# data[].attributes.body
Sitting in the same class
 Sitting in the same classroom, reading the same textbook, listening to the same teacher, boys and girls receive very different educations." (Sadker, 1994) In fact, upon entering school, girls perform equal to or better than boys on nearly every measure of achievement, but by the time they graduate high school or college, they have fallen behind. (Sadker, 1994) However, discrepancies between the performance of girls and the performance of boys in elementary education leads some critics to argue that boys are being neglected within the education system:

Across the country, boys have never been in more trouble: They earn 70 percent of the D's and F's that teachers dole out. They make up two thirds of students labeled "learning disabled." They are the culprits in a whopping 9 of 10 alcohol and drug violations and the suspected perpetrators in 4 out of 5 crimes that end up in juvenile court. They account for 80 percent of high school dropouts and attention deficit disorder diagnoses. (Mulrine, 2001)
This performance discrepancy is notable throughout Canada. In Ontario, Education Minister Janet Ecker said that the results of the standardized grade 3 and grade 6 testing in math and reading showed, "...persistent and glaring discrepancies in achievements and attitudes between boys and girls." (O'Neill, 2000) In British Columbia, standardized testing indicates that girls outperform boys at all levels of reading and writing and in Alberta testing shows that girls, "...significantly outperform boys on reading and writing tests, while almost matching them in math and science." (O'Neill, 2000) However, the American Association of University Women published a report in 1992 indicating that females receive less attention from teachers and the attention that female students do receive is often more negative than attention received by boys. (Bailey, 1992) In fact, examination of the socialization of gender within schools and evidence of a gender biased hidden curriculum demonstrates that girls are shortchanged in the classroom. Furthermore, there is significant research indicating steps that can be taken to minimize or eliminate the gender bias currently present in our education system.

The socialization of gender within our schools assures that girls are made aware that they are unequal to boys. Every time students are seated or lined up by gender, teachers are affirming that girls and boys should be treated differently. When an administrator ignores an act of sexual harassment, he or she is allowing the degradation of girls. When different behaviors are tolerated for boys than for girls because 'boys will be boys', schools are perpetuating the oppression of females. There is some evidence that girls are becoming more academically successful than boys, however examination of the classroom shows that girls and boys continue to be socialized in ways that work against gender equity.

Teachers socialize girls towards a feminine ideal. Girls are praised for being neat, quiet, and calm, whereas boys are encouraged to think independently, be active and speak up. Girls are socialized in schools to recognize popularity as being important, and learn that educational performance and ability are not as important. "Girls in grades six and seven rate being popular and well-liked as more important than being perceived as competent or independent. Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to rank independence and competence as more important." (Bailey, 1992)

This socialization of femininity begins much earlier than the middle grades. At very early ages, girls begin defining their femininities in relation to boys. One study of a third grade classroom examined four self-sorted groups of girls within the classroom: the nice girls, the girlies, the spice girls and the tomboys. Through interviews researcher Diane Reay found that 'nice girls' was considered a derogatory term indicating, "...an absence of toughness and attitude." (Reay, 2001) Furthermore, the girlies were a group of girls who focused their time on flirting with and writing love letters to boys, the tomboys were girls who played sports with the boys, and the spice girls espoused girl-power and played 'rate-the-boy' on the playground. Reay's research shows that each of the groups of girls defined their own femininities in relation to boys. (2001)

The Reay study further demonstrates how socialization of girls occurs at the school level by tolerating different behaviors from boys than from girls. Assertive behavior from girls is often seen as disruptive and may be viewed more negatively by adults. In Reay's study, the fact that the spice girls asserted themselves in ways contrary to traditional femininity caused them to be labeled by teachers as "real bitches". (2001) This reinforces the notion that "...girls' misbehavior to be looked upon as a character defect, whilst boys' misbehavior is viewed as a desire to assert themselves." (Reay, 2001)

A permissive attitude towards sexual harassment is another way in which schools reinforce the socialization of girls as inferior. "When schools ignore sexist, racist, homophobic, and violent interactions between students, they are giving tacit approval to such behaviors." (Bailey, 1992) Yet boys are taunted for throwing like a girl, or crying like a girl, which implies that being a girl is worse than being a boy. According to the American Association of University Women Report, "The clear message to both boys and girls is that girls are not worthy of respect and that appropriate behavior for boys includes exerting power over girls -- or over other, weaker boys." (Bailey, 1992)

Clearly the socialization of gender is reinforced at school, "Because classrooms are microcosms of society, mirroring its strengths and ills alike, it follows that the normal socialization patterns of young children that often lead to distorted perceptions of gender roles are reflected in the classrooms." (Marshall, 1997) Yet gender bias in education reaches beyond socialization patterns, bias is embedded in textbooks, lessons, and teacher interactions with students. This type of gender bias is part of the hidden curriculum of lessons taught implicitly to students through the every day functioning of their classroom.

In Myra and David Sadker's research, they noted four types of teacher responses to students: teacher praises, providing positive feedback for a response; teacher remediates, encouraging a student to correct or expand their answer; teacher criticizes, explicitly stating that the answer is incorrect; teacher accepts, acknowledging that a student has responded. The Sadkers found that boys were far more likely to receive praise or remediation from a teacher than were girls. The girls were most likely to receive an acknowledgement response from their teacher. (Sadker, 1994) These findings are confirmed by a 1990 study by Good and Brophy that "...noted that teachers give boys greater opportunity to expand ideas and be animated than they do girls and that they reinforce boys more for general responses than they do for girls." (Marshall, 1997)

Beyond teacher responses, special services in education appear to be applied more liberally to boys than to girls. Research shows that boys are referred for testing for gifted programs twice as often as girls, which may be because, "...giftedness is seen as aberrant, and girls strive to conform." (Orenstein, 1994) Boys represent more than two-thirds of all students in special education programs and there is a higher the proportion of male students receiving diagnoses that are considered to be subjective. While medical reports indicate that learning disabilities occur in nearly equal numbers of in boys and girls, it may be the case that, "Rather than identifying learning problems, school personnel may be mislabeling behavioral problems. Girls who sit quietly are ignored; boys who act out are placed in special programs that may not meet their needs." (Bailey, 1992)

Gender bias is also taught implicitly through the resources chosen for classroom use. Using texts that omit contributions of women, that tokenize the experiences of women, or that stereotype gender roles, further compounds gender bias in schools' curriculum. While research shows that the use of gender-equitable materials allows students to have more gender-balanced knowledge, to develop more flexible attitudes towards gender roles, and to imitate role behaviors contained in the materials (Klein, 1985) schools continue to use gender-biased texts:

Researchers at a 1990 conference reported that even texts designed to fit within the current California guidelines on gender and race equity for textbook adoption showed subtle language bias, neglect of scholarship on women, omission of women as developers of history and initiators of events, and absence of women from accounts of technological developments. (Bailey, 1992)
Clearly the socialization of gender roles and the use of a gender-biased hidden curriculum lead to an inequitable education for boys and girls. What changes can be made to create a more equitable learning environment for all children? First, teachers need to be made aware of their gender-biased tendencies. Next, they need to be provided with strategies for altering the behavior. Finally, efforts need to be made to combat gender bias in educational materials.

A study by Kelly Jones, Cay Evans, Ronald Byrd, and Kathleen Campbell (2000) used analysis of videotaped lessons in order to introduce teachers to their own gender-biased behavior. Requiring in-service programs to address gender bias in the classroom will make teachers more aware of their own behaviors: "As a teacher, I was struck by the Sadkers' research on classroom exchanges and was forced to acknowledge the disproportionate amount of time and energy, as well as the different sorts of attention, I give to male students." (McCormick, 1995)

Once teachers have recognized their gender-biased behaviors, they need to be provided with resources to help them change. In their study focusing on how the effects of a gender resource model would affect gender-biased teaching behaviors, Jones, Evans, Burns, and Campbell (2000) provided teachers with a self-directed module aimed at reducing gender bias in the classroom. The module contained research on gender equity in the classroom, specific activities to reduce stereotypical thinking in students, and self-evaluation worksheets for teachers. The findings from this study support the hypothesis that "...female students would move from a position of relative deficiency toward more equity in total interactions...." (Jones, 2000) This demonstrates that teachers who are made aware of their gender-biased teaching behaviors and then provided with strategies and resources to combat bias are better able to promote gender equity in their classrooms.

However, beyond changing their own teaching behaviors, teachers need to be aware of the gender bias imbedded in many educational materials and texts and need to take steps to combat this bias. Curriculum researchers have established six attributes that need to be considered when trying to establish a gender-equitable curriculum. Gender-fair materials need to acknowledge and affirm variation. They need to be inclusive, accurate, affirmative, representative, and integrated, weaving together the experiences, needs, and interests of both males and females. (Bailey, 1992) "We need to look at the stories we are telling our students and children. Far too many of our classroom examples, storybooks, and texts describe a world in which boys and men are bright, curious, brave, inventive, and powerful, but girls and women are silent, passive, and invisible." (McCormick, 1995) Furthermore, teachers can help students identify gender-bias in texts and facilitate critical discussions as to why that bias exists.

Gender bias in education is an insidious problem that causes very few people to stand up and take notice. The victims of this bias have been trained through years of schooling to be silent and passive, and are therefore unwilling to stand up and make noise about the unfair treatment they are receiving. "Over the course of years the uneven distribution of teacher time, energy, attention, and talent, with boys getting the lion's share, takes its toll on girls." (Sadker, 1994) Teachers are generally unaware of their own biased teaching behaviors because they are simply teaching how they were taught and the subtle gender inequities found in teaching materials are often overlooked. Girls and boys today are receiving separate and unequal educations due to the gender socialization that takes place in our schools and due to the sexist hidden curriculum students are faced with every day. Unless teachers are made aware of the gender-role socialization and the biased messages they are unintentionally imparting to students everyday, and until teachers are provided with the methods and resources necessary to eliminate gender-bias in their classrooms, girls will continue to receive an inequitable education.

Departments of education should be providing mandatory gender-equity resource modules to in-service teachers, and gender bias needs to be addressed with all pre-service teachers. Educators need to be made aware of the bias they are reinforcing in their students through socialization messages, inequitable division of special education services, sexist texts and materials, and unbalanced time and types of attention spent on boys and girls in the classroom. "Until educational sexism is eradicated, more than half our children will be shortchanged and their gifts lost to society." (Sadker, 1994)
Lav Mittal
Lav Mittal
According to many serious and highly educated people, I probably did encounter gender bias, whether or not it was meant deliberately. Even though gender bias looks as if it favors boys, it really does everyone a disservice, reinforcing rigid, archaic stereotypes. Girls should always be passive and boys should always be assertive and eventually join society with these, subconscious or not, ideas about gender roles                                     There is indeed a great deal of unconscious gender bias with regard to how society views strong, authoritative women. Often, women are punished by our society and in their roles in leadership and management for speaking in confident ways. And they are perceived far more negatively than men for communicating in the same forceful way and manner as men do. This unconscious bias against women exists in both men and women 
 gender
  gender bias. n. unequal treatment in employment opportunity (such as promotion, pay, benefits and privileges), and expectations due to attitudes based on the sex of an employee or group of employees. Gender bias can be a legitimate basis for a lawsuit under anti-discrimination statutes. 
matter how much we may try to ignore it, human communication always takes place in a context, through a medium, and among individuals and groups who are situated historically, politically, economically, and socially. ... Bias is a small word that identifies the collective influences of the entire 



HOW TO REDUCE GENDER BIASSNESS 
{interaction with in two renders 
{grooming the new generation 
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Sahil Mewara
Sahil Mewara
What is Gender Bias ?
 
inclination towards or prejudice against one gender.

"they argue that this kind of pay gap is the result of gender bias" 
   
 
Gender bias can be subtle or overt, and may result in small or large consequences. For instance, the biased assumption that girl's school sports are less important than boy's school sports lead to an inequality in funding and access to facilities, which in turn lead in part to the creation of the Title IX section of the Equal Opportunity in Education Act of 1972, a United States law prohibiting gender discrimination in public education, including in sports.
 
Many teachers participate
 Many teachers participate in gender biased actions without realizing it. It is an
unconscious act that has many effects on the students in a classroom. Here are
some questions teachers can use to reflect upon and analyze gender biased
behavior and identify if it exists in their classroom.
Aryan Fernandes
Aryan Fernandes
gender biasness in classrooms

ben
ben 
we cannot succeed if half of us are held back
Rajshree
Rajshree
 

What can I do to promote gender equity and challenge stereotypes?

Challenge traditional male and female stereotypes when giving examples to students, e.g. ‘a female soldier’ or ‘a male nurse’.
When you do see/hear examples of gender stereotypes use them as an opportunity for ‘teachable moments’ and ask students to discuss what they mean and why they use them.
Aim to use gender neutral language (e.g. it, their, they).
Avoid statements that generalise, ‘girls tend to...' or 'boys are more...’
Don’t limit what you ask your students to do, e.g. ask female students to carry sports equipment
Consider the way you interact with students and avoid being, for example, ‘blokey’ with boys or ‘gentle’ with girls. Instead, interact in the way you’d expect them to in the real world.
Actively encourage students to engage in activities that might sit outside their gender’s comfort-zones (e.g. sports, dance, drama etc.) 
Take note of how often you draw on either males or females to answer different types of questions and make an effort to rectify any inequity
Encourage mixed gender group work and seating arrangements
Use examples of gender inequity to inform your lesson, e.g. looking at statistics on the gender pay gap for a maths lesson, or looking at examples of inequity throughout history and how things may or may not have changed
Actively discuss and analyse sexist advertising images and the media’s representation of men and women.
Without highlighting that they’re not ‘acting likes blokes/girls’, actively encourage students when they do challenge gender roles.

 
Twinkle Dasgupta
Twinkle Dasgupta
 Usually males receive more teacher questions than females. * Minimal wait time for females’ answers * More frequent follow-up questions with males * Uneven ratio of student/teacher interactions: # of responses male to female = 7:3 * Males are also more likely to call out or act out, demanding and receiving teacher attention. * Segregated seating patterns reinforce unequal teacher attention. About half of America’s classrooms are characterized by gender segregated classrooms * Boys are more likely to be called up to the front of the room to do demonstrations (for example a science demonstration) * Boys are more likely to be disciplined than girls, even when the misbehavior is identical * Girls are more likely to be praised for the appearance and neatness of their work * Females often stereotyped into clerical role because of neat notes * Teachers are more likely to offer boys specific feedback on their work – including praise, criticism and remediation * Boys are more likely to receive attributions to effort and ability, teacher comments giving them confidence that success and competence is simply a matter of applying themselves * Girls are often told, "It’s okay, as long as you try." For example, a teacher may take the litmus paper from a female student and "does" it for her, but talks a male student through the correct us of litmus paper * School textbooks and supplemental resource materials tend to be filled with male protagonists and stories * More positive feedback and remediation to males * Males are allowed to speak over females Based on the Viewing Guide by Phyllis Lerner and David Sadker WGBY 57 Springfi 
Aryan Fernandes
Aryan Fernandes
Gender biasness can also lead to harassment and violence.There can be a lot of ignorance and ill treatment due to gender.
3. Be aware of current ge
 3. Be aware of current gender bias.
Challenge traditional mal
 Challenge traditional male and female stereotypes when giving examples to students, e.g. ‘a female soldier’ or ‘a male nurse’.
When you do see/hear examples of gender stereotypes use them as an opportunity for ‘teachable moments’ and ask students to discuss what they mean and why they use them.
Aim to use gender neutral language (e.g. it, their, they).
Avoid statements that generalise, ‘girls tend to...' or 'boys are more...’
Don’t limit what you ask your students to do, e.g. ask female students to carry sports equipment
Consider the way you interact with students and avoid being, for example, ‘blokey’ with boys or ‘gentle’ with girls. Instead, interact in the way you’d expect them to in the real world.
Actively encourage students to engage in activities that might sit outside their gender’s comfort-zones (e.g. sports, dance, drama etc.) 
Take note of how often you draw on either males or females to answer different types of questions and make an effort to rectify any inequity
Encourage mixed gender group work and seating arrangements
Use examples of gender inequity to inform your lesson, e.g. looking at statistics on the gender pay gap for a maths lesson, or looking at examples of inequity throughout history and how things may or may not have changed
Actively discuss and analyse sexist advertising images and the media’s representation of men and women.
Without highlighting that they’re not ‘acting likes blokes/girls’, actively encourage students when they do challenge gender roles.
 
  

Using inclusive language is extremely important.

Gone are the days when we can divide the population into just girls or boys, male or female. As we are all aware, gender is a social construct, so the classroom can become an area in which these social norms are left at the gate and children can become anything they want to be. Words such as “You guys” can be a popular way of addressing a group, yet it’s an example of how we contribute to gender bias. 
 

Be aware of current gender bias.

In general, girls are praised for the neatness of their work or their appearance, while boys are more likely to receive attributes based on effort and ability. The lack of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) or career and technical education subjects can be directed in some cases by these patterns of universal behavior. But we can change this by making the school a bias-free zone! 


 
ben
ben
the to a mans heart is trough the stomach
Dharren k
Dharren k 
 

1. Create an open school environment with books, toys, sports equipment and musical instruments that cater to everybody. 
 

2. Using inclusive language is extremely important. 
 

. Be aware of current gender bias. 
 

4. Think about your own conduct. 
 

. Teach acceptance! 

Ben
Ben 
the way through a mans heart is 
pratik.patel
pratik.patel
pratik
pratik
how to reduce gender biasness 

Gender Bias in classroom
Gender Bias in classroom
 llowing children to pick and choose what they would like to be is essential for growth, confidence and self-esteem. Dollhouses, animals, building bricks and musical instruments are some examples of items that broaden the learning space for children. Try to avoid putting girls or boys into boxes in relation to what they can play with. 

mehulvarma
mehulvarma
gender biasness
create  an open school 
 Gender identity is one’s personal experience of one’s own gender. Gender identity can correlate with assigned sex at birth, or can differ from it completely. When children are around 2 years old, they become conscious of the physical differences between boys and girls. Before their third birthday, most children are easily able to label themselves as either a boy or a girl. By age 4, most children have a stable sense of their gender identity. During this same time, children learn gender role behavior—that is, doing "things that boys do" or "things that girls do." In order for us to create a classroom space that is open to everyone, it is essential that we avoid gender stereotyping. 
 

1. Create an open school environment with books, toys, sports equipment and musical instruments that cater to everybody.

Allowing children to pick and choose what they would like to be is essential for growth, confidence and self-esteem. Dollhouses, animals, building bricks and musical instruments are some examples of items that broaden the learning space for children. Try to avoid putting girls or boys into boxes in relation to what they can play with. 

 

2. Using inclusive language is extremely important.

Gone are the days when we can divide the population into just girls or boys, male or female. As we are all aware, gender is a social construct, so the classroom can become an area in which these social norms are left at the gate and children can become anything they want to be. Words such as “You guys” can be a popular way of addressing a group, yet it’s an example of how we contribute to gender bias.
 

