themselves when their
physical body condition deteriorates fast making it
difficult for them to survive. The eagle never gives
up living, instead it retreats and over a five month
period goes through a metamorphosis. It knocks
off its own beak by banging it against a rock,
plucks out its talons and then feathers. Each stage
produces a re-growth of the removed body parts,
allowing the eagle to live for another 30-40 years.
5. Eagles nurture their younger ones
Eagles are known for their aggression but what is
more astonishing with this bird is their ability to
nurture their young ones. Research has shown
that no member of the bird family is more gentle
and attentive to its young ones than the eagles.
77
Characteristics of a gender sensitive teacher
1. They have vision
Like an eagle, maintain a vision of wanting to see
both the boys and girls not just accessing school,
but also completing school with good grades.
2. They are fearless
In promoting inclusiveness for both the boys and
the girls, you will face opposition sometimes even
from the learners parents. As a teacher remain
fearless and continue to do what is right. Protect
the children that come to you to learn
3. They are tenacious
As a teacher there will be many challenges that
you will face as you work to be inclusive. Do not
run away from these challenges, stay determined
and firmly continue to ensure the girls and boys
have an even playing field as they learn.
4. They have vitality
As a teacher continue to learn about more and
better ways to improve yourself so as to allow
you to continue to be a good teacher. Study
more, take tours of other schools where boys and
girls are being treated equally so that as you
come back you have new knowledge and skills to
continue to promote inclusiveness of the girls and
boys in education
5. They nurture the learners
As a teacher accept each child as they are and
nurture them accordingly. Pay attention to each
child and allow them to become the best they can
be with your help.
Fact sheet X: How to make methodologies gender responsive
Methodology
Action
Question and
1. Give equal chances to both girls and boys to answer questions.
answer method 2. Extend positive reinforcement to both girls and boys.
3. Allow sufficient time for students to answer questions, especially girls
who may be shy or afraid to speak out.
4. Assign exercises that encourage students, especially girls, to speak out.
5. Distribute questions to all the class and ensure that each student
participates.
6. Phrase questions to reflect gender representation – use names of both
men and women, use both male and female characters.
Group
1. Ensure that groups are mixed (both boys and girls).
discussion
2. Ensure that everyone has the opportunity to talk and to lead the
discussion.
3. Ensure that group leaders are both boys and girls.
4. Encourage both girls and boys to present the results.
5. Ensure that both girls and boys record the proceedings.
6. Ensure that groups consist of girls and boys of different academic
ability.
7. Ensure that the topic of the group discussion takes gender into account
– include both male and female heroes in a history class, both men and
women in a discussion on leadership.
Demonstration: 1. Make sure that the groups are mixed (boys and girls).
Dissection in a
2. Use different techniques to assure the students that is it all right to
biology
touch the specimens and deal with any fear that may be expressed or
practical lesson
apparent.
3. Encourage girls to touch the specimens, without making them feel
foolish or belittled.
4. Make sure that each learner has an opportunity to work with the
specimen.
5. Make sure that the boys do not dominate the execution of the
experiment.
6. Ensure that girls are not relegated to simply recording how the
dissection is done, but actually participate.
7. Make an effort to connect what is happening in the class to what
happens in everyday life – relating the dissection of a frog to cutting up
a chicken or fish in the kitchen.
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Factsheet XI: How to avoid gender-specific pronouns
Problem
For writers of English-language publications, the third-person singular pronoun (‘he,’ ‘she,’ ‘it’) poses a special
challenge. In the absence of a gender-neutral pronoun, writers can easily slip into traditional stereotypes
about the sex of clients, providers, and other groups. Unless the sex of a group is clear (for example, pregnant
women), use the solutions below to avoid these pronouns.
1.
Rewrite the sentence without pronouns.
Instead of: ‘If a supervisor wants to assess the actual quality of care offered at a clinic, he should observe
some consultations.’
Write: ‘To assess the actual quality of care offered at a clinic, a supervisor should observe some
consultations.’
2.
Make the sentence plural and use ‘they,’ ‘them,’ and ‘their.’