3. Be aware of current gender bias.

In general, girls are praised for the neatness of their work or their appearance, while boys are more likely to receive attributes based on effort and ability. The lack of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) or career and technical education subjects can be directed in some cases by these patterns of universal behavior. But we can change this by making the school a bias-free zone! 


  

4. Think about your own conduct.

We should avoid grouping children by their gender. Make sure all classroom rules apply to a multitude of sexes. Have equal books, guest speakers, films on males, females, transgender people, etc., to create wide exposure and to normalize these ideas for children. 

 


5. Teach acceptance!

We can teach our students to be open-minded and accepting of people from every background. Teachers are in a powerful position in that they can mobilize the next generation on how to respond to gender bias every day. Being aware of this bias can consciously help children to cope and deal with this conflict and respond to intolerance in the real world. 
 
"Sitting in the same classroom, reading the same textbook, listening to the same teacher, boys and girls receive very different educations." (Sadker, 1994) In fact, upon entering school, girls perform equal to or better than boys on nearly every measure of achievement, but by the time they graduate high school or college, they have fallen behind. (Sadker, 1994) However, discrepancies between the performance of girls and the performance of boys in elementary education leads some critics to argue that boys are being neglected within the education system:

Across the country, boys have never been in more trouble: They earn 70 percent of the D's and F's that teachers dole out. They make up two thirds of students labeled "learning disabled." They are the culprits in a whopping 9 of 10 alcohol and drug violations and the suspected perpetrators in 4 out of 5 crimes that end up in juvenile court. They account for 80 percent of high school dropouts and attention deficit disorder diagnoses. (Mulrine, 2001)
This performance discrepancy is notable throughout Canada. In Ontario, Education Minister Janet Ecker said that the results of the standardized grade 3 and grade 6 testing in math and reading showed, "...persistent and glaring discrepancies in achievements and attitudes between boys and girls." (O'Neill, 2000) In British Columbia, standardized testing indicates that girls outperform boys at all levels of reading and writing and in Alberta testing shows that girls, "...significantly outperform boys on reading and writing tests, while almost matching them in math and science." (O'Neill, 2000) However, the American Association of University Women published a report in 1992 indicating that females receive less attention from teachers and the attention that female students do receive is often more negative than attention received by boys. (Bailey, 1992) In fact, examination of the socialization of gender within schools and evidence of a gender biased hidden curriculum demonstrates that girls are shortchanged in the classroom. Furthermore, there is significant research indicating steps that can be taken to minimize or eliminate the gender bias currently present in our education system.
The socialization of gender within our schools assures that girls are made aware that they are unequal to boys. Every time students are seated or lined up by gender, teachers are affirming that girls and boys should be treated differently. When an administrator ignores an act of sexual harassment, he or she is allowing the degradation of girls. When different behaviors are tolerated for boys than for girls because 'boys will be boys', schools are perpetuating the oppression of females. There is some evidence that girls are becoming more academically successful than boys, however examination of the classroom shows that girls and boys continue to be socialized in ways that work against gender equity.
Teachers socialize girls towards a feminine ideal. Girls are praised for being neat, quiet, and calm, whereas boys are encouraged to think independently, be active and speak up. Girls are socialized in schools to recognize popularity as being important, and learn that educational performance and ability are not as important. "Girls in grades six and seven rate being popular and well-liked as more important than being perceived as competent or independent. Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to rank independence and competence as more important." (Bailey, 1992)
This socialization of femininity begins much earlier than the middle grades. At very early ages, girls begin defining their femininities in relation to boys. One study of a third grade classroom examined four self-sorted groups of girls within the classroom: the nice girls, the girlies, the spice girls and the tomboys. Through interviews researcher Diane Reay found that 'nice girls' was considered a derogatory term indicating, "...an absence of toughness and attitude." (Reay, 2001) Furthermore, the girlies were a group of girls who focused their time on flirting with and writing love letters to boys, the tomboys were girls who played sports with the boys, and the spice girls espoused girl-power and played 'rate-the-boy' on the playground. Reay's research shows that each of the groups of girls defined their own femininities in relation to boys. (2001)
The Reay study further demonstrates how socialization of girls occurs at the school level by tolerating different behaviors from boys than from girls. Assertive behavior from girls is often seen as disruptive and may be viewed more negatively by adults. In Reay's study, the fact that the spice girls asserted themselves in ways contrary to traditional femininity caused them to be labeled by teachers as "real bitches". (2001) This reinforces the notion that "...girls' misbehavior to be looked upon as a character defect, whilst boys' misbehavior is viewed as a desire to assert themselves." (Reay, 2001)
A permissive attitude towards sexual harassment is another way in which schools reinforce the socialization of girls as inferior. "When schools ignore sexist, racist, homophobic, and violent interactions between students, they are giving tacit approval to such behaviors." (Bailey, 1992) Yet boys are taunted for throwing like a girl, or crying like a girl, which implies that being a girl is worse than being a boy. According to the American Association of University Women Report, "The clear message to both boys and girls is that girls are not worthy of respect and that appropriate behavior for boys includes exerting power over girls -- or over other, weaker boys." (Bailey, 1992)
Clearly the socialization of gender is reinforced at school, "Because classrooms are microcosms of society, mirroring its strengths and ills alike, it follows that the normal socialization patterns of young children that often lead to distorted perceptions of gender roles are reflected in the classrooms." (Marshall, 1997) Yet gender bias in education reaches beyond socialization patterns, bias is embedded in textbooks, lessons, and teacher interactions with students. This type of gender bias is part of the hidden curriculum of lessons taught implicitly to students through the every day functioning of their classroom.
In Myra and David Sadker's research, they noted four types of teacher responses to students: teacher praises, providing positive feedback for a response; teacher remediates, encouraging a student to correct or expand their answer; teacher criticizes, explicitly stating that the answer is incorrect; teacher accepts, acknowledging that a student has responded. The Sadkers found that boys were far more likely to receive praise or remediation from a teacher than were girls. The girls were most likely to receive an acknowledgement response from their teacher. (Sadker, 1994) These findings are confirmed by a 1990 study by Good and Brophy that "...noted that teachers give boys greater opportunity to expand ideas and be animated than they do girls and that they reinforce boys more for general responses than they do for girls." (Marshall, 1997)
Beyond teacher responses, special services in education appear to be applied more liberally to boys than to girls. Research shows that boys are referred for testing for gifted programs twice as often as girls, which may be because, "...giftedness is seen as aberrant, and girls strive to conform." (Orenstein, 1994) Boys represent more than two-thirds of all students in special education programs and there is a higher the proportion of male students receiving diagnoses that are considered to be subjective. While medical reports indicate that learning disabilities occur in nearly equal numbers of in boys and girls, it may be the case that, "Rather than identifying learning problems, school personnel may be mislabeling behavioral problems. Girls who sit quietly are ignored; boys who act out are placed in special programs that may not meet their needs." (Bailey, 1992)
Gender bias is also taught implicitly through the resources chosen for classroom use. Using texts that omit contributions of women, that tokenize the experiences of women, or that stereotype gender roles, further compounds gender bias in schools' curriculum. While research shows that the use of gender-equitable materials allows students to have more gender-balanced knowledge, to develop more flexible attitudes towards gender roles, and to imitate role behaviors contained in the materials (Klein, 1985) schools continue to use gender-biased texts:

Researchers at a 1990 conference reported that even texts designed to fit within the current California guidelines on gender and race equity for textbook adoption showed subtle language bias, neglect of scholarship on women, omission of women as developers of history and initiators of events, and absence of women from accounts of technological developments. (Bailey, 1992)
Clearly the socialization of gender roles and the use of a gender-biased hidden curriculum lead to an inequitable education for boys and girls. What changes can be made to create a more equitable learning environment for all children? First, teachers need to be made aware of their gender-biased tendencies. Next, they need to be provided with strategies for altering the behavior. Finally, efforts need to be made to combat gender bias in educational materials.
A study by Kelly Jones, Cay Evans, Ronald Byrd, and Kathleen Campbell (2000) used analysis of videotaped lessons in order to introduce teachers to their own gender-biased behavior. Requiring in-service programs to address gender bias in the classroom will make teachers more aware of their own behaviors: "As a teacher, I was struck by the Sadkers' research on classroom exchanges and was forced to acknowledge the disproportionate amount of time and energy, as well as the different sorts of attention, I give to male students." (McCormick, 1995)
Once teachers have recognized their gender-biased behaviors, they need to be provided with resources to help them change. In their study focusing on how the effects of a gender resource model would affect gender-biased teaching behaviors, Jones, Evans, Burns, and Campbell (2000) provided teachers with a self-directed module aimed at reducing gender bias in the classroom. The module contained research on gender equity in the classroom, specific activities to reduce stereotypical thinking in students, and self-evaluation worksheets for teachers. The findings from this study support the hypothesis that "...female students would move from a position of relative deficiency toward more equity in total interactions...." (Jones, 2000) This demonstrates that teachers who are made aware of their gender-biased teaching behaviors and then provided with strategies and resources to combat bias are better able to promote gender equity in their classrooms. 
 
However, beyond changing their own teaching behaviors, teachers need to be aware of the gender bias imbedded in many educational materials and texts and need to take steps to combat this bias. Curriculum researchers have established six attributes that need to be considered when trying to establish a gender-equitable curriculum. Gender-fair materials need to acknowledge and affirm variation. They need to be inclusive, accurate, affirmative, representative, and integrated, weaving together the experiences, needs, and interests of both males and females. (Bailey, 1992) "We need to look at the stories we are telling our students and children. Far too many of our classroom examples, storybooks, and texts describe a world in which boys and men are bright, curious, brave, inventive, and powerful, but girls and women are silent, passive, and invisible." (McCormick, 1995) Furthermore, teachers can help students identify gender-bias in texts and facilitate critical discussions as to why that bias exists.
Gender bias in education is an insidious problem that causes very few people to stand up and take notice. The victims of this bias have been trained through years of schooling to be silent and passive, and are therefore unwilling to stand up and make noise about the unfair treatment they are receiving. "Over the course of years the uneven distribution of teacher time, energy, attention, and talent, with boys getting the lion's share, takes its toll on girls." (Sadker, 1994) Teachers are generally unaware of their own biased teaching behaviors because they are simply teaching how they were taught and the subtle gender inequities found in teaching materials are often overlooked. Girls and boys today are receiving separate and unequal educations due to the gender socialization that takes place in our schools and due to the sexist hidden curriculum students are faced with every day. Unless teachers are made aware of the gender-role socialization and the biased messages they are unintentionally imparting to students everyday, and until teachers are provided with the methods and resources necessary to eliminate gender-bias in their classrooms, girls will continue to receive an inequitable education.
Departments of education should be providing mandatory gender-equity resource modules to in-service teachers, and gender bias needs to be addressed with all pre-service teachers. Educators need to be made aware of the bias they are reinforcing in their students through socialization messages, inequitable division of special education services, sexist texts and materials, and unbalanced time and types of attention spent on boys and girls in the classroom. "Until educational sexism is eradicated, more than half our children will be shortchanged and their gifts lost to society." (Sadker, 1994) 
 
There are 3 signs of gender discrimination in the classroom that you need to know which are behavioral discriminations, achievement discrimination, and developmental discrimination. This articles discusses each sign and provides key components you need to know to avoid discrimination against boys and girls in the classroom.

The differences between boys and girls are sometimes celebrated and sometimes lamented. Boys and girls do have differences, and historically, this has led to inequality. In the past the dominant belief was that a woman’s place was in the home, so girls didn’t need the same level and type of education as boys. And in many professions, women weren’t welcome and were told they couldn’t possibly handle the work.

Today, girls and women have many more opportunities. Women make up a large percentage (sometimes the majority) of college and university enrollment, and they have access to professions that were traditionally male dominated. Although great strides have been made in the realm of women’s equality, there is still a long way to go, hampered by the problem of cultural stereotypes that affect boys and girls from the day they are born. Examples include: pink clothes for girls and blue for boys; dolls for girls and trucks for boys; girls can cry, but boys cannot; and dance class for girls and football for boys. There are so many differences in the way that boys and girls are raised that, by the time they get to school, it can be very difficult for teachers to treat them equally and overcome the gender stereotypes they’ve already been taught.

Research shows many differences in the way boys and girls are treated in the classroom and shows that differences in treatment by teachers and other school personnel may be both conscious and subconscious. Teachers tend to pay more attention to boys than girls by having more interactions with them. They tolerate behavior in boys that they don’t tolerate in girls, and they tend to provide boys with more criticism and praise. Differences in the extra attention given to boys are due in part to the fact that boys simply tend to demand more attention, while girls tend to be quieter and more reticent. Boys tend to dominate classroom discussion, and they also access computers and technology more often than girls do.

The types and levels of courses predominated by males and females continue to differ. Boys are still more likely to enroll in mathematics, science, and engineering than girls and are more likely to take advanced courses in these subject areas. This enrollment pattern is not true for biology, English, and foreign languages, where more girls tend to enroll in advanced courses. Overall, women are underrepresented in professions that center on mathematics, science, engineering, medicine, and business leadership.

Some believe gender bias no longer exists and contend that boys are not more accommodated than girls in the classroom. They suggest that boys’ needs are often overlooked, because boys learn best when they have more frequent opportunities to get up and move around and engage in classroom debates—classroom activities that are often discouraged. Proponents also focus on the fact that the gaps in education levels between boys and girls have virtually closed since 1970. And now, even though girls still lag behind boys in mathematics and science, girls in high school do better than boys in reading, writing, and other academic subjects; earn more credits; are more likely to get honors; and are more likely to further their education at colleges or universities.

Although some might argue that it is difficult to see gender bias in schools, without question, in terms of money earned, there is a gender bias in the workforce. The average income of women with a high school diploma is 85% of that of men with the same level of education, and that figure drops to 80% for college graduates. The workforce data indicate that there is a level of gender bias in the school system, even if it is somewhat hidden. Gender bias is evident as students move into the workforce. Men are more likely to be given jobs with higher status and higher salaries than women.

Single-sex education (a school or program teaches only one sex) has often been mentioned as a remedy for the diminished self-concept girls must experience in schools where gender bias exists. Although Title IX, part of the Education Amendments of 1972, prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity, in 2006, the U.S. Education Department ruled that this did not apply to single-sex education, as long as attendance in such institutions was voluntary and students had access to coeducational classes and programs. As a result, single-sex education has increased in popularity, although its efficacy is debated. Many feel that girls have more leadership roles and more opportunities in a single-sex school, yet others argue that if co-educational schools were truly gender fair, there would be no need to separate girls from boys.

The debate about whether gender differences are determined more by biology or society continues, but one thing is clear: Gender awareness is central to working in schools where adolescents are the predominant school population. In the middle school years, parents and teachers often observe a distinct shift in interest levels and in personality among students, as raging hormones take over. Early adolescence is often spent in a cloud, struggling with questions of what it means to be female and what it means to be male. All too often, this has a profound impact on academic performance. Male and female brain development occurs in different areas of the brain, at dissimilar rates. This leads to disparity and discrepancy in the ability to master the material successfully. Moreover, middle-school students often appear to be frustrated with learning. The natural curiosity of elementary school children with their inquisitive enthusiasm for school suddenly disappears under distraction due to social and physical development, apathy, and a torrent of hormone-induced emotion.

Gender can be viewed as a social construct with culturally based expectations of appropriate behavior for girls and boys. Physiological differences in girls and boys also impact their learning and behavior. It’s important for teachers to understand both the social construct of gender and the physiological differences, to ensure that the school culture and climate support the development of girls and boys. School culture refers to the values, traditions, and infrastructure in each school. These characteristics govern how the school functions as an entity. School climate is a collective, descriptive label for the social interactions and relationships among students—with each other and with their teachers—and teachers’ interactions with their peers and administrators.

Recent studies have shown there are relatively few differences between the way that boys and girls learn. As a matter of fact, there are more differences within each gender than there are between the genders, especially for academic ability. 




 



OM RAGHUWANSHI
OM RAGHUWANSHI
gender bias. n. unequal treatment in employment opportunity (such as promotion, pay, benefits and privileges), and expectations due to attitudes based on the sex of an employee or group of employees. Gender bias can be a legitimate basis for a lawsuit under anti-discrimination statutes.



he first type of bias is gender bias, which is when teachers treat one genderdifferently than another. ... Teachers also show educational bias in gender roles by allowing more boisterous behaviors from boys than girls or expecting girls to turn in homework more consistently.




Gender inequality is the idea and situation that women and men are not equal.Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals wholly or partly due to their gender. It arises from differences in gender roles.







Gender inequality in India refers to health, education, economic and politicalinequalities between men and women in India. ... Gender inequalities, and its social causes, impact India's sex ratio, women's health over their lifetimes, their educational attainment, and economic conditions.





lpha bias is where the differences between men and women are recognised. betabias is where the differences between men and women go unrecognised, and this can lead to an andocentric view of human behaviour




A gender-blind (or unisex) person is someone who adheres to not distinguishing people by gender. Gender blind people generally advocate gender neutrality in society, such as activities undertaken and services provided without regard to thegender of those who participate.

 1; create  an open school 
 Gender identity is one’s personal experience of one’s own gender. Gender identity can correlate with assigned sex at birth, or can differ from it completely. When children are around 2 years old, they become conscious of the physical differences between boys and girls. Before their third birthday, most children are easily able to label themselves as either a boy or a girl. By age 4, most children have a stable sense of their gender identity. During this same time, children learn gender role behavior—that is, doing "things that boys do" or "things that girls do." In order for us to create a classroom space that is open to everyone, it is essential that we avoid gender stereotyping. 

 
ender bias is a preference or prejudice toward one gender over the other. Bias can be conscious or unconscious, and may manifest in many ways, both subtle and obvious. In many countries, eliminating gender bias is the basis of many laws, including those that govern workplaces, family courts, and even the voting booth. Despite these efforts, many legal and political scholars argue that total gender parity remains a far off goal, one which many regions are not remotely close to reaching.
 
Gender bias can be subtle or overt, and may result in small or large consequences. For instance, the biased assumption that girl's school sports are less important than boy's school sports lead to an inequality in funding and access to facilities, which in turn lead in part to the creation of the Title IX section of the Equal Opportunity in Education Act of 1972, a United States law prohibiting gender discrimination in public education, including in sports.
 
The legality of gender bias is an area of huge contention in regard to pay equity between the sexes. Historically in many countries, men make more money over a career than women, even if they hold the same job. While the disparity has dwindled since the mid-20th century, it still exists in most areas to some degree. Opponents of additional laws increasing protection of women's equal pay argue that this may be due to women working less over their lives, instead making a choice to remain at home and raise children. Women's rights activists often cite this argument as part of the overall gender bias of modern society, suggesting that women are financially punished for choosing to rear children, despite the fact that this action is vital to the continuance of the state.
 
It is important to note that gender bias exists in both directions. Although many historical examples and evidence suggest that biashas typically gone against women, there are certainly cases to the contrary. Abortion legality, for instance, is often a situation where gender bias claims against men are suggested, as some biological fathers insist they should have the right to prevent an abortion in order to raise their biological child.
 
It is also important to remember when considering gender bias and the law, that not all regions approve or desire gender equality under the law. In some countries, women are not allowed to drive, let alone vote. Studies of some regions have also showed tremendous gender bias in laws, with women being subject to severe penalties, including execution, for crimes such as adultery, whereas for men, adultery may not be considered a crime at all or may have lighter sentencing guides.
 
In other parts of the world, the complexity of gender issues and overall desire to create an equitable society has lead legal systems with an interest in eliminating gender bias to institute laws prohibiting overt gender prejudice. The first law allowing women voting rights was passed in New Zealand in 1893, although earlier laws existed in Scandinavia that allowed limited female voting. England, the United States, and Ireland all have laws prohibiting pay inequity based on gender, however these are not often strictly enforced. 


 

The "vast majority of [Wikipedia] editors are young, college-educated males", a demographic which has been described as “a bunch of male geeks who are wealthy enough to afford a $2,000 laptop and a broadband connection.”[4] Surveys have indicated that between 8.5–16 percent of Wikipedia editors are female.[5][6][7] Consequently, Wikipedia has been criticized by some academics and journalists for having primarily male contributors,[8][9][10] and for having fewer and less extensive articles about women or topics important to women. The New York Times pointed out that Wikipedia's female participation rate may be in line with other "public thought-leadership forums".[8] In 2009, a Wikimedia Foundation survey revealed that 6% of editors who made more than 500 edits were female, with the average male editor having twice as many edits.[11]


In the English Wikipedia and five other language editions that were studied by researchers, the ratio of articles about women to articles about men was higher than in three other databases. However, analysis with computational linguistics concluded that the way women and men are described in articles demonstrates bias, with articles about women more likely to overuse words relating to gender and family. The researchers believe that this is a sign Wikipedia editors consider male the "null gender".[12] Another critique of Wikipedia's approach, from a 2014 Guardian editorial, is that it has difficulty making judgments about "what matters". To illustrate this point they noted that the page listing pornographic actresses was better organized than the page listing women writers.[13]


In 2010, United Nations University and UNU-MERIT jointly presented an overview of the results of a global Wikipedia survey.[14] A 30 January 2011, New York Times article cited this Wikimedia Foundation collaboration, which indicated that fewer than 13% of contributors to Wikipedia are women. Sue Gardner, then executive director of the foundation, said that increasing diversity was about making the encyclopedia "as good as it could be." Factors the article cited as possibly discouraging women from editing included the "obsessive fact-loving realm", associations with the "hard-driving hacker crowd," and the necessity to be "open to very difficult, high-conflict people, even misogynists”.[8] In 2013, the results of the survey were challenged by Hill and Shaw using corrective estimation techniques to suggest upward corrections to the data from the survey and to recommend updates to the statistics being surveyed, giving 22.7% for adult US female editors and 16.1% overall.[7]


In February 2011, The New York Times followed up with a series of opinions on the subject under the banner, "Where Are the Women in Wikipedia?"[15] Susan C. Herring, a professor of information science and linguistics, said that she was not surprised by the Wikipedia contributors gender gap. She said that the often contentious nature of Wikipedia article "talk" pages, where article content is discussed, is unappealing to many women, "if not outright intimidating."[16] Joseph M. Reagle reacted similarly, saying that the combination of a "culture of hacker elitism," combined with the disproportionate effect of high-conflict members (a minority) on the community atmosphere, can make it unappealing. He said, "the ideology and rhetoric of freedom and openness can then be used (a) to suppress concerns about inappropriate or offensive speech as "censorship" and (b) to rationalize low female participation as simply a matter of their personal preference and choice."[17] Justine Cassell said that although women are as knowledgeable as men, and as able to defend their point of view, "it is still the case in American society that debate, contention, and vigorous defense of one’s position is often still seen as a male stance, and women’s use of these speech styles can call forth negative evaluations."[18]


The International Journal of Communication published research by Reagle and Lauren Rhue that examined the coverage, gender representation, and article length of thousands of biographical subjects on the English-language Wikipedia and the online Encyclopædia Britannica. They concluded that Wikipedia provided better coverage and longer articles in general, that Wikipedia typically has more articles on women than Britannica in absolute terms, but Wikipedia articles on women were more likely to be missing than articles on men relative to Britannica. That is, Wikipedia dominated Britannica in biographical coverage, but more so when it comes to men. Similarly, one might say that Britannica is more balanced in whom it neglects to cover than Wikipedia. For both reference works, article length did not consistently differ by gender.[19]


In April 2011, the Wikimedia Foundation conducted its first semi-annual Wikipedia survey. It suggested that 9% of Wikipedia editors are women. It also reported, "Contrary to the perception of some, our data shows that very few women editors feel like they have been harassed, and very few feel Wikipedia is a sexualized environment."[20] However, an October 2011 paper at the International Symposium on Wikis and Open Collaborationfound evidence that suggested that Wikipedia may have "a culture that may be resistant to female participation".[21]


A study published in 2014 found that there is also an "Internet skills gap" with regard to Wikipedia editors. The authors found that the most likely Wikipedia contributors are high-skilled men and that there is no gender gap among low-skilled editors, and concluded that the "skills gap" exacerbates the gender gap among editors.[22] During 2010–14, women made up 61% of participants of the college courses arranged by the Wiki Education Foundation program that included editing Wikipedia as part of the curriculum. Their contributions were found to shift the Wikipedia content from pop-culture and STEM towards social sciences and humanities.[23]


In 2016, Wagner et al.[24] found linguistic gender bias manifest in family-, gender-, and relationship-related topics being more present in biographies about women, and in positive terms being more frequent in the biographies of men and negative terms more frequent in the biographies of women. The authors also found structural differences in terms of meta-data and hyperlinks, which have consequences for information-seeking activities.


A 2017 study found that women participating in an experiment by editing a Wikipedia-like site tended to view other editors as male, and to view their responses as more critical than if the other editor was gender-neutral. The study concluded that:[25]


...visible female editors on Wikipedia and broader encouragement of the use of constructive feedback may begin to alleviate the Wikipedia gender gap. Furthermore, the relatively high proportion of anonymous editors may exacerbate the Wikipedia gender gap, as anonymity may often be perceived as male and more critical.


A study by Ford and Wajcman observe that research on the gender bias continues to frame the problem as a deficit in women. In contrast, their central argument states that infrastructure studies in feminist technoscience allows the gender analysis to be taken to a further level. It looks at three issues within the infrastructure: content policies, software and the legalistic framework of operation. It suggests that progress can be made through altering that culture of knowledge production through encouraging alternate knowledge, reducing the technical barriers to editing and addressing the complexity of Wikipedia policies.[26] 
 

Several causes for this gender disparity have been suggested. A 2010 study revealed a Wikipedia female participation rate of 13 percent, observed to be close to the 15 percent overall female participation rate of other "public thought-leadership forums".[8][28] Wikipedia research fellow Sarah Stierch acknowledged that it is "fairly common" for Wikipedia contributors to remain gender-anonymous.[29] A perceived unwelcoming culture and tolerance of violent and abusive language are also reasons put forth for the gender gap.[30]According to a 2013 study,[31] another cause of the gender gap in Wikipedia is the failure to attract and retain female editors, resulting in a negative impact on Wikipedia's coverage. As well, Wikipedia "...editors that publicly identify as women face harassment" from other Wikipedia editors.[4]


Former Wikimedia Foundation executive director Sue Gardner cited nine reasons why women don't edit Wikipedia, culled from comments by female Wikipedia editors:[27]

A lack of user-friendliness in the editing interface
Not having enough free time
A lack of self-confidence
Aversion to conflict and an unwillingness to participate in lengthy edit wars
Belief that their contributions are too likely to be reverted or deleted
Some find its overall atmosphere misogynistic
Wikipedia culture is sexual in ways they find off-putting
Being addressed as male is off-putting to women whose primary language has grammatical gender
Fewer opportunities than other sites for social relationships and a welcoming tone

Lam et al. suggest that there may be a culture which is non-inclusive of women on Wikipedia, which may be due to a disparity in male-to-female centric topics represented and edited, the tendency for female users to be more active in the social and community aspects of Wikipedia, an increased likelihood that edits by new female editors are reverted, and/or that articles with high proportions of female editors are more contentious.[21]


In July 2014, the National Science Foundation announced that it would spend $200,000 to study systemic gender bias on Wikipedia.[32] An article by Julia Adams and Hannah Brückner that was supported by the funding was published in 2015.[33]


One concern is that articles about female subjects may be more likely to be tagged for deletion.[34][35][36]


Reactions[edit]


The Wikimedia Foundation has officially held, since at least 2011 when Gardner was executive director, that gender bias exists in the project. It has made some attempts to address it but Gardner has expressed frustration with the degree of success achieved. She has also noted that "in the very limited leisure time women had, they tended to be more involved in social activities instead of editing Wikipedia. 'Women see technology more as a tool they use to accomplish tasks, rather than something fun in itself.'"[37][38] In 2011, the Foundation set a target of having 25 percent of its contributors identifying as female by 2015.[8] In August 2013, Gardner said, "I didn't solve it. We didn't solve it. The Wikimedia Foundation didn't solve it. The solution won't come from the Wikimedia Foundation."[37]


Writing for Slate in 2011, Heather Mac Donald called Wikipedia's gender imbalance a "non-problem in search of a misguided solution." Mac Donald asserted, "The most straightforward explanation for the differing rates of participation in Wikipedia—and the one that conforms to everyday experience—is that, on average, males and females have different interests and preferred ways of spending their free time."[39]


In August 2014, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales announced in a BBC interview the Wikimedia Foundation's plans for "doubling down" on the gender content gap at Wikipedia. Wales said the Foundation would be open to more outreach and more software changes.[40] 
 
Gender bias typically stems not from malevolence, but from the perceived mismatch between the “typical woman” and the requirements of jobs that historically were held by men such as professor, scientist, and investment banker. In fact, many of the historically male dominated jobs are still held predominantly by men. For example, tenure-track jobs at research institutions still are 70-80% male.
Gender bias takes many forms, some obvious and others subtle. Here are some common examples of more subtle forms of bias:

Objective rules applied rigidly to women but leniently to men
The persistent assumption that a mother is home with her children when she is at a committee meeting, presenting at a conference, or home writing her book
An atmosphere where women are accepted only if they cater to the comfort levels of men who expect them to play traditionally feminine roles 
 Gender bias is a preference or prejudice toward one gender over the other. It is the unequal treatment in employment opportunity such as promotion, pay, benefits and privileges and expectations due to attitudes based on the sex of an employee or group of employees. Gender bias can be subtle or overt, and can result in small or large consequences. Most countries have laws eliminating gender bias in work places. Gender bias can be a legitimate basis for a lawsuit under anti-discrimination statutes. 

 
Meet Kalariya
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1

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Sitting in the same classroom, reading the same textbook, listening to the same teacher, boys and girls receive very different educations." (Sadker, 1994) In fact, upon entering school, girls perform equal to or better than boys on nearly every measure of achievement, but by the time they graduate high school or college, they have fallen behind. (Sadker, 1994) However, discrepancies between the performance of girls and the performance of boys in elementary education leads some critics to argue that boys are being neglected within the education system:

Across the country, boys have never been in more trouble: They earn 70 percent of the D's and F's that teachers dole out. They make up two thirds of students labeled "learning disabled." They are the culprits in a whopping 9 of 10 alcohol and drug violations and the suspected perpetrators in 4 out of 5 crimes that end up in juvenile court. They account for 80 percent of high school dropouts and attention deficit disorder diagnoses. (Mulrine, 2001)
This performance discrepancy is notable throughout Canada. In Ontario, Education Minister Janet Ecker said that the results of the standardized grade 3 and grade 6 testing in math and reading showed, "...persistent and glaring discrepancies in achievements and attitudes between boys and girls." (O'Neill, 2000) In British Columbia, standardized testing indicates that girls outperform boys at all levels of reading and writing and in Alberta testing shows that girls, "...significantly outperform boys on reading and writing tests, while almost matching them in math and science." (O'Neill, 2000) However, the American Association of University Women published a report in 1992 indicating that females receive less attention from teachers and the attention that female students do receive is often more negative than attention received by boys. (Bailey, 1992) In fact, examination of the socialization of gender within schools and evidence of a gender biased hidden curriculum demonstrates that girls are shortchanged in the classroom. Furthermore, there is significant research indicating steps that can be taken to minimize or eliminate the gender bias currently present in our education system.

The socialization of gender within our schools assures that girls are made aware that they are unequal to boys. Every time students are seated or lined up by gender, teachers are affirming that girls and boys should be treated differently. When an administrator ignores an act of sexual harassment, he or she is allowing the degradation of girls. When different behaviors are tolerated for boys than for girls because 'boys will be boys', schools are perpetuating the oppression of females. There is some evidence that girls are becoming more academically successful than boys, however examination of the classroom shows that girls and boys continue to be socialized in ways that work against gender equity.

Teachers socialize girls towards a feminine ideal. Girls are praised for being neat, quiet, and calm, whereas boys are encouraged to think independently, be active and speak up. Girls are socialized in schools to recognize popularity as being important, and learn that educational performance and ability are not as important. "Girls in grades six and seven rate being popular and well-liked as more important than being perceived as competent or independent. Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to rank independence and competence as more important." (Bailey, 1992)

This socialization of femininity begins much earlier than the middle grades. At very early ages, girls begin defining their femininities in relation to boys. One study of a third grade classroom examined four self-sorted groups of girls within the classroom: the nice girls, the girlies, the spice girls and the tomboys. Through interviews researcher Diane Reay found that 'nice girls' was considered a derogatory term indicating, "...an absence of toughness and attitude." (Reay, 2001) Furthermore, the girlies were a group of girls who focused their time on flirting with and writing love letters to boys, the tomboys were girls who played sports with the boys, and the spice girls espoused girl-power and played 'rate-the-boy' on the playground. Reay's research shows that each of the groups of girls defined their own femininities in relation to boys. (2001)

The Reay study further demonstrates how socialization of girls occurs at the school level by tolerating different behaviors from boys than from girls. Assertive behavior from girls is often seen as disruptive and may be viewed more negatively by adults. In Reay's study, the fact that the spice girls asserted themselves in ways contrary to traditional femininity caused them to be labeled by teachers as "real bitches". (2001) This reinforces the notion that "...girls' misbehavior to be looked upon as a character defect, whilst boys' misbehavior is viewed as a desire to assert themselves." (Reay, 2001)

A permissive attitude towards sexual harassment is another way in which schools reinforce the socialization of girls as inferior. "When schools ignore sexist, racist, homophobic, and violent interactions between students, they are giving tacit approval to such behaviors." (Bailey, 1992) Yet boys are taunted for throwing like a girl, or crying like a girl, which implies that being a girl is worse than being a boy. According to the American Association of University Women Report, "The clear message to both boys and girls is that girls are not worthy of respect and that appropriate behavior for boys includes exerting power over girls -- or over other, weaker boys." (Bailey, 1992)

Clearly the socialization of gender is reinforced at school, "Because classrooms are microcosms of society, mirroring its strengths and ills alike, it follows that the normal socialization patterns of young children that often lead to distorted perceptions of gender roles are reflected in the classrooms." (Marshall, 1997) Yet gender bias in education reaches beyond socialization patterns, bias is embedded in textbooks, lessons, and teacher interactions with students. This type of gender bias is part of the hidden curriculum of lessons taught implicitly to students through the every day functioning of their classroom.

In Myra and David Sadker's research, they noted four types of teacher responses to students: teacher praises, providing positive feedback for a response; teacher remediates, encouraging a student to correct or expand their answer; teacher criticizes, explicitly stating that the answer is incorrect; teacher accepts, acknowledging that a student has responded. The Sadkers found that boys were far more likely to receive praise or remediation from a teacher than were girls. The girls were most likely to receive an acknowledgement response from their teacher. (Sadker, 1994) These findings are confirmed by a 1990 study by Good and Brophy that "...noted that teachers give boys greater opportunity to expand ideas and be animated than they do girls and that they reinforce boys more for general responses than they do for girls." (Marshall, 1997)

Beyond teacher responses, special services in education appear to be applied more liberally to boys than to girls. Research shows that boys are referred for testing for gifted programs twice as often as girls, which may be because, "...giftedness is seen as aberrant, and girls strive to conform." (Orenstein, 1994) Boys represent more than two-thirds of all students in special education programs and there is a higher the proportion of male students receiving diagnoses that are considered to be subjective. While medical reports indicate that learning disabilities occur in nearly equal numbers of in boys and girls, it may be the case that, "Rather than identifying learning problems, school personnel may be mislabeling behavioral problems. Girls who sit quietly are ignored; boys who act out are placed in special programs that may not meet their needs." (Bailey, 1992)

Gender bias is also taught implicitly through the resources chosen for classroom use. Using texts that omit contributions of women, that tokenize the experiences of women, or that stereotype gender roles, further compounds gender bias in schools' curriculum. While research shows that the use of gender-equitable materials allows students to have more gender-balanced knowledge, to develop more flexible attitudes towards gender roles, and to imitate role behaviors contained in the materials (Klein, 1985) schools continue to use gender-biased texts:

Researchers at a 1990 conference reported that even texts designed to fit within the current California guidelines on gender and race equity for textbook adoption showed subtle language bias, neglect of scholarship on women, omission of women as developers of history and initiators of events, and absence of women from accounts of technological developments. (Bailey, 1992)
Clearly the socialization of gender roles and the use of a gender-biased hidden curriculum lead to an inequitable education for boys and girls. What changes can be made to create a more equitable learning environment for all children? First, teachers need to be made aware of their gender-biased tendencies. Next, they need to be provided with strategies for altering the behavior. Finally, efforts need to be made to combat gender bias in educational materials.

A study by Kelly Jones, Cay Evans, Ronald Byrd, and Kathleen Campbell (2000) used analysis of videotaped lessons in order to introduce teachers to their own gender-biased behavior. Requiring in-service programs to address gender bias in the classroom will make teachers more aware of their own behaviors: "As a teacher, I was struck by the Sadkers' research on classroom exchanges and was forced to acknowledge the disproportionate amount of time and energy, as well as the different sorts of attention, I give to male students." (McCormick, 1995)

Once teachers have recognized their gender-biased behaviors, they need to be provided with resources to help them change. In their study focusing on how the effects of a gender resource model would affect gender-biased teaching behaviors, Jones, Evans, Burns, and Campbell (2000) provided teachers with a self-directed module aimed at reducing gender bias in the classroom. The module contained research on gender equity in the classroom, specific activities to reduce stereotypical thinking in students, and self-evaluation worksheets for teachers. The findings from this study support the hypothesis that "...female students would move from a position of relative deficiency toward more equity in total interactions...." (Jones, 2000) This demonstrates that teachers who are made aware of their gender-biased teaching behaviors and then provided with strategies and resources to combat bias are better able to promote gender equity in their classrooms.