Instead of: ‘Voluntary counselling and HIV testing can encourage a client to protect himself and his
partner.’
Write: ‘Voluntary counselling and HIV testing can encourage clients to protect themselves and their
partners.’
3.
Write in the first person (‘I’) or second person (‘you’) if it is appropriate to the subject matter, for
example, in instructions and guidelines.
Instead of: ‘After the nurse explains how to use a contraceptive method, she should make sure the client
understands the instructions.’
Write: ‘After you explain how to use a contraceptive method, make sure the client understands the
instructions.’
4.
Use a double pronoun (for example, ‘she or he,’ ‘he/she,’ or ‘s/he’) if you want to stress the action of an
individual. When repeated frequently, however, this usage becomes awkward and interrupts the flow
of language.
Instead of: ‘An adolescent will not return for services if the provider treats her disrespectfully.’
Write: ‘An adolescent will not return for services if the provider treats her or him disrespectfully.’
5.
Omit possessive pronouns entirely, or use articles (‘the’ or ‘a’) instead.
Instead of: ‘The trainer should prepare all of his materials in advance.’
Write: ‘The trainer should prepare all of the materials in advance.’
6.
Use plural pronouns with ‘everybody,’ ‘anyone,’ ‘nobody,’ ‘someone,’ and other indefinite pronouns.
Instead of: ‘Everyone who comes to the clinic must bring her registration card.’
Write: ‘Everyone who comes to the clinic must bring their registration card.’
7.
Use the passive voice, but sparingly.
Instead of: ‘If a counsellor feels uncomfortable discussing sexual issues, she needs further training.’
Write: ‘Further training is needed when a counsellor feels uncomfortable discussing sexual issues.’
8.
Alternate between feminine and masculine pronouns to indicate that both genders are included in the
group described. Be careful not to confuse the reader.
Instead of: ‘Encourage each trainee to participate. Ask yourself: has he had a chance to talk? Has he taken
part in a role play?’
Write: ‘Encourage each trainee to participate. Ask yourself: has she had a chance to talk? Has he taken
part in a role play?’
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Exercises and
checklists
80
Exercise I: Match game on gender concepts
Instructions: For each term, find the matching definition. Place the letter from the definition beside
the term in the answer column. This exercise is best to do in groups of two or three — whether faceto-face or through technology — but can also be done on your own.
Answer
1. _____
Term
Gender
Definition
A. Preference given to some people based on their sex
2. _____
Gender analysis
B. Considering and responding to the different needs of
men/boys and women/girls
3. _____
Gender awareness
C. Looks at how access to and control over resources are
different between girls/women and boys/men
4. _____
D. Characteristics, attitudes or behaviours that are
expected of girls/women or boys/men
5. _____
Gender equity
E. Positive or negative generalisations about the roles,
attributes and behaviours of girls/women or boys/men
6. _____
Gender responsive
F. Unwanted conduct of a sexual nature
7. _____
Gender stereotype
G. Work in and around the household that usually does
not generate monetary income
8. _____
H. Boys/men and girls/women having equal access to
education
9. _____
Productive work
I. Any work that generates goods or services to meet
economic or subsistence needs
10. _____
Reproductive work
J. Knowing there are socially and culturally determined
differences between women and men
11. _____
Sexual harassment
K. Basic survival needs, such as food, water and shelter
12. _____
Strategic gender
interests
L. Root causes of social, economic and political inequality
between gender
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Exercise I: Match game on gender concepts – Answer sheet
Instructions: For each term, find the matching definition. Place the letter from the definition beside
the term in the answer column. This exercise is best to do in groups of two or three — whether faceto-face or through technology — but can also be done on your own.
Answer
1. ___D__
Term
Gender
Definition
A. Preference given to some people based on their sex
2. ___C__
Gender analysis
B. Considering and responding to the different needs of
men/boys and women/girls
3. __J___
Gender awareness
C. Looks at how access to and control over resources are
different between girls/women and boys/men
4. __A___
D. Characteristics, attitudes or behaviours that are
expected of girls/women or boys/men
5. __H___
Gender equity
E. Positive or negative generalisations about the roles,
attributes and behaviours of girls/women or boys/men
6. __B___
Gender responsive
F. Unwanted conduct of a sexual nature
7. __E___
Gender stereotype
G. Work in and around the household that usually does
not generate monetary income
8. __L___
H. Boys/men and girls/women having equal access to
education
9. __I___
Productive work
I. Any work that generates goods or services to meet
economic or subsistence needs
10. __G__
Reproductive work
J. Knowing there are socially and culturally determined
differences between women and men
11. __F___
Sexual harassment
K. Basic survival needs, such as food, water and shelter
12. __K___
Strategic gender
interests
L. Root causes of social, economic and political inequality
between gender
82
Exercise II: Gender biases – Dealing with stereotypes
Work individually and asses the statements in the table below. Decide which statements are always
true, which are always false, and which may be both true and false, depending on certain
conditions/circumstances:
Statements
True
why?
1
Men cannot take care of babies
2
Women cannot make fair judgments because they
are emotional
3
Men are better leaders than women
4
Girls enter puberty sooner than boys
5
Women are bad drivers
6
Best teachers are women
7
Women are not skilled for technical professions,
such as engineering
8
Women like gossiping
9
Girls are better in literature and arts, while boys
are better in mathematics and sciences
10 Girls are more diligent than boys
11 Men have a better sense of orientation
12 Men are not good cooks
13 The best doctors are men
14 Girls are clean and orderly
15 Boys are able to use modern technology
16 All girls like dolls
17 Boys are smarter than girls
83
False
why
Both true and false
depending on…
Exercise III: Identifying stereotypes in reading books
Gender stereotypes are present in many of the textbooks you use today. Review the text book you
have been given using the table below. Remember to look out for not just the pictures and what they
are portraying but also the language used.
Following the exercise, also discuss how you as teachers will counter these biases you have identified.
Textbook identification scale
1= Free of gender biases
2= Only rare gender biases
3= Average
4= Quite a lot of gender biases
5= Extremely gender biased
1
Textbook 1
Comments and examples
Textbook 2
Textbook 3
84
2
3
4
5
Exercise IV: Reviewing attitudes through a gender audit
In order to identify the problems and gaps with regard to gender equality in your school/ community,
it is important in the first place to carry out a gender audit. A gender audit is an assessment of
achievements and shortcomings with regard to gender issues in your local context.
Based on the (imaginary) situations in the table below, work with a pair and discuss, based on
arguments, which attitudes and behaviours are favourable to promoting gender equality in schools.
You may complete the table with your own examples/situations.
Examples of attitudes and behaviours
Why are
they
fostering
Gender
equality?
1
A girl wants to become a doctor. Her teacher
discourages her by stressing that it is a tough
and stressful profession.
2
Men are always preferred as school managers
and inspectors. It is assumed that men have
more authority.
3
Science teachers believe that girls are not that
interested in maths and science, so they pay
more attention to challenging boys with
complex problem solving. Boys are not
expected to be good in literature and arts, so
they are not that involved by their teachers in
cultural activities.
4
When learners have to deliver a public speech
(such as during a school celebration), boys are
always preferred to girls as girls are more
emotional and hence unpredictable.
85
Why are
they
hindering
Gender
Equality?
What would be
the right
attitudes and
behaviours to
foster Gender
Equality?
Exercise V: Checklist for a gender-responsive teacher and teacher educator
Instructions: Go through the checklist below and reflect on your teaching practices. Answer the
questions as honestly as you can.
1. If you are working on this exercise by yourself and there are topics that you have particular
difficulty with, try talking or connecting virtually with other teachers about how they manage
those issues, or read more about how to handle those situations, or see if you can get some
training to help you be more gender responsive on those issues.
2. If you are working in small groups — whether face-to-face or through technology — each person
could raise an issue that they have particular difficulty with, and the group could brainstorm
ideas for how to be more gender responsive on the topic. Work through at least a few topics
together.
1
Questions to consider
Are you aware of your own gender biases, and are you trying to change how
you act to be more gender responsive?
2
Do you know that you are an important role model to girls and boys? Are some
of the ways that you speak, write or act with female learners different than
how you speak, write or act with boys? And what about how you act with
teachers of the opposite sex?