However, beyond changing their own teaching behaviors, teachers need to be aware of the gender bias imbedded in many educational materials and texts and need to take steps to combat this bias. Curriculum researchers have established six attributes that need to be considered when trying to establish a gender-equitable curriculum. Gender-fair materials need to acknowledge and affirm variation. They need to be inclusive, accurate, affirmative, representative, and integrated, weaving together the experiences, needs, and interests of both males and females. (Bailey, 1992) "We need to look at the stories we are telling our students and children. Far too many of our classroom examples, storybooks, and texts describe a world in which boys and men are bright, curious, brave, inventive, and powerful, but girls and women are silent, passive, and invisible." (McCormick, 1995) Furthermore, teachers can help students identify gender-bias in texts and facilitate critical discussions as to why that bias exists.

Gender bias in education is an insidious problem that causes very few people to stand up and take notice. The victims of this bias have been trained through years of schooling to be silent and passive, and are therefore unwilling to stand up and make noise about the unfair treatment they are receiving. "Over the course of years the uneven distribution of teacher time, energy, attention, and talent, with boys getting the lion's share, takes its toll on girls." (Sadker, 1994) Teachers are generally unaware of their own biased teaching behaviors because they are simply teaching how they were taught and the subtle gender inequities found in teaching materials are often overlooked. Girls and boys today are receiving separate and unequal educations due to the gender socialization that takes place in our schools and due to the sexist hidden curriculum students are faced with every day. Unless teachers are made aware of the gender-role socialization and the biased messages they are unintentionally imparting to students everyday, and until teachers are provided with the methods and resources necessary to eliminate gender-bias in their classrooms, girls will continue to receive an inequitable education.

Departments of education should be providing mandatory gender-equity resource modules to in-service teachers, and gender bias needs to be addressed with all pre-service teachers. Educators need to be made aware of the bias they are reinforcing in their students through socialization messages, inequitable division of special education services, sexist texts and materials, and unbalanced time and types of attention spent on boys and girls in the classroom. "Until educational sexism is eradicated, more than half our children will be shortchanged and their gifts lost to society." (Sadker, 1994)

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According to many serious and highly educated people, I probably did encounter gender bias, whether or not it was meant deliberately. Even though gender bias looks as if it favors boys, it really does everyone a disservice, reinforcing rigid, archaic stereotypes. Girls should always be passive and boys should always be assertive and eventually join society with these, subconscious or not, ideas about gender roles                                     There is indeed a great deal of unconscious gender bias with regard to how society views strong, authoritative women. Often, women are punished by our society and in their roles in leadership and management for speaking in confident ways. And they are perceived far more negatively than men for communicating in the same forceful way and manner as men do. This unconscious bias against women exists in both men and women

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gender bias. n. unequal treatment in employment opportunity (such as promotion, pay, benefits and privileges), and expectations due to attitudes based on the sex of an employee or group of employees. Gender bias can be a legitimate basis for a lawsuit under anti-discrimination statutes.

matter how much we may try to ignore it, human communication always takes place in a context, through a medium, and among individuals and groups who are situated historically, politically, economically, and socially. ... Bias is a small word that identifies the collective influences of the entire

HOW TO REDUCE GENDER BIASSNESS
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{grooming the new generation
{changing the old -traditions &norms
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What is Gender Bias ?

inclination towards or prejudice against one gender.

"they argue that this kind of pay gap is the result of gender bias"

Gender bias can be subtle or overt, and may result in small or large consequences. For instance, the biased assumption that girl's school sports are less important than boy's school sports lead to an inequality in funding and access to facilities, which in turn lead in part to the creation of the Title IX section of the Equal Opportunity in Education Act of 1972, a United States law prohibiting gender discrimination in public education, including in sports.

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Many teachers participate in gender biased actions without realizing it. It is an
unconscious act that has many effects on the students in a classroom. Here are
some questions teachers can use to reflect upon and analyze gender biased
behavior and identify if it exists in their classroom.

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gender biasness in classrooms

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we cannot succeed if half of us are held back

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What can I do to promote gender equity and challenge stereotypes?

Challenge traditional male and female stereotypes when giving examples to students, e.g. ‘a female soldier’ or ‘a male nurse’.

When you do see/hear examples of gender stereotypes use them as an opportunity for ‘teachable moments’ and ask students to discuss what they mean and why they use them.

Aim to use gender neutral language (e.g. it, their, they).

Avoid statements that generalise, ‘girls tend to...' or 'boys are more...’

Don’t limit what you ask your students to do, e.g. ask female students to carry sports equipment

Consider the way you interact with students and avoid being, for example, ‘blokey’ with boys or ‘gentle’ with girls. Instead, interact in the way you’d expect them to in the real world.

Actively encourage students to engage in activities that might sit outside their gender’s comfort-zones (e.g. sports, dance, drama etc.)

Take note of how often you draw on either males or females to answer different types of questions and make an effort to rectify any inequity

Encourage mixed gender group work and seating arrangements

Use examples of gender inequity to inform your lesson, e.g. looking at statistics on the gender pay gap for a maths lesson, or looking at examples of inequity throughout history and how things may or may not have changed

Actively discuss and analyse sexist advertising images and the media’s representation of men and women.

Without highlighting that they’re not ‘acting likes blokes/girls’, actively encourage students when they do challenge gender roles.

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Usually males receive more teacher questions than females. * Minimal wait time for females’ answers * More frequent follow-up questions with males * Uneven ratio of student/teacher interactions: # of responses male to female = 7:3 * Males are also more likely to call out or act out, demanding and receiving teacher attention. * Segregated seating patterns reinforce unequal teacher attention. About half of America’s classrooms are characterized by gender segregated classrooms * Boys are more likely to be called up to the front of the room to do demonstrations (for example a science demonstration) * Boys are more likely to be disciplined than girls, even when the misbehavior is identical * Girls are more likely to be praised for the appearance and neatness of their work * Females often stereotyped into clerical role because of neat notes * Teachers are more likely to offer boys specific feedback on their work – including praise, criticism and remediation * Boys are more likely to receive attributions to effort and ability, teacher comments giving them confidence that success and competence is simply a matter of applying themselves * Girls are often told, "It’s okay, as long as you try." For example, a teacher may take the litmus paper from a female student and "does" it for her, but talks a male student through the correct us of litmus paper * School textbooks and supplemental resource materials tend to be filled with male protagonists and stories * More positive feedback and remediation to males * Males are allowed to speak over females Based on the Viewing Guide by Phyllis Lerner and David Sadker WGBY 57 Springfi

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Gender biasness can also lead to harassment and violence.There can be a lot of ignorance and ill treatment due to gender.

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Challenge traditional male and female stereotypes when giving examples to students, e.g. ‘a female soldier’ or ‘a male nurse’.
When you do see/hear examples of gender stereotypes use them as an opportunity for ‘teachable moments’ and ask students to discuss what they mean and why they use them.
Aim to use gender neutral language (e.g. it, their, they).
Avoid statements that generalise, ‘girls tend to...' or 'boys are more...’
Don’t limit what you ask your students to do, e.g. ask female students to carry sports equipment
Consider the way you interact with students and avoid being, for example, ‘blokey’ with boys or ‘gentle’ with girls. Instead, interact in the way you’d expect them to in the real world.
Actively encourage students to engage in activities that might sit outside their gender’s comfort-zones (e.g. sports, dance, drama etc.) 
Take note of how often you draw on either males or females to answer different types of questions and make an effort to rectify any inequity
Encourage mixed gender group work and seating arrangements
Use examples of gender inequity to inform your lesson, e.g. looking at statistics on the gender pay gap for a maths lesson, or looking at examples of inequity throughout history and how things may or may not have changed
Actively discuss and analyse sexist advertising images and the media’s representation of men and women.
Without highlighting that they’re not ‘acting likes blokes/girls’, actively encourage students when they do challenge gender roles.

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Using inclusive language is extremely important.

Gone are the days when we can divide the population into just girls or boys, male or female. As we are all aware, gender is a social construct, so the classroom can become an area in which these social norms are left at the gate and children can become anything they want to be. Words such as “You guys” can be a popular way of addressing a group, yet it’s an example of how we contribute to gender bias.

Be aware of current gender bias.

In general, girls are praised for the neatness of their work or their appearance, while boys are more likely to receive attributes based on effort and ability. The lack of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) or career and technical education subjects can be directed in some cases by these patterns of universal behavior. But we can change this by making the school a bias-free zone!

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the to a mans heart is trough the stomach

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1. Create an open school environment with books, toys, sports equipment and musical instruments that cater to everybody.

2. Using inclusive language is extremely important.

. Be aware of current gender bias.

4. Think about your own conduct.

. Teach acceptance!

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the way through a mans heart is

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how to reduce gender biasness

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llowing children to pick and choose what they would like to be is essential for growth, confidence and self-esteem. Dollhouses, animals, building bricks and musical instruments are some examples of items that broaden the learning space for children. Try to avoid putting girls or boys into boxes in relation to what they can play with.

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gender biasness
create  an open school
Gender identity is one’s personal experience of one’s own gender. Gender identity can correlate with assigned sex at birth, or can differ from it completely. When children are around 2 years old, they become conscious of the physical differences between boys and girls. Before their third birthday, most children are easily able to label themselves as either a boy or a girl. By age 4, most children have a stable sense of their gender identity. During this same time, children learn gender role behavior—that is, doing "things that boys do" or "things that girls do." In order for us to create a classroom space that is open to everyone, it is essential that we avoid gender stereotyping.

1. Create an open school environment with books, toys, sports equipment and musical instruments that cater to everybody.

Allowing children to pick and choose what they would like to be is essential for growth, confidence and self-esteem. Dollhouses, animals, building bricks and musical instruments are some examples of items that broaden the learning space for children. Try to avoid putting girls or boys into boxes in relation to what they can play with.

2. Using inclusive language is extremely important.

Gone are the days when we can divide the population into just girls or boys, male or female. As we are all aware, gender is a social construct, so the classroom can become an area in which these social norms are left at the gate and children can become anything they want to be. Words such as “You guys” can be a popular way of addressing a group, yet it’s an example of how we contribute to gender bias.

3. Be aware of current gender bias.

In general, girls are praised for the neatness of their work or their appearance, while boys are more likely to receive attributes based on effort and ability. The lack of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) or career and technical education subjects can be directed in some cases by these patterns of universal behavior. But we can change this by making the school a bias-free zone!

4. Think about your own conduct.

We should avoid grouping children by their gender. Make sure all classroom rules apply to a multitude of sexes. Have equal books, guest speakers, films on males, females, transgender people, etc., to create wide exposure and to normalize these ideas for children.

5. Teach acceptance!

We can teach our students to be open-minded and accepting of people from every background. Teachers are in a powerful position in that they can mobilize the next generation on how to respond to gender bias every day. Being aware of this bias can consciously help children to cope and deal with this conflict and respond to intolerance in the real world.

"Sitting in the same classroom, reading the same textbook, listening to the same teacher, boys and girls receive very different educations." (Sadker, 1994) In fact, upon entering school, girls perform equal to or better than boys on nearly every measure of achievement, but by the time they graduate high school or college, they have fallen behind. (Sadker, 1994) However, discrepancies between the performance of girls and the performance of boys in elementary education leads some critics to argue that boys are being neglected within the education system:

Across the country, boys have never been in more trouble: They earn 70 percent of the D's and F's that teachers dole out. They make up two thirds of students labeled "learning disabled." They are the culprits in a whopping 9 of 10 alcohol and drug violations and the suspected perpetrators in 4 out of 5 crimes that end up in juvenile court. They account for 80 percent of high school dropouts and attention deficit disorder diagnoses. (Mulrine, 2001)

This performance discrepancy is notable throughout Canada. In Ontario, Education Minister Janet Ecker said that the results of the standardized grade 3 and grade 6 testing in math and reading showed, "...persistent and glaring discrepancies in achievements and attitudes between boys and girls." (O'Neill, 2000) In British Columbia, standardized testing indicates that girls outperform boys at all levels of reading and writing and in Alberta testing shows that girls, "...significantly outperform boys on reading and writing tests, while almost matching them in math and science." (O'Neill, 2000) However, the American Association of University Women published a report in 1992 indicating that females receive less attention from teachers and the attention that female students do receive is often more negative than attention received by boys. (Bailey, 1992) In fact, examination of the socialization of gender within schools and evidence of a gender biased hidden curriculum demonstrates that girls are shortchanged in the classroom. Furthermore, there is significant research indicating steps that can be taken to minimize or eliminate the gender bias currently present in our education system.

The socialization of gender within our schools assures that girls are made aware that they are unequal to boys. Every time students are seated or lined up by gender, teachers are affirming that girls and boys should be treated differently. When an administrator ignores an act of sexual harassment, he or she is allowing the degradation of girls. When different behaviors are tolerated for boys than for girls because 'boys will be boys', schools are perpetuating the oppression of females. There is some evidence that girls are becoming more academically successful than boys, however examination of the classroom shows that girls and boys continue to be socialized in ways that work against gender equity.

Teachers socialize girls towards a feminine ideal. Girls are praised for being neat, quiet, and calm, whereas boys are encouraged to think independently, be active and speak up. Girls are socialized in schools to recognize popularity as being important, and learn that educational performance and ability are not as important. "Girls in grades six and seven rate being popular and well-liked as more important than being perceived as competent or independent. Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to rank independence and competence as more important." (Bailey, 1992)

This socialization of femininity begins much earlier than the middle grades. At very early ages, girls begin defining their femininities in relation to boys. One study of a third grade classroom examined four self-sorted groups of girls within the classroom: the nice girls, the girlies, the spice girls and the tomboys. Through interviews researcher Diane Reay found that 'nice girls' was considered a derogatory term indicating, "...an absence of toughness and attitude." (Reay, 2001) Furthermore, the girlies were a group of girls who focused their time on flirting with and writing love letters to boys, the tomboys were girls who played sports with the boys, and the spice girls espoused girl-power and played 'rate-the-boy' on the playground. Reay's research shows that each of the groups of girls defined their own femininities in relation to boys. (2001)

The Reay study further demonstrates how socialization of girls occurs at the school level by tolerating different behaviors from boys than from girls. Assertive behavior from girls is often seen as disruptive and may be viewed more negatively by adults. In Reay's study, the fact that the spice girls asserted themselves in ways contrary to traditional femininity caused them to be labeled by teachers as "real bitches". (2001) This reinforces the notion that "...girls' misbehavior to be looked upon as a character defect, whilst boys' misbehavior is viewed as a desire to assert themselves." (Reay, 2001)

A permissive attitude towards sexual harassment is another way in which schools reinforce the socialization of girls as inferior. "When schools ignore sexist, racist, homophobic, and violent interactions between students, they are giving tacit approval to such behaviors." (Bailey, 1992) Yet boys are taunted for throwing like a girl, or crying like a girl, which implies that being a girl is worse than being a boy. According to the American Association of University Women Report, "The clear message to both boys and girls is that girls are not worthy of respect and that appropriate behavior for boys includes exerting power over girls -- or over other, weaker boys." (Bailey, 1992)

Clearly the socialization of gender is reinforced at school, "Because classrooms are microcosms of society, mirroring its strengths and ills alike, it follows that the normal socialization patterns of young children that often lead to distorted perceptions of gender roles are reflected in the classrooms." (Marshall, 1997) Yet gender bias in education reaches beyond socialization patterns, bias is embedded in textbooks, lessons, and teacher interactions with students. This type of gender bias is part of the hidden curriculum of lessons taught implicitly to students through the every day functioning of their classroom.

In Myra and David Sadker's research, they noted four types of teacher responses to students: teacher praises, providing positive feedback for a response; teacher remediates, encouraging a student to correct or expand their answer; teacher criticizes, explicitly stating that the answer is incorrect; teacher accepts, acknowledging that a student has responded. The Sadkers found that boys were far more likely to receive praise or remediation from a teacher than were girls. The girls were most likely to receive an acknowledgement response from their teacher. (Sadker, 1994) These findings are confirmed by a 1990 study by Good and Brophy that "...noted that teachers give boys greater opportunity to expand ideas and be animated than they do girls and that they reinforce boys more for general responses than they do for girls." (Marshall, 1997)

Beyond teacher responses, special services in education appear to be applied more liberally to boys than to girls. Research shows that boys are referred for testing for gifted programs twice as often as girls, which may be because, "...giftedness is seen as aberrant, and girls strive to conform." (Orenstein, 1994) Boys represent more than two-thirds of all students in special education programs and there is a higher the proportion of male students receiving diagnoses that are considered to be subjective. While medical reports indicate that learning disabilities occur in nearly equal numbers of in boys and girls, it may be the case that, "Rather than identifying learning problems, school personnel may be mislabeling behavioral problems. Girls who sit quietly are ignored; boys who act out are placed in special programs that may not meet their needs." (Bailey, 1992)

Gender bias is also taught implicitly through the resources chosen for classroom use. Using texts that omit contributions of women, that tokenize the experiences of women, or that stereotype gender roles, further compounds gender bias in schools' curriculum. While research shows that the use of gender-equitable materials allows students to have more gender-balanced knowledge, to develop more flexible attitudes towards gender roles, and to imitate role behaviors contained in the materials (Klein, 1985) schools continue to use gender-biased texts:

Researchers at a 1990 conference reported that even texts designed to fit within the current California guidelines on gender and race equity for textbook adoption showed subtle language bias, neglect of scholarship on women, omission of women as developers of history and initiators of events, and absence of women from accounts of technological developments. (Bailey, 1992)

Clearly the socialization of gender roles and the use of a gender-biased hidden curriculum lead to an inequitable education for boys and girls. What changes can be made to create a more equitable learning environment for all children? First, teachers need to be made aware of their gender-biased tendencies. Next, they need to be provided with strategies for altering the behavior. Finally, efforts need to be made to combat gender bias in educational materials.

A study by Kelly Jones, Cay Evans, Ronald Byrd, and Kathleen Campbell (2000) used analysis of videotaped lessons in order to introduce teachers to their own gender-biased behavior. Requiring in-service programs to address gender bias in the classroom will make teachers more aware of their own behaviors: "As a teacher, I was struck by the Sadkers' research on classroom exchanges and was forced to acknowledge the disproportionate amount of time and energy, as well as the different sorts of attention, I give to male students." (McCormick, 1995)

Once teachers have recognized their gender-biased behaviors, they need to be provided with resources to help them change. In their study focusing on how the effects of a gender resource model would affect gender-biased teaching behaviors, Jones, Evans, Burns, and Campbell (2000) provided teachers with a self-directed module aimed at reducing gender bias in the classroom. The module contained research on gender equity in the classroom, specific activities to reduce stereotypical thinking in students, and self-evaluation worksheets for teachers. The findings from this study support the hypothesis that "...female students would move from a position of relative deficiency toward more equity in total interactions...." (Jones, 2000) This demonstrates that teachers who are made aware of their gender-biased teaching behaviors and then provided with strategies and resources to combat bias are better able to promote gender equity in their classrooms.