3
Is sexual harassment a problem at your school? Do you and/or your colleagues
need training and support to stop abusing learners? Does your school have a
policy to prevent sexual harassment, and, if so, do you help enforce it?
4
Is physical, verbal or written abuse a problem at your school? Does your school
have a policy (e.g., anti-bullying) to prevent physical, verbal or written abuse? If
it does, do you help enforce it?
5
What kind(s) of teaching approaches do you usually use? Which ones
encourage equal participation of boys and girls?
6
Have you been able to help learners with disabilities participate actively in the
full range of classroom activities? Do you need training or peer support to learn
ways of involving them more?
During your lesson planning, how do you take into account gender issues?
7
8
Are examples used in lessons gender inclusive, such as using examples from
cooking and science when teaching the concept of “volume” in mathematics, or
inviting both a woman and a man from the community to talk about their
experience on a subject you are teaching? Do you phrase questions to reflect
gender representation, such as using names of both male and female
characters?
9
When you have learners work in small groups, do you ensure that each group
includes boys and girls, and that people with different levels of academic ability
are included in each group? Do you organise the groups so that boys and girls
are group leaders, record the discussions and present the results?
86
10 Do you have learners work in pairs or small groups, and have same-sex groups
some of the time as well as mixed-sex groups at other times? Do you design
some lessons so that students engage in more collaborative activities, such as
small group problem solving, and also use hands-on exercises? Do you use
music or other creative activities, and include friendly, gender-neutral
competition in some activities?
11 Are learning materials equally available to all learners? Do you relate the
materials and activities to everyday life? Are boys and girls encouraged to
handle the equipment and other materials, and are any fears they may have
about some of the materials addressed? Are boys and girls active participants in
experiments or games?
12 What kind of language do you use to encourage and support girls and boys? Is
your language or tone different for girls and boys? And do you take into
consideration other differences, such as mother tongue, class and ethnicity?
13 Do boys or girls answer most of the questions? Do boys or girls need to be given
more time or prompted before they answer questions? Do you ask questions
on harder topics only to boys or girls? Do boys or girls ask you the most
questions?
14 Do you spend more time and attention on boys or girls — such as in praising,
helping and correcting them, and in expecting them to do well?
15 Do you assess girls and boys compared to other girls or boys only, or to all
students in the class? If it feels unfair to compare boys with girls, are there
ways you can help the students be more equal in terms of both participation
and learning?
16 For what reasons are girls or boys punished? And what forms of punishment do
you use for boy or girls? In classrooms, for example, do you send the boy out
but tell the girl to sweep the classroom? In online environments, when you
want to punish learners, do you ask fewer questions of girls or boys, or do you
mark girls or boys harder?
17 Are girls and boys both given leadership roles, such as monitor or group leader?
And are boys and girls given different responsibilities or expected to do
different amounts of caretaking work in face-to-face learning environments?
Adapted from: Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit for Teachers and Teacher Educators
87
Exercise VI: Assessing teachers’ behaviour in class
Work in groups and complete the table below with appropriate teacher behaviour in the classroom.
Use the examples as suggestions and sources of inspiration. Share the list with the other groups.
Designate a member of the larger groups to draw a consolidated list based on the most interesting
and relevant suggestions from all groups. The finalised, consolidated list can be used in further training
activities promoting gender sensitiveness through teacher behaviour, as well as for supporting
classroom observation from gender perspective (i.e. as a check list of gender-sensitive teacher
behaviour).
Teachers’ gender-sensitive classroom behaviour
1
Teacher always invites both boys and girls to provide
answers to questions
2
Teacher always invites both boys and girls to ask
questions and/or engage in debates
3
Teacher assigns different tasks and responsibilities
to both boys and girls in a fair way (i.e. by rotation)
4
Teacher searches eye contact with both boys and
girls
5
Teacher never mocks/humiliates neither boys nor
girls (and especially not for being boys or girls)
6
Teacher avoids enforcing gender stereotypes
7
Teacher does not use violent methods to punish
students
Teacher builds mix groups where both boys and girls
are equally participating
8
9
Teacher motivates girls and boys equally to learn
and achieve
10 Teacher never uses discouraging or insulting
expressions, or statements (i.e. I don’t need girls for
this mathematic course; for The Arts course only
girls should apply; This is no task for a boy or a girl;
Since when are girls interested in that?)