However, beyond changing their own teaching behaviors, teachers need to be aware of the gender bias imbedded in many educational materials and texts and need to take steps to combat this bias. Curriculum researchers have established six attributes that need to be considered when trying to establish a gender-equitable curriculum. Gender-fair materials need to acknowledge and affirm variation. They need to be inclusive, accurate, affirmative, representative, and integrated, weaving together the experiences, needs, and interests of both males and females. (Bailey, 1992) "We need to look at the stories we are telling our students and children. Far too many of our classroom examples, storybooks, and texts describe a world in which boys and men are bright, curious, brave, inventive, and powerful, but girls and women are silent, passive, and invisible." (McCormick, 1995) Furthermore, teachers can help students identify gender-bias in texts and facilitate critical discussions as to why that bias exists.

Gender bias in education is an insidious problem that causes very few people to stand up and take notice. The victims of this bias have been trained through years of schooling to be silent and passive, and are therefore unwilling to stand up and make noise about the unfair treatment they are receiving. "Over the course of years the uneven distribution of teacher time, energy, attention, and talent, with boys getting the lion's share, takes its toll on girls." (Sadker, 1994) Teachers are generally unaware of their own biased teaching behaviors because they are simply teaching how they were taught and the subtle gender inequities found in teaching materials are often overlooked. Girls and boys today are receiving separate and unequal educations due to the gender socialization that takes place in our schools and due to the sexist hidden curriculum students are faced with every day. Unless teachers are made aware of the gender-role socialization and the biased messages they are unintentionally imparting to students everyday, and until teachers are provided with the methods and resources necessary to eliminate gender-bias in their classrooms, girls will continue to receive an inequitable education.

Departments of education should be providing mandatory gender-equity resource modules to in-service teachers, and gender bias needs to be addressed with all pre-service teachers. Educators need to be made aware of the bias they are reinforcing in their students through socialization messages, inequitable division of special education services, sexist texts and materials, and unbalanced time and types of attention spent on boys and girls in the classroom. "Until educational sexism is eradicated, more than half our children will be shortchanged and their gifts lost to society." (Sadker, 1994)

There are 3 signs of gender discrimination in the classroom that you need to know which are behavioral discriminations, achievement discrimination, and developmental discrimination. This articles discusses each sign and provides key components you need to know to avoid discrimination against boys and girls in the classroom.

The differences between boys and girls are sometimes celebrated and sometimes lamented. Boys and girls do have differences, and historically, this has led to inequality. In the past the dominant belief was that a woman’s place was in the home, so girls didn’t need the same level and type of education as boys. And in many professions, women weren’t welcome and were told they couldn’t possibly handle the work.

Today, girls and women have many more opportunities. Women make up a large percentage (sometimes the majority) of college and university enrollment, and they have access to professions that were traditionally male dominated. Although great strides have been made in the realm of women’s equality, there is still a long way to go, hampered by the problem of cultural stereotypes that affect boys and girls from the day they are born. Examples include: pink clothes for girls and blue for boys; dolls for girls and trucks for boys; girls can cry, but boys cannot; and dance class for girls and football for boys. There are so many differences in the way that boys and girls are raised that, by the time they get to school, it can be very difficult for teachers to treat them equally and overcome the gender stereotypes they’ve already been taught.

Research shows many differences in the way boys and girls are treated in the classroom and shows that differences in treatment by teachers and other school personnel may be both conscious and subconscious. Teachers tend to pay more attention to boys than girls by having more interactions with them. They tolerate behavior in boys that they don’t tolerate in girls, and they tend to provide boys with more criticism and praise. Differences in the extra attention given to boys are due in part to the fact that boys simply tend to demand more attention, while girls tend to be quieter and more reticent. Boys tend to dominate classroom discussion, and they also access computers and technology more often than girls do.

The types and levels of courses predominated by males and females continue to differ. Boys are still more likely to enroll in mathematics, science, and engineering than girls and are more likely to take advanced courses in these subject areas. This enrollment pattern is not true for biology, English, and foreign languages, where more girls tend to enroll in advanced courses. Overall, women are underrepresented in professions that center on mathematics, science, engineering, medicine, and business leadership.

Some believe gender bias no longer exists and contend that boys are not more accommodated than girls in the classroom. They suggest that boys’ needs are often overlooked, because boys learn best when they have more frequent opportunities to get up and move around and engage in classroom debates—classroom activities that are often discouraged. Proponents also focus on the fact that the gaps in education levels between boys and girls have virtually closed since 1970. And now, even though girls still lag behind boys in mathematics and science, girls in high school do better than boys in reading, writing, and other academic subjects; earn more credits; are more likely to get honors; and are more likely to further their education at colleges or universities.

Although some might argue that it is difficult to see gender bias in schools, without question, in terms of money earned, there is a gender bias in the workforce. The average income of women with a high school diploma is 85% of that of men with the same level of education, and that figure drops to 80% for college graduates. The workforce data indicate that there is a level of gender bias in the school system, even if it is somewhat hidden. Gender bias is evident as students move into the workforce. Men are more likely to be given jobs with higher status and higher salaries than women.

Single-sex education (a school or program teaches only one sex) has often been mentioned as a remedy for the diminished self-concept girls must experience in schools where gender bias exists. Although Title IX, part of the Education Amendments of 1972, prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity, in 2006, the U.S. Education Department ruled that this did not apply to single-sex education, as long as attendance in such institutions was voluntary and students had access to coeducational classes and programs. As a result, single-sex education has increased in popularity, although its efficacy is debated. Many feel that girls have more leadership roles and more opportunities in a single-sex school, yet others argue that if co-educational schools were truly gender fair, there would be no need to separate girls from boys.

The debate about whether gender differences are determined more by biology or society continues, but one thing is clear: Gender awareness is central to working in schools where adolescents are the predominant school population. In the middle school years, parents and teachers often observe a distinct shift in interest levels and in personality among students, as raging hormones take over. Early adolescence is often spent in a cloud, struggling with questions of what it means to be female and what it means to be male. All too often, this has a profound impact on academic performance. Male and female brain development occurs in different areas of the brain, at dissimilar rates. This leads to disparity and discrepancy in the ability to master the material successfully. Moreover, middle-school students often appear to be frustrated with learning. The natural curiosity of elementary school children with their inquisitive enthusiasm for school suddenly disappears under distraction due to social and physical development, apathy, and a torrent of hormone-induced emotion.

Gender can be viewed as a social construct with culturally based expectations of appropriate behavior for girls and boys. Physiological differences in girls and boys also impact their learning and behavior. It’s important for teachers to understand both the social construct of gender and the physiological differences, to ensure that the school culture and climate support the development of girls and boys. School culture refers to the values, traditions, and infrastructure in each school. These characteristics govern how the school functions as an entity. School climate is a collective, descriptive label for the social interactions and relationships among students—with each other and with their teachers—and teachers’ interactions with their peers and administrators.

Recent studies have shown there are relatively few differences between the way that boys and girls learn. As a matter of fact, there are more differences within each gender than there are between the genders, especially for academic ability.

As a teacher, you should make a concerted effort to be gender neutral, realizing that boys and girls are equally capable of doing all things academic, with neither group having a distinct advantage. If we don’t create a gender-neutral environment in our classrooms, then we are doing our students a huge disservice and perpetuating self-fulfilling prophecies that may hinder our students from reaching their fullest potential.

Despite Eliot’s assertions, some differences between male and female learning may be rooted in physiology. Some studies have shown that the areas of the brain involved in language and fine motor skills mature earlier in girls than in boys. This may be one reason why more boys are identified with behavior issues, attention disorders, and learning disabilities. One solution would involve schools’ restructuring the environment to arrange more time for movement, and teachers’ becoming more noise tolerant. “Silent and seated” is not a comfortable learning condition for boys, whose brains require more physical movement.

Socialization styles also influence learning climate preferences among girls and boys. Girls tend to prefer a noncompetitive learning environment and cooperative learning situations. Boys enjoy the competition and find the win–lose structure motivational. Girls are more organized, take better notes, keep journals, set goals for themselves, and ask teachers for help and clarification. Boys do not take advantage of help as often.

By being aware of these signs of discrimination, Educators can work to create a learning environment that acknowledges these internal and external discriminations but strives to diminish them and ensure a classroom of equality.

Ten ways to challenge gender stereotypes in the classroom

Stereotyped ideas about what’s suitable for boys or girls can limit children’s opportunities to learn and develop. Here are ten things teachers can do to help create an environment which encourages children to think of themselves as individuals, rather than editing their choices through a gender filter.

See our schools pages for lesson plans for different age groups, more information on why stereotypes matter in school and links to other useful resources.

1/ Create a safe space

School should be a safe environment to learn and explore – you can help children by affirming unconventional choices, reassuring them that it’s OK to be different and encouraging a culture of acceptance.

“Boys [in Reception] sometimes want to wear the Princess dresses. This bothers one or two of the staff and sometimes parents object. One boy wanted to wear the Mummy Bear outfit, an apron, and mum questioned this. We encourage staff to support the children’s choices – our role is to accept what comes out of the role play.” Teacher

2/ Challenge stereotypes when you hear them

‘Why can’t a boy wear pink? My Dad does.’ ‘Why can’t a girl like football? My wife plays for our local women’s team.’ Children are often very keen to ‘police’ one another and make sure their peers follow the gender ‘rules’ they’ve learned. You can set the example by questioning them, and offering counter-examples from your own experience.

@LetToysBeToys My daughter got teased at school for wearing “boys’ clothes.” Her favorite shirt is blue and has a car. Now won’t wear it.

— I. D. (@DanicaIgrutin) September 8, 2014

3/ Talk about stereotypes

The Let Toys Be Toys lesson plan activities for Reception/ Year 1, lower KS2, upper KS2 and KS3/lower secondary are designed to help pupils start to question stereotypes about boys and girls, and we’ve pulled together links to more resources and ideas.

4/ Provide a range of role models

Give children real-life examples that counter stereotypes, both in your own activities, and in topic work and external visitors.

“My daughter pointed out to me recently that all the science groups in her Y2 class are named after men. And politicians bemoan the lack of women in science without seeing any connection!” Caren

“When I heard the new topic was ‘superheroes’ I was concerned this would be full of aggressive beefcakes ‘to get the boys interested’, but it was great. The staff made sure to include female heroes, and they looked at of different sorts of ‘heroism’ – eg a nurse, plumber.” Jane, Cardiff

“I tell the kids that I’m the person who cooks in our house. I didn’t think of this as breaking down stereotypes until now.” Teacher

“Where possible we also try to get visitors who challenge stereotypes so we always ask if we can have a female firefighter or police officer or a male nurse… We’re also trying to get some of our male staff to help with things like knitting club (they’re willing but need to learn the basics!) and more women playing football.” Teacher

5/ Make the most of books

Take a look at the stories and factual books in your classroom. Are there examples of working women, caring fathers, active girls and creative boys? Are all the animals in the stories male?

Carefully chosen books can be very helpful in challenging stereotypes – the It’s Child’s Playreport from the NUT’s Breaking the Mould project has suggestions of books with additional notes and ideas for discussion. Inclusive book retailer Letterbox Library has a great selection, including themed book packs for schools and nurseries.

Photo taken in a UK primary school library – credit nobodysblog.com

“We picked William’s Doll on purpose partly because the father is in charge at home [William’s mother is not mentioned in the story – only his Grandmother]. But we also wanted the boys to see that they can make their own choices – and to try and stop the other boys telling each other what they should be doing.” Teacher

Labelling a bookshelf ‘Boys’ Books’ might seem like a good way to encourage reluctant boy readers, but this can be counterproductive, reminding boys of the stereotype that they are supposedly less interested in reading, and encouraging the idea that only certain interests are allowed.

6/ Look at who uses which spaces and equipment

Do certain areas get dominated by certain groups, or by one gender or the other? Are there changes or movements you could make to encourage children to feel equally free to use the home corner, the reading corner, the bikes, the Lego…

“The colour of things is very significant – often children would play with anything unless it was pink – in which case the boys wouldn’t touch it and, sometimes, the girls would be quite proprietorial about it. Perhaps we should just get rid of anything pink…” Teacher

7/ Make sure there aren’t ‘girls’ jobs and ‘boys’ jobs

Who gets asked to do what? Is it always ‘three strong boys’ who move the chairs? Or ‘two trustworthy girls’ who take a message? It’s easy to fall into a pattern – mix it up and try asking someone different.

“EVERY assembly I’ve attended has had all major parts performed by girls even when they don’t need to be. Drives me CRAZY.”  Jenny, London

“I asked some Year 4 girls to put out the chairs. They said ‘great – we never get asked to do that’ – so I think they do notice the different ways in which genders are treated.” Teacher

8/ Pick other ways to divide up the children

Are girls’ and boys’ coat pegs labels or lunchbag shelves coloured pink or blue? Do boys and girls line up separately? Using gender to divide the children up can be quick and convenient, but it gives them the constant message that being a boy or a girl is the most important thing about them and reinforces stereotypes. Getting the children to line up a different way – by age, birthday, alphabetically – can be a subtle but effective way of encouraging them to think about their identity in different ways.

Encouraging children to work in mixed pairs or groups can have benefits too.

“Working in mixed pairs and groups challenges them – they have to be more adventurous about talking and learning from each other. They stay on task more and talk in full sentences. It keeps them on their toes because it is different from the playground where they tend to play in single sex groups. Some children object but we usually find they are the ones it’s most effective with!”  Teacher

9/ Use inclusive language

Small changes, like saying ‘children’ instead of ‘girls and boys’ or ‘parents and carers’ or ‘families’ rather than ‘Mums and Dads’ can help to affirm the things we have in common rather than our differences.

10/ Think about rewards and sanctions

Are boys and girls rewarded differently, or given different sanctions for similar behaviour? Do rewards imply that you think boys and girls can’t like the same things?

“My daughter was quite upset when ALL the boys were punished for a rowdy game that SOME of the boys had been playing. She could see it was unfair to just assume they all behave the same way. What are they supposed to learn from that?” Jane, Cardiff

“My son’s teacher gave out end of term books, which was really nice of her, but they were wrapped in pink/blue and labelled ‘Boy’ or ‘Girl’. The boys got a dinosaur or pirate book and the girls got princesses and glitter. On the other hand my daughter’s teacher also gave out books; my daughter (7) got a science one as she loves science and the teacher had chosen them books based on their own interests, which was just brilliant. Shows how it can be done!” Jennifer, Essex

# data[].attributes.body
gender bias. n. unequal treatment in employment opportunity (such as promotion, pay, benefits and privileges), and expectations due to attitudes based on the sex of an employee or group of employees. Gender bias can be a legitimate basis for a lawsuit under anti-discrimination statutes.

he first type of bias is gender bias, which is when teachers treat one genderdifferently than another. ... Teachers also show educational bias in gender roles by allowing more boisterous behaviors from boys than girls or expecting girls to turn in homework more consistently.

Gender inequality is the idea and situation that women and men are not equal.Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals wholly or partly due to their gender. It arises from differences in gender roles.

Gender inequality in India refers to health, education, economic and politicalinequalities between men and women in India. ... Gender inequalities, and its social causes, impact India's sex ratio, women's health over their lifetimes, their educational attainment, and economic conditions.

lpha bias is where the differences between men and women are recognised. betabias is where the differences between men and women go unrecognised, and this can lead to an andocentric view of human behaviour

A gender-blind (or unisex) person is someone who adheres to not distinguishing people by gender. Gender blind people generally advocate gender neutrality in society, such as activities undertaken and services provided without regard to thegender of those who participate.

1; create  an open school
Gender identity is one’s personal experience of one’s own gender. Gender identity can correlate with assigned sex at birth, or can differ from it completely. When children are around 2 years old, they become conscious of the physical differences between boys and girls. Before their third birthday, most children are easily able to label themselves as either a boy or a girl. By age 4, most children have a stable sense of their gender identity. During this same time, children learn gender role behavior—that is, doing "things that boys do" or "things that girls do." In order for us to create a classroom space that is open to everyone, it is essential that we avoid gender stereotyping.

ender bias is a preference or prejudice toward one gender over the other. Bias can be conscious or unconscious, and may manifest in many ways, both subtle and obvious. In many countries, eliminating gender bias is the basis of many laws, including those that govern workplaces, family courts, and even the voting booth. Despite these efforts, many legal and political scholars argue that total gender parity remains a far off goal, one which many regions are not remotely close to reaching.

Gender bias can be subtle or overt, and may result in small or large consequences. For instance, the biased assumption that girl's school sports are less important than boy's school sports lead to an inequality in funding and access to facilities, which in turn lead in part to the creation of the Title IX section of the Equal Opportunity in Education Act of 1972, a United States law prohibiting gender discrimination in public education, including in sports.

The legality of gender bias is an area of huge contention in regard to pay equity between the sexes. Historically in many countries, men make more money over a career than women, even if they hold the same job. While the disparity has dwindled since the mid-20th century, it still exists in most areas to some degree. Opponents of additional laws increasing protection of women's equal pay argue that this may be due to women working less over their lives, instead making a choice to remain at home and raise children. Women's rights activists often cite this argument as part of the overall gender bias of modern society, suggesting that women are financially punished for choosing to rear children, despite the fact that this action is vital to the continuance of the state.

It is important to note that gender bias exists in both directions. Although many historical examples and evidence suggest that biashas typically gone against women, there are certainly cases to the contrary. Abortion legality, for instance, is often a situation where gender bias claims against men are suggested, as some biological fathers insist they should have the right to prevent an abortion in order to raise their biological child.

It is also important to remember when considering gender bias and the law, that not all regions approve or desire gender equality under the law. In some countries, women are not allowed to drive, let alone vote. Studies of some regions have also showed tremendous gender bias in laws, with women being subject to severe penalties, including execution, for crimes such as adultery, whereas for men, adultery may not be considered a crime at all or may have lighter sentencing guides.

In other parts of the world, the complexity of gender issues and overall desire to create an equitable society has lead legal systems with an interest in eliminating gender bias to institute laws prohibiting overt gender prejudice. The first law allowing women voting rights was passed in New Zealand in 1893, although earlier laws existed in Scandinavia that allowed limited female voting. England, the United States, and Ireland all have laws prohibiting pay inequity based on gender, however these are not often strictly enforced.

The "vast majority of [Wikipedia] editors are young, college-educated males", a demographic which has been described as “a bunch of male geeks who are wealthy enough to afford a $2,000 laptop and a broadband connection.”[4] Surveys have indicated that between 8.5–16 percent of Wikipedia editors are female.[5][6][7] Consequently, Wikipedia has been criticized by some academics and journalists for having primarily male contributors,[8][9][10] and for having fewer and less extensive articles about women or topics important to women. The New York Times pointed out that Wikipedia's female participation rate may be in line with other "public thought-leadership forums".[8] In 2009, a Wikimedia Foundation survey revealed that 6% of editors who made more than 500 edits were female, with the average male editor having twice as many edits.[11]

In the English Wikipedia and five other language editions that were studied by researchers, the ratio of articles about women to articles about men was higher than in three other databases. However, analysis with computational linguistics concluded that the way women and men are described in articles demonstrates bias, with articles about women more likely to overuse words relating to gender and family. The researchers believe that this is a sign Wikipedia editors consider male the "null gender".[12] Another critique of Wikipedia's approach, from a 2014 Guardian editorial, is that it has difficulty making judgments about "what matters". To illustrate this point they noted that the page listing pornographic actresses was better organized than the page listing women writers.[13]

In 2010, United Nations University and UNU-MERIT jointly presented an overview of the results of a global Wikipedia survey.[14] A 30 January 2011, New York Times article cited this Wikimedia Foundation collaboration, which indicated that fewer than 13% of contributors to Wikipedia are women. Sue Gardner, then executive director of the foundation, said that increasing diversity was about making the encyclopedia "as good as it could be." Factors the article cited as possibly discouraging women from editing included the "obsessive fact-loving realm", associations with the "hard-driving hacker crowd," and the necessity to be "open to very difficult, high-conflict people, even misogynists”.[8] In 2013, the results of the survey were challenged by Hill and Shaw using corrective estimation techniques to suggest upward corrections to the data from the survey and to recommend updates to the statistics being surveyed, giving 22.7% for adult US female editors and 16.1% overall.[7]

In February 2011, The New York Times followed up with a series of opinions on the subject under the banner, "Where Are the Women in Wikipedia?"[15] Susan C. Herring, a professor of information science and linguistics, said that she was not surprised by the Wikipedia contributors gender gap. She said that the often contentious nature of Wikipedia article "talk" pages, where article content is discussed, is unappealing to many women, "if not outright intimidating."[16] Joseph M. Reagle reacted similarly, saying that the combination of a "culture of hacker elitism," combined with the disproportionate effect of high-conflict members (a minority) on the community atmosphere, can make it unappealing. He said, "the ideology and rhetoric of freedom and openness can then be used (a) to suppress concerns about inappropriate or offensive speech as "censorship" and (b) to rationalize low female participation as simply a matter of their personal preference and choice."[17] Justine Cassell said that although women are as knowledgeable as men, and as able to defend their point of view, "it is still the case in American society that debate, contention, and vigorous defense of one’s position is often still seen as a male stance, and women’s use of these speech styles can call forth negative evaluations."[18]

The International Journal of Communication published research by Reagle and Lauren Rhue that examined the coverage, gender representation, and article length of thousands of biographical subjects on the English-language Wikipedia and the online Encyclopædia Britannica. They concluded that Wikipedia provided better coverage and longer articles in general, that Wikipedia typically has more articles on women than Britannica in absolute terms, but Wikipedia articles on women were more likely to be missing than articles on men relative to Britannica. That is, Wikipedia dominated Britannica in biographical coverage, but more so when it comes to men. Similarly, one might say that Britannica is more balanced in whom it neglects to cover than Wikipedia. For both reference works, article length did not consistently differ by gender.[19]

In April 2011, the Wikimedia Foundation conducted its first semi-annual Wikipedia survey. It suggested that 9% of Wikipedia editors are women. It also reported, "Contrary to the perception of some, our data shows that very few women editors feel like they have been harassed, and very few feel Wikipedia is a sexualized environment."[20] However, an October 2011 paper at the International Symposium on Wikis and Open Collaborationfound evidence that suggested that Wikipedia may have "a culture that may be resistant to female participation".[21]

A study published in 2014 found that there is also an "Internet skills gap" with regard to Wikipedia editors. The authors found that the most likely Wikipedia contributors are high-skilled men and that there is no gender gap among low-skilled editors, and concluded that the "skills gap" exacerbates the gender gap among editors.[22] During 2010–14, women made up 61% of participants of the college courses arranged by the Wiki Education Foundation program that included editing Wikipedia as part of the curriculum. Their contributions were found to shift the Wikipedia content from pop-culture and STEM towards social sciences and humanities.[23]

In 2016, Wagner et al.[24] found linguistic gender bias manifest in family-, gender-, and relationship-related topics being more present in biographies about women, and in positive terms being more frequent in the biographies of men and negative terms more frequent in the biographies of women. The authors also found structural differences in terms of meta-data and hyperlinks, which have consequences for information-seeking activities.

A 2017 study found that women participating in an experiment by editing a Wikipedia-like site tended to view other editors as male, and to view their responses as more critical than if the other editor was gender-neutral. The study concluded that:[25]

...visible female editors on Wikipedia and broader encouragement of the use of constructive feedback may begin to alleviate the Wikipedia gender gap. Furthermore, the relatively high proportion of anonymous editors may exacerbate the Wikipedia gender gap, as anonymity may often be perceived as male and more critical.

A study by Ford and Wajcman observe that research on the gender bias continues to frame the problem as a deficit in women. In contrast, their central argument states that infrastructure studies in feminist technoscience allows the gender analysis to be taken to a further level. It looks at three issues within the infrastructure: content policies, software and the legalistic framework of operation. It suggests that progress can be made through altering that culture of knowledge production through encouraging alternate knowledge, reducing the technical barriers to editing and addressing the complexity of Wikipedia policies.[26]

Several causes for this gender disparity have been suggested. A 2010 study revealed a Wikipedia female participation rate of 13 percent, observed to be close to the 15 percent overall female participation rate of other "public thought-leadership forums".[8][28] Wikipedia research fellow Sarah Stierch acknowledged that it is "fairly common" for Wikipedia contributors to remain gender-anonymous.[29] A perceived unwelcoming culture and tolerance of violent and abusive language are also reasons put forth for the gender gap.[30]According to a 2013 study,[31] another cause of the gender gap in Wikipedia is the failure to attract and retain female editors, resulting in a negative impact on Wikipedia's coverage. As well, Wikipedia "...editors that publicly identify as women face harassment" from other Wikipedia editors.[4]

Former Wikimedia Foundation executive director Sue Gardner cited nine reasons why women don't edit Wikipedia, culled from comments by female Wikipedia editors:[27]

1. A lack of user-friendliness in the editing interface

2. Not having enough free time

3. A lack of self-confidence

4. Aversion to conflict and an unwillingness to participate in lengthy edit wars

5. Belief that their contributions are too likely to be reverted or deleted

6. Some find its overall atmosphere misogynistic

7. Wikipedia culture is sexual in ways they find off-putting

8. Being addressed as male is off-putting to women whose primary language has grammatical gender

9. Fewer opportunities than other sites for social relationships and a welcoming tone

Lam et al. suggest that there may be a culture which is non-inclusive of women on Wikipedia, which may be due to a disparity in male-to-female centric topics represented and edited, the tendency for female users to be more active in the social and community aspects of Wikipedia, an increased likelihood that edits by new female editors are reverted, and/or that articles with high proportions of female editors are more contentious.[21]

In July 2014, the National Science Foundation announced that it would spend $200,000 to study systemic gender bias on Wikipedia.[32] An article by Julia Adams and Hannah Brückner that was supported by the funding was published in 2015.[33]

One concern is that articles about female subjects may be more likely to be tagged for deletion.[34][35][36]

Reactions[edit]

The Wikimedia Foundation has officially held, since at least 2011 when Gardner was executive director, that gender bias exists in the project. It has made some attempts to address it but Gardner has expressed frustration with the degree of success achieved. She has also noted that "in the very limited leisure time women had, they tended to be more involved in social activities instead of editing Wikipedia. 'Women see technology more as a tool they use to accomplish tasks, rather than something fun in itself.'"[37][38] In 2011, the Foundation set a target of having 25 percent of its contributors identifying as female by 2015.[8] In August 2013, Gardner said, "I didn't solve it. We didn't solve it. The Wikimedia Foundation didn't solve it. The solution won't come from the Wikimedia Foundation."[37]

Writing for Slate in 2011, Heather Mac Donald called Wikipedia's gender imbalance a "non-problem in search of a misguided solution." Mac Donald asserted, "The most straightforward explanation for the differing rates of participation in Wikipedia—and the one that conforms to everyday experience—is that, on average, males and females have different interests and preferred ways of spending their free time."[39]

In August 2014, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales announced in a BBC interview the Wikimedia Foundation's plans for "doubling down" on the gender content gap at Wikipedia. Wales said the Foundation would be open to more outreach and more software changes.[40]

Gender bias typically stems not from malevolence, but from the perceived mismatch between the “typical woman” and the requirements of jobs that historically were held by men such as professor, scientist, and investment banker. In fact, many of the historically male dominated jobs are still held predominantly by men. For example, tenure-track jobs at research institutions still are 70-80% male.

Gender bias takes many forms, some obvious and others subtle. Here are some common examples of more subtle forms of bias:

Objective rules applied rigidly to women but leniently to men

The persistent assumption that a mother is home with her children when she is at a committee meeting, presenting at a conference, or home writing her book

An atmosphere where women are accepted only if they cater to the comfort levels of men who expect them to play traditionally feminine roles

Gender bias is a preference or prejudice toward one gender over the other. It is the unequal treatment in employment opportunity such as promotion, pay, benefits and privileges and expectations due to attitudes based on the sex of an employee or group of employees. Gender bias can be subtle or overt, and can result in small or large consequences. Most countries have laws eliminating gender bias in work places. Gender bias can be a legitimate basis for a lawsuit under anti-discrimination statutes.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Create an open school environment with books, toys, sports equipment and musical instruments that cater to everybody

2. Using inclusive language is extremely important.

3. Be aware of current gender bias.

4. Think about your own conduct.

5. Teach acceptance!

6. Allowing children to pick and choose what they would like to be is essential for growth, confidence and self-esteem. Dollhouses, animals, building bricks and musical instruments are some examples of items that broaden the learning space for children. Try to avoid putting girls or boys into boxes in relation to what they can play with.

7. Gone are the days when we can divide the population into just girls or boys, male or female. As we are all aware, gender is a social construct, so the classroom can become an area in which these social norms are left at the gate and children can become anything they want to be. Words such as “You guys” can be a popular way of addressing a group, yet it’s an example of how we contribute to gender bias.

8. In general, girls are praised for the neatness of their work or their appearance, while boys are more likely to receive attributes based on effort and ability. The lack of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) or career and technical education subjects can be directed in some cases by these patterns of universal behavior. But we can change this by making the school a bias-free zone!

9. We should avoid grouping children by their gender. Make sure all classroom rules apply to a multitude of sexes. Have equal books, guest speakers, films on males, females, transgender people, etc., to create wide exposure and to normalize these ideas for children.

10. We can teach our students to be open-minded and accepting of people from every background. Teachers are in a powerful position in that they can mobilize the next generation on how to respond to gender bias every day. Being aware of this bias can consciously help children to cope and deal with this conflict and respond to intolerance in the real world.

11. While the past few decades have seen an improvement in the treatment of females in classroom methods and curricular materials, it would be premature to declare victory and dismiss issues of gender bias. Today, our girls and boys remain the victims of gender stereotypes in text and resource materials. They are also victims of unintended or sexist behaviors by educators. Often teachers reflect varied expectations for children, based on a student’s gender, class, race and ethnicity. Most teachers care deeply about the youngsters in their rooms. They are confident that they treat all their students the same. However, many teachers who analyze their own attitudes and behaviors discover the subtle and pervasive nature of gender inequity in the classroom.

12. Many teachers participate in gender biased actions without realizing it. It is an unconscious act that has many effects on the students in a classroom. Here are some questions teachers can use to reflect upon and analyze gender biased behavior and identify if it exists in their classroom.

13. “In my science class the teacher never calls on me, and I feel like I don’t exist. The other night I had a dream that I vanished” (Sadker & Sadker, 1994). Unfortunately, the girl who complained of being ignored by her teacher is not alone. According to a national study undertaken by the American Association of University Women (1992), schools shortchange female students in a variety of ways, from ignoring instances of sexual harassment to interacting less frequently with females than with males and less frequently with African American females than with white females. Teachers tend to choose boys, boost the self-esteem of their male students, and select literature with male protagonists. The contributions and experiences of girls and women are still often ignored in textbooks, curricula, and standardized tests (Tetreault, 1997).

15.

While we’re all exposed to gender stereotypes, young people are particularly susceptible to them when forming an understanding of their place in society and their potential. The classroom is an ideal environment to raise their awareness of these stereotypes and encourage critical analysis in students so they’re equipped to come to their own informed conclusions.

Inspiring young people to question gender stereotypes enables them to make informed choices about their futures and broaden their opportunities. As a teacher, you are in a position to call out examples of gender stereotyping and encourage students to question and dispute them. This might be through highlighting examples in teaching materials or through calling out students’ comments and behaviour.

Although you might not be making decisions about what texts and materials are on the syllabus, you do have the opportunity to ask students to question gendered examples within those materials. Suggest students consider the types of texts that are authored by women versus men, to analyse the roles men versus women fill in texts’ examples or fictional characters. Maths or sociology classes can provide an opportunity to look at Australian statistics in areas such as gender pay gaps, or gender-bias in careers and employment.

If you hear sexist comments from students, such as “you kick like a girl”, "man up" or “get back in the kitchen” it’s important to discuss what these phrases mean and their consequences. Many students will use this language without intending to insult, so it’s important to prompt them to think about the underlying message and the impact their comments have, as opposed to simply reprimanding or ‘banning’ such talk.

16.

Challenge traditional male and female stereotypes when giving examples to students, e.g. ‘a female soldier’ or ‘a male nurse’.

When you do see/hear examples of gender stereotypes use them as an opportunity for ‘teachable moments’ and ask students to discuss what they mean and why they use them.

Aim to use gender neutral language (e.g. it, their, they).

Avoid statements that generalise, ‘girls tend to...' or 'boys are more...’

Don’t limit what you ask your students to do, e.g. ask female students to carry sports equipment

Consider the way you interact with students and avoid being, for example, ‘blokey’ with boys or ‘gentle’ with girls. Instead, interact in the way you’d expect them to in the real world.

Actively encourage students to engage in activities that might sit outside their gender’s comfort-zones (e.g. sports, dance, drama etc.)

Take note of how often you draw on either males or females to answer different types of questions and make an effort to rectify any inequity

Encourage mixed gender group work and seating arrangements

Use examples of gender inequity to inform your lesson, e.g. looking at statistics on the gender pay gap for a maths lesson, or looking at examples of inequity throughout history and how things may or may not have changed

Actively discuss and analyse sexist advertising images and the media’s representation of men and women.

Without highlighting that they’re not ‘acting likes blokes/girls’, actively encourage students when they do challenge gender roles.

17.

"Sitting in the same classroom, reading the same textbook, listening to the same teacher, boys and girls receive very different educations." (Sadker, 1994) In fact, upon entering school, girls perform equal to or better than boys on nearly every measure of achievement, but by the time they graduate high school or college, they have fallen behind. (Sadker, 1994) However, discrepancies between the performance of girls and the performance of boys in elementary education leads some critics to argue that boys are being neglected within the education system:

Across the country, boys have never been in more trouble: They earn 70 percent of the D's and F's that teachers dole out. They make up two thirds of students labeled "learning disabled." They are the culprits in a whopping 9 of 10 alcohol and drug violations and the suspected perpetrators in 4 out of 5 crimes that end up in juvenile court. They account for 80 percent of high school dropouts and attention deficit disorder diagnoses. (Mulrine, 2001)

This performance discrepancy is notable throughout Canada. In Ontario, Education Minister Janet Ecker said that the results of the standardized grade 3 and grade 6 testing in math and reading showed, "...persistent and glaring discrepancies in achievements and attitudes between boys and girls." (O'Neill, 2000) In British Columbia, standardized testing indicates that girls outperform boys at all levels of reading and writing and in Alberta testing shows that girls, "...significantly outperform boys on reading and writing tests, while almost matching them in math and science." (O'Neill, 2000) However, the American Association of University Women published a report in 1992 indicating that females receive less attention from teachers and the attention that female students do receive is often more negative than attention received by boys. (Bailey, 1992) In fact, examination of the socialization of gender within schools and evidence of a gender biased hidden curriculum demonstrates that girls are shortchanged in the classroom. Furthermore, there is significant research indicating steps that can be taken to minimize or eliminate the gender bias currently present in our education system.

The socialization of gender within our schools assures that girls are made aware that they are unequal to boys. Every time students are seated or lined up by gender, teachers are affirming that girls and boys should be treated differently. When an administrator ignores an act of sexual harassment, he or she is allowing the degradation of girls. When different behaviors are tolerated for boys than for girls because 'boys will be boys', schools are perpetuating the oppression of females. There is some evidence that girls are becoming more academically successful than boys, however examination of the classroom shows that girls and boys continue to be socialized in ways that work against gender equity.

Teachers socialize girls towards a feminine ideal. Girls are praised for being neat, quiet, and calm, whereas boys are encouraged to think independently, be active and speak up. Girls are socialized in schools to recognize popularity as being important, and learn that educational performance and ability are not as important. "Girls in grades six and seven rate being popular and well-liked as more important than being perceived as competent or independent. Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to rank independence and competence as more important." (Bailey, 1992)

This socialization of femininity begins much earlier than the middle grades. At very early ages, girls begin defining their femininities in relation to boys. One study of a third grade classroom examined four self-sorted groups of girls within the classroom: the nice girls, the girlies, the spice girls and the tomboys. Through interviews researcher Diane Reay found that 'nice girls' was considered a derogatory term indicating, "...an absence of toughness and attitude." (Reay, 2001) Furthermore, the girlies were a group of girls who focused their time on flirting with and writing love letters to boys, the tomboys were girls who played sports with the boys, and the spice girls espoused girl-power and played 'rate-the-boy' on the playground. Reay's research shows that each of the groups of girls defined their own femininities in relation to boys. (2001)

The Reay study further demonstrates how socialization of girls occurs at the school level by tolerating different behaviors from boys than from girls. Assertive behavior from girls is often seen as disruptive and may be viewed more negatively by adults. In Reay's study, the fact that the spice girls asserted themselves in ways contrary to traditional femininity caused them to be labeled by teachers as "real bitches". (2001) This reinforces the notion that "...girls' misbehavior to be looked upon as a character defect, whilst boys' misbehavior is viewed as a desire to assert themselves." (Reay, 2001)

A permissive attitude towards sexual harassment is another way in which schools reinforce the socialization of girls as inferior. "When schools ignore sexist, racist, homophobic, and violent interactions between students, they are giving tacit approval to such behaviors." (Bailey, 1992) Yet boys are taunted for throwing like a girl, or crying like a girl, which implies that being a girl is worse than being a boy. According to the American Association of University Women Report, "The clear message to both boys and girls is that girls are not worthy of respect and that appropriate behavior for boys includes exerting power over girls -- or over other, weaker boys." (Bailey, 1992)

Clearly the socialization of gender is reinforced at school, "Because classrooms are microcosms of society, mirroring its strengths and ills alike, it follows that the normal socialization patterns of young children that often lead to distorted perceptions of gender roles are reflected in the classrooms." (Marshall, 1997) Yet gender bias in education reaches beyond socialization patterns, bias is embedded in textbooks, lessons, and teacher interactions with students. This type of gender bias is part of the hidden curriculum of lessons taught implicitly to students through the every day functioning of their classroom.