11 Other
88
Examples of appropriate behaviour:
Why would the opposite be a
mistake from gender perspective?
Exercise VII: Checklist for measuring the child-friendliness of schools
Each question opens the door for exploring ‘why’ there are gender differences!
1
Issue to review
Are community leaders and parents equally supportive of boys and girls
attending this school?
2
Do community leaders and parents value female and male teachers equally?
3
Does the principal treat male and female teachers the same?
4
Is the school close enough for all school-age boys and girls to walk to it safely?
5
Do girls and boys feel safe from bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment
in this school?
6
Do teachers encourage girls and boys to speak and contribute equally? Do
teachers value the views of boys and girls equally?
7
Does the curriculum reflect the lives of boys and girls?
8
Do boys and girls feel confident in making subject choices that may not be
traditionally male or female subjects?
9
Do teachers and materials portray girls and boys of varying socio-economic
backgrounds with equal prominence, potential, and respect?
10 Do extra-curricular activities equally attract the participation of boys and girls?
11 Do teachers offer relevant training and support on reproductive health equally
to girls and boys?
12 Are there activities organised by teachers or children that will create a genderfriendly culture of peace in the school? (Sports, cultural events, etc.)
Adapted from: Gender Mainstreaming in Practice: A Toolkit
89
Yes
No
Exercise VIII: Checklist for gender-responsive lesson planning
Lesson planning involves a wide range of decisions: teaching methodologies, content, learning
activities, learning materials, language use, classroom interaction, classroom setup, learning
assessment, etc. A gender-responsive lesson plan takes into consideration the specific needs of
girls/women and boys/men in all of these teaching-learning processes. Based on the content to be
taught, gender-responsive lesson planning asks teachers to do the following:
Methodology
Teaching and
learning
materials
What you can do
Review the teaching and learning materials. Does the material contain gender
stereotypes? Does the language of the materials contain bias? If so, what
techniques can be used to address these issues? For example, if the images or
active participants in the stories are all men and boys, or only show women and
girls in traditional roles, teachers could find examples of women or girls who
contribute in similar ways. Watch for any language bias in the teaching and
learning materials.
Teaching
Choose teaching methodologies that support more equal participation of both
methodologies girls/women and boys/men. Examples include group work, group discussions,
role playing, debates, case studies and co-operative teaching strategies.
Encourage all students to participate, and be ready to help if some students
dominate the discussions or roles and others rarely contribute.
Learning
The lesson plan should be designed so that all students can participate in the
activities
learning activity. Make sure girls/women and boys/men can share the learning
materials and any equipment and other materials; this is particularly important
in face-to-face learning when supplies are limited.
Classroom
In face-to-face learning, lesson plans should consider the classroom setup to
setup and
allow for equal participation of girls/women and boys/men: how to arrange any
interaction
tables and chairs, and how people can move around in the room. Think of
inclusive questions to ask during the lesson, and remember to direct questions
to both girls/women and boys/men.
Manage other
Make sure you have time to deal with gender specific problems, if any, such as
gender
girls/women who have missed class due to menstruation, household chores or
constraints
other family responsibilities. Watch for signs of violence, sexual harassment,
peer pressure, the impact of HIV and AIDS, and other problems.
Feedback and
Make time to get feedback from both girls/women and boys/men to ensure
assessment
that both genders have understood the lesson. Also, be open to feedback about
your teaching methods and style, and don’t hold any negative comments
against the students.
Adapted from Mlama et al. (2005) pp. 10–11
90
Exercise IX: Evaluating a lesson plan
What is it about this lesson plan that makes it gender sensitive?