In Myra and David Sadker's research, they noted four types of teacher responses to students: teacher praises, providing positive feedback for a response; teacher remediates, encouraging a student to correct or expand their answer; teacher criticizes, explicitly stating that the answer is incorrect; teacher accepts, acknowledging that a student has responded. The Sadkers found that boys were far more likely to receive praise or remediation from a teacher than were girls. The girls were most likely to receive an acknowledgement response from their teacher. (Sadker, 1994) These findings are confirmed by a 1990 study by Good and Brophy that "...noted that teachers give boys greater opportunity to expand ideas and be animated than they do girls and that they reinforce boys more for general responses than they do for girls." (Marshall, 1997)

Beyond teacher responses, special services in education appear to be applied more liberally to boys than to girls. Research shows that boys are referred for testing for gifted programs twice as often as girls, which may be because, "...giftedness is seen as aberrant, and girls strive to conform." (Orenstein, 1994) Boys represent more than two-thirds of all students in special education programs and there is a higher the proportion of male students receiving diagnoses that are considered to be subjective. While medical reports indicate that learning disabilities occur in nearly equal numbers of in boys and girls, it may be the case that, "Rather than identifying learning problems, school personnel may be mislabeling behavioral problems. Girls who sit quietly are ignored; boys who act out are placed in special programs that may not meet their needs." (Bailey, 1992)

Gender bias is also taught implicitly through the resources chosen for classroom use. Using texts that omit contributions of women, that tokenize the experiences of women, or that stereotype gender roles, further compounds gender bias in schools' curriculum. While research shows that the use of gender-equitable materials allows students to have more gender-balanced knowledge, to develop more flexible attitudes towards gender roles, and to imitate role behaviors contained in the materials (Klein, 1985) schools continue to use gender-biased texts:

Researchers at a 1990 conference reported that even texts designed to fit within the current California guidelines on gender and race equity for textbook adoption showed subtle language bias, neglect of scholarship on women, omission of women as developers of history and initiators of events, and absence of women from accounts of technological developments. (Bailey, 1992)

Clearly the socialization of gender roles and the use of a gender-biased hidden curriculum lead to an inequitable education for boys and girls. What changes can be made to create a more equitable learning environment for all children? First, teachers need to be made aware of their gender-biased tendencies. Next, they need to be provided with strategies for altering the behavior. Finally, efforts need to be made to combat gender bias in educational materials.

A study by Kelly Jones, Cay Evans, Ronald Byrd, and Kathleen Campbell (2000) used analysis of videotaped lessons in order to introduce teachers to their own gender-biased behavior. Requiring in-service programs to address gender bias in the classroom will make teachers more aware of their own behaviors: "As a teacher, I was struck by the Sadkers' research on classroom exchanges and was forced to acknowledge the disproportionate amount of time and energy, as well as the different sorts of attention, I give to male students." (McCormick, 1995)

Once teachers have recognized their gender-biased behaviors, they need to be provided with resources to help them change. In their study focusing on how the effects of a gender resource model would affect gender-biased teaching behaviors, Jones, Evans, Burns, and Campbell (2000) provided teachers with a self-directed module aimed at reducing gender bias in the classroom. The module contained research on gender equity in the classroom, specific activities to reduce stereotypical thinking in students, and self-evaluation worksheets for teachers. The findings from this study support the hypothesis that "...female students would move from a position of relative deficiency toward more equity in total interactions...." (Jones, 2000) This demonstrates that teachers who are made aware of their gender-biased teaching behaviors and then provided with strategies and resources to combat bias are better able to promote gender equity in their classrooms.

However, beyond changing their own teaching behaviors, teachers need to be aware of the gender bias imbedded in many educational materials and texts and need to take steps to combat this bias. Curriculum researchers have established six attributes that need to be considered when trying to establish a gender-equitable curriculum. Gender-fair materials need to acknowledge and affirm variation. They need to be inclusive, accurate, affirmative, representative, and integrated, weaving together the experiences, needs, and interests of both males and females. (Bailey, 1992) "We need to look at the stories we are telling our students and children. Far too many of our classroom examples, storybooks, and texts describe a world in which boys and men are bright, curious, brave, inventive, and powerful, but girls and women are silent, passive, and invisible." (McCormick, 1995) Furthermore, teachers can help students identify gender-bias in texts and facilitate critical discussions as to why that bias exists.

Gender bias in education is an insidious problem that causes very few people to stand up and take notice. The victims of this bias have been trained through years of schooling to be silent and passive, and are therefore unwilling to stand up and make noise about the unfair treatment they are receiving. "Over the course of years the uneven distribution of teacher time, energy, attention, and talent, with boys getting the lion's share, takes its toll on girls." (Sadker, 1994) Teachers are generally unaware of their own biased teaching behaviors because they are simply teaching how they were taught and the subtle gender inequities found in teaching materials are often overlooked. Girls and boys today are receiving separate and unequal educations due to the gender socialization that takes place in our schools and due to the sexist hidden curriculum students are faced with every day. Unless teachers are made aware of the gender-role socialization and the biased messages they are unintentionally imparting to students everyday, and until teachers are provided with the methods and resources necessary to eliminate gender-bias in their classrooms, girls will continue to receive an inequitable education.

Departments of education should be providing mandatory gender-equity resource modules to in-service teachers, and gender bias needs to be addressed with all pre-service teachers. Educators need to be made aware of the bias they are reinforcing in their students through socialization messages, inequitable division of special education services, sexist texts and materials, and unbalanced time and types of attention spent on boys and girls in the classroom. "Until educational sexism is eradicated, more than half our children will be shortchanged and their gifts lost to society." (Sadker, 1994)

18.

This paper with an aim of sensitizing everyone on an important concern relating to gender inequality, analyses the international conventions and constitutional mandate along with statutory mechanism to tackle the discrimination based on sex in education. It also touches incidentally the socio-economic aspects of gender inequality. Educators should foster in student equality, promote and strengthen the constitutional culture and stability.

To promote equality, it will be necessary to provide for equal opportunity to all not only in access to education, but also in the conditions for success. The purpose is to remove prejudices and complexes transmitted through the social environment and the accident of birth.

It is important to ensure the education system must play a positive role in the empowerment of people and removal of all kinds of biases which are basically man made. The Constitution of India visualizes development of a multicultural, open society, based on the principles of equality and social justice. The gender discrimination is the result of human practice. The efforts to eliminate gender discrimination are continued. In this direction, various provisions under the constitution and statutes have been incorporated and implemented with little success.

Introduction - Gender Roles

We observe many differences among boys and girls in the family, the street, inside the classroom, in the play field. For instance, in general, boys are active, playful, confident, bold, loud, and difficult to control. Girls are passive, gentle, quiet, accepting, more complacent and easy to control. It is important for those who are in the education sector to appreciate how infants and toddlers learn to see themselves as girls and boys in the adult images of women and men in their cultures.

It is equally important to understand how this process of sex role identity formation based on differential and discriminatory treatment, which leads to the formation of low self–concept in girls. There are some general perceptions regarding gender roles.

·        One, we not only observes the differences among girls and boys and also believes that these are natural and inherent in two sexes. We come to the conclusion that they are biological and hence unchangeable.

·        Two, the social roles of men and women, being cultural artifacts, vary across space and time.

·        Three, these differences are a result of ages of social experiences of the two sexes – are socially created and determined, and, therefore changeable.

·        Four, the present day human civilization both demands and creates new possibilities for the social roles of the two sexes as complementary and equal, globally. Now it is beyond doubt that the women have proved to be equally competent in all the fields.

Educators should know about Self-Concept and Self-Esteem.

Self-concept is how an individual views oneself. It is an individual’s feelings and attitudes, perceptions and knowledge about one’s own attributes. Self-concept could be negative or inadequate or positive and adequate.

Self- esteem is the dynamic aspect of self- concept through which an individual constantly evaluates one’s self in relation to society, the amount of value we ascribe to ourselves. High self-esteem and high achievement motivation go hand in hand.

In the perceptual field of the child, the family serves as the primary social unit, the parents, within the family structure, act as socializing agents to provide goals and values from which the child develops the patterns of behavior. Gender roles are learnt in the family, from parents, older siblings, and other members who provide role models appropriate to the sex of a person.

Human Rights‐Based Approach

Global Monitoring Report articulates a three‐prong framework for Understanding the rights agenda in schools.

·        Rights to education focus on the challenges of access to schools. Denial of the right to enrol in schools is based primarily on family and societal constraints that can result from deeply entrenched gender roles and social norms, which are often passed on from generation to generation. For example, discrimination against girls within the family, child labour, early marriage, disability and violent conflict are some of the reasons why girls may be denied their right to attend school.

·        Rights within education emphasize the way in which girls’ needs are addressed during the schooling process. For example, violence against students, sexual exploitation, discriminatory teaching practices or learning materials, and the lack of female teachers are some of the reasons girl students feel unsafe, unwelcome or underserved in the school setting, which can lead to high drop‐out rates and underachievement. In addition, the cost, distance and infrastructure of schools can result in under‐enrolment.

·        Rights through education point to the outcomes of schooling, including girls’ achievement and resulting economic and social opportunities. In many cases, despite educational achievement by girls, they are unable to translate those gains into opportunities in their communities. Unemployment, lower wages than their male counterparts and occupational stereotypes are some of the causes of gender disparity upon completion of schooling

National Policy on Education (NPE)

India has a clear policy on undifferentiated curricula for both sexes, biases and stereotypes creep through the learning materials as well as through those who handle them.

The NPE emphasizes the core values such as equality between sexes, ending social evils and practices derogatory to women, small family norm, etc. The NPE and Program of Action (PoA) highlight the need to improve the social, nutritional, and health status of the girls and also to strengthen support services such as drinking water, fodder, fuel, and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as an integral component of the Universal Elementary Education (UEE).

The PoA emphasizes the need to revise textbooks to remove gender bias and gender sensitize all educational personnel so that equality between sexes could be internalized through gender sensitive, gender inclusive curriculum and its transaction.

Some suggestions for gender-sensitive curriculum transactions may be given.

·        One, effective pictures and illustrations should show to the children that a woman is not merely a mother, but she can be a teacher, a doctor, a professor, an engineer, etc

·         Two, depicting men and women in shared roles.

·        Three, one can display the talent of women.

·        Fourth, one can counter, prejudicial references in textbooks, if noticed.

This approach could be a bid to alter the unequal gender relations and empower both boys and girls for a shared future by breaking down gender stereotyping and gender barriers in skill development.

Gender scenario in school education

India has the second largest educational system in the world after China with a total enrolment of 191.63 million out of whom 80.54 million (42%) are girls (MHRD, 2000-01). Due to the strong gender focus of the government initiatives during the 1990s as also the pro-girl child, pro-women policies, and programs during this decade, girls’ education has progressed and the gender gaps have narrowed.

A large gender gap emerges which was highlighted in the 2011 census that showed the male literacy rate to be 82.14%while for females it lags behind at 65.46%. Although getting the girl child to enrol in primary schools seems to be most problematic, once enrolled, girl children are more likely to continue their primary education. At the secondary level of education, girls tend to drop out more than boys, again posing a challenge to retain the girl child for secondary education. In our so-called ‘modern India’, estimates show that for every 100 girls in rural India only a single one reaches class 12 and almost 40% of girls leave school even before reaching the fifth standard.

India has the highest number of child brides in Asia and inevitably there is this dogma surrounding young girls that educating them is a waste of time and money as they are born only to be married off and manage the household.

Gender inequality in academic employment

Gender is embedded in the structure of academic careers. It is important to understand gender inequality in academia by identifying and attempting to explain differential time allocation preferences, behaviors, and mismatches. It was observed that women faculty report preferring to spend a larger percentage of their workweek on teaching and a smaller percentage on research, although these preferences are themselves shaped by gendered opportunities. A study also indicate that research and teaching time allocation preferences are shaped by the features of the institutions in which men and women are located. This suggests that gender-differentiated preferences may in part reflect the constraints women face in obtaining positions comparable to those of men.

Gender Equality is the responsibility of all

Achieving gender equality is not a 'women's concern' but the responsibility of all in society. Empowering women and girls towards greater participation in development means working towards more balanced and equal power relations between the sexes.

However, the promotion of gender equality does not imply giving more power to women and taking away power from men. The promotion of equality between women and men is empowering for all. It allows both men and women to take part fully in social and economic life and leads to a win-win situation for both.

Gender equality is an issue which needs to be addressed in all development fields and at all stages of the programming cycle, in other words, at the planning and design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation stages. As current inequalities are often quite large, equal treatment of men and women from now on is therefore not sufficient because existing inequalities could remain or might even become larger. Gender-specific measures are usually needed to redress existing imbalances between the position of men and women until women can participate in, and benefit from, development on an equal footing with men.

Legal system and gender discrimination in India

The role of constitution in ensuring gender justice is being recognized in modern times. It is most appropriate that the supreme law of the land should meaningfully address the woman question and respond to the challenges by stimulating the whole legal system towards a greater concern for, and protection of women.

Indian judiciary has been very sensitive to women and women related issues. The Apex Court of India took special interest in discharging its legal and constitutional obligations and safeguarding the interests of women in changing situation and societal demands.

·        Article 14 of the Constitution of India ensures to Women the right to equality

·        Article 15(1) specifically prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex

·        Article 15(3) provides for affirmative and positive action in favour of women by empowering the state to make special provisions for them.

·        Article 16 of the Constitution provides for equality of opportunity to all, in matters relating to public employment or appointment to any office and specifically forbids discrimination inter-alia on the ground of sex.

These articles are all justiciable and form the basis of our legal-constitutional edifice.

Plan and implement policies to promote gender equality

Gender policies need to be translated into sustainable practice, but research shows that institutions fail at gender policy implementation because they lack institutional capacity in gender issues (DFID, 2002). Thus, in order to build capacity in gender issues, institutions need to consider the following:

Community level

·        Understanding and acting on the gender issues that are identified by the community

·        Improving access to resources and assets where there is a need as identified by the community.

·        Increasing and improving the participation levels of women and men in decision making.

·         Working with communities to create dialogue on the social dynamics of gender and addressing ideas that may be barriers to the achievement of gender equality.

·        Creating a unit that focuses on gender issues within the institution. “The role of these staff is not to take full personal responsibility for gender work, but to act as catalysts supporting and promoting gender related skills and approaches amongst professional colleagues”.

·        Creating gender‐responsive budgets that include the allocation of funds towards the implementation of strategies used to increase gender equality.

·        Developing strategies that promote gender development, such as gender trainings for employees.

·        Developing strong political will, leadership and commitment to addressing gender issues internally and externally.

Institutional level

·        Developing information systems that contain gender‐specific data.

·        Developing appropriate gender indicators.

·        Improving and supporting research on gender issues.

·        Disseminating findings from the gender analysis.

·        Using gender analysis findings to inform gender policies and practice.

Conclusion

In a development arena increasingly focused on measurable and quantifiable results, the implementation of policies to increase gender equality in schools has mostly focused on gender parity enrolment rates, completion rates, achievement, representation of women and men in textbooks, etc.). Although these are important measures, in order to achieve gender equality in education, it is necessary to conduct gender analysis that is not only quantitative, but also takes into account deeply entrenched social and institutional inequalities.

It is beyond doubt that the gender discrimination is existence for long time. The education sector could certainly play a pivotal role in eliminating this gender inequality. It is very much essential to bring awareness among people about the benefit of gender equality. It is important to know that the inclusion of the concept of gender equality in the curriculum and making of laws to remove gender inequality have significant impact on the need to achieve constitutional goal of establishing egalitarian society. Ultimately, it is the change in social mindset and involvement of all sections of society is required to achieve the ends.

While there is no single solution to the issues of gender disparity, it is imperative that all stakeholders take the steps necessary to create a world that allows women, men, girls and boys to thrive and realize their full potential.

19.

The good news is that many elementary and high schools in the Chicago area are taking steps to educate boys and girls equally. The bad news is that six years after the American Association of University Women released explosive findings that male students receive preferential treatment in the classroom, little has changed.

"I would go as far as saying gender bias exists in every classroom throughout the country," said Suzanne Pryga, co-director of the Women's College at Joliet Junior College and a gender studies and sociology instructor. "It even exists in my classrooms. I don't say we're intentionally trying to treat students unfairly, but we just aren't aware."

Gender bias emerges in subtle yet far-reaching ways, say researchers and educators who have studied the issue. They include teachers calling more frequently on male students, who generally talk more often and are more willing to risk giving a wrong answer, than female students, and tending to "fix" problems for girls but let boys figure them out.

Classroom decor and curriculum materials also are often discriminatory.

"Look around at what is hanging on the wall," Pryga said. "What you see most often is pictures of famous dead men. If you look at textbooks, what history books do now is a separate chapter on women's history. Or within the book, the accomplishments of women are in a side box, which every student knows isn't the important information."

The result, according to a large amount of research studies, is that girls perform worse than boys, don't sign up for advanced courses and don't develop the self-esteem needed to be successful in careers and life.

"What girls learn in school gets translated into the workplace," Pryga said. "They typically work in occupational areas that are underpaid, undervalued and underappreciated and that don't allow them to be economically self-sufficient."

School districts have been employing a variety of programs and methods to level their educational playing fields.

At Joliet Junior College, the Women's College was established in July to integrate gender equity with education. One of its functions is to provide training and technical assistance to teachers and administrators within its district. Staffers evaluate instructional methods, help with textbook selection and design workshops on gender bias and related topics. Participation is voluntary.

Several high schools in the Chicago area offer their teachers a seminar series, "Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity," which was developed by the Center for Research on Women at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. One is Lyons Township High School, which has campuses in La Grange and Western Springs and has offered the series for three of the last four years.

The series consists of 10 seminars a year and has covered topics such as stereotypes of boys and girls, advertising images of women and sexual harassment. Attendance is voluntary.