CLASS: Grade 6
SUBJECT: Mathematics
TOPIC: Volume and Capacity
DATE: 30.03.2005
TIME: 8:30 am- 9:45 am STUDENTS: 40 Students – 25 girls and 15 boys
OBJECTIVE: By the end of the lesson: 1. Learners should be able to correctly relate Cubic
centimetres to litres: 1 litre = 1000cm3 Decilitres to litres: 1 litre = 10dl
REFERENCE: 1. Primary Mathematics Teachers Guide – pages 35–40 2. Learners book – pages 97–
100
LEARNING AIDS: 1. Containers of varying capacities: 1 litre, ½ litre, 200ml, 5 litres and 20 litres 2.
Water
METHODOLOGY:
1. Divide learners into five groups of eight learners per group (five girls and three boys), three groups
headed by girls and two by boys.
2. Ask the students to decide and apply the ground rules for equal participation for both girls and boys.
3. Ensure that both girls and boys speak out and participate actively during the lesson.
4. Ask learners to say what the units are for measuring milk, water, cooking oil, petrol and kerosene.
5. Encourage learners in groups to compare the volumes and capacities of different containers by
pouring water into them and transferring water from one container to another with boys and girls
taking turns to measure.
LESSON STEPS:
Steps
Teacher’s activities
Learners’ activities
1.
10 minutes
Introduce a cube
measuring 10cm by 10cm
by 10cm
Find the volume of the
cube
2.
10 minutes
Elaborate the prefix deci(a tenth) thus introducing
decilitre as a tenth litre
Outline how many tenths
make one whole
3.
20 minutes
Assign learners to work
on volume and capacity
4.
15 minutes
Guide learners through
their groups to expound
on their findings
Ask the students to
discuss the day-to-day
applications of volume
and capacity
Learners compare volumes
and capacity of different
containers in respective
groups
Group secretaries present
their findings
5.
10 minutes
6.
10 minutes
Conclusion
Indicators to gender
responsiveness
Girls given an opportunity to
relate volume to capacity
through questions and
answer technique
Girls in their respective
groups given an opportunity
to sample and compare litres
to decilitres
Both girls and boys
participate as group leaders
and members
Both girls and boys present
their findings
Students discuss:
Both girls and boys
Measuring water while
participate in the discussion
cooking. Measuring milk
while cooking. Measuring
water while washing.
Purchasing kerosene.
This time is allocated to dealing with any gender specific need that might arise during
the lesson
The teacher emphasises the need for both boys and girls to actively use units of volume
and capacity in their day-to-day lives
Adapted from Gender Responsive Pedagogy (Mlama et al., 2005), pp. 10–11, published by the Forum for
African Women Educationalists (FAWE).
91
Exercise X: Evaluating a lesson plan – Chainda Open Community School
Is this a gender sensitive plan? How can it be made even more gender sensitive?
Name of school:
Chainda Open Community School
Subject
Science
Grade
Six
Day
Friday
Date
22nd May 2015
Number of learners
20 boys/20 girls
Duration
40 minutes
Topic
Communication
Sub-topic
Methods of communicating using sound
Reference
Look around book 6, page 10
T/C materials
Science book grade 6, sheets of paper, pictures of different items using
sound as means of communication
Learning outcomes
Learners must be able to state
1. Different methods of communicating using sound
2. Name sources of sound
Lesson development
Step Duration
1
5 mins
2
15 mins
3
10 mins
4
10 mins
Evaluation
Teachers activity
Learners activity
Put pupils in 4 groups choosing 2 boys
Go into the two groups that have
to be leaders in one group and 2 girls to been assigned by the teacher.
be leaders in the second group.
Allow learners to discuss how people
List down ways in which people
used to communicate in the past. Check used to communicate in the past.
to ensure that both the boys and girls
are participating in the discussion,
Ask the leaders to present their findings Leaders, the 2 boys and 2 girls to
in front of the class. Write on the board present their findings to the class.
the groups findings.
Go over the findings and ask the
Copy down different ways in which
learners to write down sentences in
people long ago used to
their books about different ways of
communicate using sound.
communicating by sound.
Write down three sentences that describe the successes and challenges of the
lesson with respect to:
a. Teaching
b. Learning by the boys and learning by the girls
92

Promoting the advancement of girls and boys in community schools

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