"It's a way of having teachers examine their own values and ideas and (methods) about issues of race, class and gender so they become more inclusive in their own practices in their classrooms and curriculum," said Robin Smith, a guidance counselor at Lyons Township High and co-leader of the seminar.

Curriculum changes have been made because of the seminars, she said. For example, required reading for English classes was changed to include female and ethnic authors.

"We're not reading only (the works of) white males anymore," Smith said.

Other results are less obvious, she said. One teacher who required students to read selections from an anthology of literary works by Latino and Latina Americans reported that her Latino students felt proud to share knowledge of their culture and translate the Spanish idioms that sometimes appeared in the poetry they read. Math teachers have acknowledged they had not realized how much more often they called on their male students.

"Everybody has a new awareness," said Smith, who estimated that about a third of the school's teachers have participated in the seminars. "The seminars make you look at everything you do in every way. I'm a guidance counselor, so I have to make sure what I do isn't sexist. I have to encourage students to pursue careers that have to do with their skills and not with their genders."

Community Consolidated School District 89 in Glen Ellyn takes several approaches to educating its students equally, said Joan Huchthausen, assistant superintendent for instruction.

"From a local standpoint, we look at being sensitive to gender bias across the board," she said.

Textbooks are selected for gender-free content, and teachers are evaluated, among other things, on whether they call on boys and girls equally in class and ask thought-provoking questions of both genders.

"In a study of inventions, teachers are expected to bring examples of inventions by female inventors as well as male inventors," she said. "If they are looking at history, they try to highlight women's achievements as well as men's."

20.

1/ Create a safe space

School should be a safe environment to learn and explore – you can help children by affirming unconventional choices, reassuring them that it’s OK to be different and encouraging a culture of acceptance.

“Boys [in Reception] sometimes want to wear the Princess dresses. This bothers one or two of the staff and sometimes parents object. One boy wanted to wear the Mummy Bear outfit, an apron, and mum questioned this. We encourage staff to support the children’s choices – our role is to accept what comes out of the role play.” Teacher

2/ Challenge stereotypes when you hear them

‘Why can’t a boy wear pink? My Dad does.’ ‘Why can’t a girl like football? My wife plays for our local women’s team.’ Children are often very keen to ‘police’ one another and make sure their peers follow the gender ‘rules’ they’ve learned. You can set the example by questioning them, and offering counter-examples from your own experience.

@LetToysBeToys My daughter got teased at school for wearing “boys’ clothes.” Her favorite shirt is blue and has a car. Now won’t wear it.

— I. D. (@DanicaIgrutin) September 8, 2014

3/ Talk about stereotypes

The Let Toys Be Toys lesson plan activities for Reception/ Year 1, lower KS2, upper KS2 and KS3/lower secondary are designed to help pupils start to question stereotypes about boys and girls, and we’ve pulled together links to more resources and ideas.

4/ Provide a range of role models

Give children real-life examples that counter stereotypes, both in your own activities, and in topic work and external visitors.

“My daughter pointed out to me recently that all the science groups in her Y2 class are named after men. And politicians bemoan the lack of women in science without seeing any connection!” Caren

“When I heard the new topic was ‘superheroes’ I was concerned this would be full of aggressive beefcakes ‘to get the boys interested’, but it was great. The staff made sure to include female heroes, and they looked at of different sorts of ‘heroism’ – eg a nurse, plumber.” Jane, Cardiff

“I tell the kids that I’m the person who cooks in our house. I didn’t think of this as breaking down stereotypes until now.” Teacher

“Where possible we also try to get visitors who challenge stereotypes so we always ask if we can have a female firefighter or police officer or a male nurse… We’re also trying to get some of our male staff to help with things like knitting club (they’re willing but need to learn the basics!) and more women playing football.” Teacher

5/ Make the most of books

Take a look at the stories and factual books in your classroom. Are there examples of working women, caring fathers, active girls and creative boys? Are all the animals in the stories male?

Carefully chosen books can be very helpful in challenging stereotypes – the It’s Child’s Playreport from the NUT’s Breaking the Mould project has suggestions of books with additional notes and ideas for discussion. Inclusive book retailer Letterbox Library has a great selection, including themed book packs for schools and nurseries.

Photo taken in a UK primary school library – credit nobodysblog.com

“We picked William’s Doll on purpose partly because the father is in charge at home [William’s mother is not mentioned in the story – only his Grandmother]. But we also wanted the boys to see that they can make their own choices – and to try and stop the other boys telling each other what they should be doing.” Teacher

Labelling a bookshelf ‘Boys’ Books’ might seem like a good way to encourage reluctant boy readers, but this can be counterproductive, reminding boys of the stereotype that they are supposedly less interested in reading, and encouraging the idea that only certain interests are allowed.

6/ Look at who uses which spaces and equipment

Do certain areas get dominated by certain groups, or by one gender or the other? Are there changes or movements you could make to encourage children to feel equally free to use the home corner, the reading corner, the bikes, the Lego…

“The colour of things is very significant – often children would play with anything unless it was pink – in which case the boys wouldn’t touch it and, sometimes, the girls would be quite proprietorial about it. Perhaps we should just get rid of anything pink…” Teacher

7/ Make sure there aren’t ‘girls’ jobs and ‘boys’ jobs

Who gets asked to do what? Is it always ‘three strong boys’ who move the chairs? Or ‘two trustworthy girls’ who take a message? It’s easy to fall into a pattern – mix it up and try asking someone different.

“EVERY assembly I’ve attended has had all major parts performed by girls even when they don’t need to be. Drives me CRAZY.”  Jenny, London

“I asked some Year 4 girls to put out the chairs. They said ‘great – we never get asked to do that’ – so I think they do notice the different ways in which genders are treated.” Teacher

8/ Pick other ways to divide up the children

Are girls’ and boys’ coat pegs labels or lunchbag shelves coloured pink or blue? Do boys and girls line up separately? Using gender to divide the children up can be quick and convenient, but it gives them the constant message that being a boy or a girl is the most important thing about them and reinforces stereotypes. Getting the children to line up a different way – by age, birthday, alphabetically – can be a subtle but effective way of encouraging them to think about their identity in different ways.

Encouraging children to work in mixed pairs or groups can have benefits too.

“Working in mixed pairs and groups challenges them – they have to be more adventurous about talking and learning from each other. They stay on task more and talk in full sentences. It keeps them on their toes because it is different from the playground where they tend to play in single sex groups. Some children object but we usually find they are the ones it’s most effective with!”  Teacher

9/ Use inclusive language

Small changes, like saying ‘children’ instead of ‘girls and boys’ or ‘parents and carers’ or ‘families’ rather than ‘Mums and Dads’ can help to affirm the things we have in common rather than our differences.

10/ Think about rewards and sanctions

Are boys and girls rewarded differently, or given different sanctions for similar behaviour? Do rewards imply that you think boys and girls can’t like the same things?

“My daughter was quite upset when ALL the boys were punished for a rowdy game that SOME of the boys had been playing. She could see it was unfair to just assume they all behave the same way. What are they supposed to learn from that?” Jane, Cardiff

“My son’s teacher gave out end of term books, which was really nice of her, but they were wrapped in pink/blue and labelled ‘Boy’ or ‘Girl’. The boys got a dinosaur or pirate book and the girls got princesses and glitter. On the other hand my daughter’s teacher also gave out books; my daughter (7) got a science one as she loves science and the teacher had chosen them books based on their own interests, which was just brilliant. Shows how it can be done!” Jennifer, Essex

“I thought they would complain but they didn’t [when I handed out pink and blue reward stickers randomly]. I realised that I was the one who, unconsciously, had been affirming stereotypes about pink and blue.” Teacher

This material draws on the NUT’s Breaking the Mould project resources. These contain more ideas and examples of how to challenge gender stereotypes in the classroom, particularly the report Boys’ Things and Girls’ Things . Quotes are drawn from the project report and supporters of the Let Toys Be Toys campaign.

See our schools pages for a lesson plan, more information on why stereotypes matter in school and links to other useful resources.

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14 COMMENTS

3. Sarah W.

4. September 5, 2014 at 7:59 pm · Reply

5. I work in Early Years, and am very conscious about trying to counter stereotyping. I thought this article would be helpful, but instead find myself horrified that anyone working in education might still need these things to be suggested to them.

6. My current awareness is focussed on the words of songs- for example in ‘3 little monkeys’, not always singing ‘1 fell off and bumped *his* head’, or in ‘Miss Polly’ sometimes having the doctor come ‘with *her* bag and her hat’

9. jess

10. September 6, 2014 at 1:27 pm · Reply

11. Yes, I remember suddenly realising that all the animals in ‘Dear Zoo’ are male and being shocked not so much by the fact that they were, but that I’d read it about 4000 times before I noticed… So I started changing the pronouns – the kids were too young to notice.

12. It’s great to hear that all these tactics are second nature in your setting Sarah – sadly my own experience is that many teachers don’t always notice how much they are reinforcing stereotypes in some of the things they do, and this is backed up by the stories that campaign supporters have shared. I think sometimes it’s related to well-meaning attempts to address concerns about keeping boys interested, but reinforcing stereotypes is counterproductive.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130212100554.htm

15. Sara J

16. September 7, 2014 at 3:28 pm · Reply

17. I agree with Sarah W. I think most modern educational professionals are very aware and active in challenging gender stereotypes. However, it is sometimes an uphill battle when these stereotypes are mantained by what children encounter outside school, through the media, their own families or other influences of society.

20. Alison Heal

21. September 17, 2014 at 10:14 am · Reply

22. I left classroom teaching in the late 1990s, when I took a break to have my own children. It seems to me that everything you mention here WAS second nature to a young teacher who had grown up in the ’70s and ’80s. It was second nature to me and my husband as parents, too. But now I’m sure it’s much more of an issue. Things have really regressed.

25. Deborah

26. September 17, 2014 at 3:41 pm · Reply

27. I always use Aunt Polly as Miss has so many connotations to it when referring about a child (polite, spoilt, rich etc.) However, my daughter just started school this week and I’m horrified all the female teachers are called Miss or Mrs. I thought this was draconian but obviously I’ve not been around the school system a while. Firstly it tells everyone who is married and I don’t think relationship status should be branded on people’s names like that. Secondly male teachers are more likely to be called Sir which is traditionally a far superior title. There are some called Mr but of course there isnt a use of Master for a male over 14 yrs (simply because their mairital status isn’t what graduates them into being a fully actualised human being). Some people think first names are disrespectful & yet it’s so much more respectfull to learn someone’s names rather than call the ‘MISSSS……’. I really don’t want my daughter to be entrenched in this stupid old fashioned ideas but I guess I have to go along with it so she will fit in. Already had to buy her girls trousers which were less well made and functional than the boys in case she gets stereotyped. Lordy what a life.

30. Hannah Wolfe

31. September 17, 2014 at 8:09 pm · Reply

32. Regardless of whether or not it is second nature to education professionals, this is a set of really useful guidelines for people like me: I’m a STEM ambassador and CodeClub volunteer – I teach an after school programming club at primary school level.

33. I have no formal training in education and I don’t have kids of my own (yet). One of my motivations for being a STEM ambassador is to challenge the stereotypes around gender and technology. It is therefore something I’m very aware of, but having a list of things to think carefully about and be aware of when in the classroom is incredibly useful.

34. Thank you for taking the time to put this together.

37. Kirsty

38. May 25, 2015 at 8:23 pm · Reply

39. ““The colour of things is very significant – often children would play with anything unless it was pink – in which case the boys wouldn’t touch it and, sometimes, the girls would be quite proprietorial about it. Perhaps we should just get rid of anything pink…””

40. I hear you! I’m a Sunday School teacher. I have often found that it’s best to avoid having pink paper/card available for crafts, because otherwise you need to make sure there is enough for every single girl to have some, or they’ll feel hard done to. If there’s no pink, it’s fine. Fortunately that has not been the case every year.

41. And the children would label the pink and purple paper as being ‘for girls’, so the boys shouldn’t have it. Although there was one little boy who would always chose pink if no red was available, because it’s the nearest to red. Of course, now that he’s bigger he won’t touch it.

44. John

45. June 8, 2015 at 10:23 pm · Reply

46. As a nursery teacher I was actively involved in gender work in the 1990’s when working for the ILEA. Most of the things suggested here were being suggested then. It is really sad that nothing seems to have changed and in some instances the tired gender stereotypes have only become more entrenched. Good though to see that some teachers and parents see how damaging gender stereotyping us and are prepared to challenge.

49. Sylvia Crompton

50. October 4, 2016 at 9:26 am · Reply

51. I would like to be part of a campaign that actively gets rid of some of these stereotypes. Yesterday, while looking round ASDA I was horrified that every single item of baby clothing for a girl was in pink. Every birth congratulation card for a girl is pink and blue for a boy. I’m a girl. My favourite colours are blue, green and mauve. Is there any pressure group at the moment aimed at asking supermarkets, clothing manufacturers, greeting card manufacturers etc to do their bit in challenging gender stereotyping? An article in the Guardian today is concerned about the pressure on girls to be pretty. This is one of the places where the problem is rooted.

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4. Fighting for Gender Equality Must Start Early – Bring about the changes in the world you want to see

5. Why feminism has a negative image, and why it shouldn’t – Why is it Wrong?

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# data[].attributes.body
i am writing the points that reduce gender biasness in class , they are-

1.Create an open school environment with books, toys, sports equipment and musical instruments that cater to everybody.

2. Using inclusive language is extremely important.

3. Be aware of current gender bias.

4. Think about your own conduct

5. Teach acceptance!

Challenge traditional male and female stereotypes when giving examples to students, e.g. ‘a female soldier’ or ‘a male nurse’.

When you do see/hear examples of gender stereotypes use them as an opportunity for ‘teachable moments’ and ask students to discuss what they mean and why they use them.

Aim to use gender neutral language (e.g. it, their, they).

Avoid statements that generalise, ‘girls tend to...' or 'boys are more...’

Don’t limit what you ask your students to do, e.g. ask female students to carry sports equipment

Consider the way you interact with students and avoid being, for example, ‘blokey’ with boys or ‘gentle’ with girls. Instead, interact in the way you’d expect them to in the real world.

Actively encourage students to engage in activities that might sit outside their gender’s comfort-zones (e.g. sports, dance, drama etc.)

Take note of how often you draw on either males or females to answer different types of questions and make an effort to rectify any inequity

Encourage mixed gender group work and seating arrangements

Use examples of gender inequity to inform your lesson, e.g. looking at statistics on the gender pay gap for a maths lesson, or looking at examples of inequity throughout history and how things may or may not have changed

Actively discuss and analyse sexist advertising images and the media’s representation of men and women.

Without highlighting that they’re not ‘acting likes blokes/girls’, actively encourage students when they do challenge gender roles.

# data[].attributes.body
meaning-inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair.

Creating a classroom environment that treats women and men equally is important for the educational success of students. However gender equality does not stop with the teacher. It is also important that the materials used are supporting equal treatment.

In fact, many classroom materials, especially those that are older, may contain gender bias in activities, photos, or words. These materials can include textbooks, images, reading materials, written assignments, or even test materials. Having students use materials like these in class can reinforce stereotypes about gender roles in society.

Classroom materials that reinforce gender stereotypes can discourage students, weaken their motivation and limit their overall academic performance. This can result in fewer opportunities available to students when they finish their schooling.

Background

Research has found that stereotypes and gender bias in English language materials do exist. Several studies by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, have found that some texts underrepresent women, contain stereotypes about women or offensive comments about women.

In addition, research has found that characterizations in teaching materials often show a male majority. One study on high school English language textbooks in Iran found that male characterizations were used as much as 80% of the time.

Identifying gender bias: case studies

The first step is to understand how to identify gender bias in textbooks.

Examine the image below. These images were taken from an English language textbook. What do you notice about how the men and women are being portrayed?

A picture taken from an English language textbook.

In this image there are six people, four men and two women, shown in different jobs. The men pictured include a construction worker, a doctor, a police officer, and a truck driver. The women shown include a farm worker and a food store employee.

This image shows men and women in gender-stereotyped jobs in two ways. First, male representation is double that of female. Second, the men generally are working in higher-level, more economically powerful jobs.

Now look at a short reading activity from an actual English language textbook. What do you notice about the representation of men and women in the example?

How does weather affect us?
The weather of a place can affect our daily lifestyles in many ways This makes the weather forecast something of significance to us. Weather influences to a very great extent the sort of food we eat, what we wear, how we live and work. Despite the advances made in science and technology, farmers and their crops are still at the mercy of the climate and the weather.The fishermen, farmers, journalists, sportsmen, housewives and aeroplane pilots are some of the persons who are directly affected by the weather. The fishermen must be sure that there are no strong winds and excessive rainfall before going out to sea. | Farmers must know the weather conditions so that their crops can be planted at the right time. Do you remember when the El Niño weather phenomena caused a vast amount of crops to be destroyed?Sportsmen cannot be engaged in sporting activities during certain weather conditions.Can you imagine a game of cricket or football being played during a period of heavy rainfall?The housewife, too, must know the weather for the day to be able to decide her daily activities, for example, laundry work.
From the Global Education Monitoring Report's World Education Blog
See more examples at Global Education Monitoring Report

The piece discusses weather and how it affects people in different jobs. However, it refers to some of the jobs using masculine endings, such as “fishermen” and “sportsmen.” The only specific reference to a woman is that of “housewife.”

This enforces gender stereotypes in two ways: First, it creates the impression that some of these jobs are meant for males only. It also creates the impression that the job of staying at home and doing house activities is meant for women.

Identifying bias: Materials and curriculum checklist

It is important that teachers are skilled in identifying the signs of unequal gender representation in textbooks and other materials. A UNESCO checklist can help teachers check their materials for this problem. Here are some of its guidelines:

1. Are the materials used by the teacher or students free from gender stereotypes?

2. Do the materials show females and males an equal amount of times?

3. Do the materials show females and males with equal respect, and potential (when talking about jobs, or the future, for example)?

4. Does the curriculum reflect the needs and life experiences of both males and females?

5. Does the curriculum promote peace and equality for males and females, regardless, of their race, class, disability, religion, sexual preference, or ethnic background?

Improving your materials

So, what can teachers do when they find gender inequities in teaching materials?

The answer is: it depends. Some teachers are able to make changes to their materials or the way in which they use them. Other teachers may be able to create original teaching content. Here are some more UNESCO guidelines that might help such efforts.

Make sure that males and females are shown equally in class materials.

Make sure that the themes, subjects, and pictures used in class materials connect to the life experiences of both female and male students.

Make sure that female and male students are not presented only in stereotypical ways.

Make sure you use a balanced amount of materials written by male and female authors.

Include women and men as examples of experts or leaders

It requires additional work for teachers to review their materials for gender bias. But using gender-sensitive materials in class can help support the creation of more gender-sensitive attitudes among students. It can also establish a stronger learning environment where all students are motivated to succeed.

I’m Phil Dierking.

And I’m Jill Robbins

Phil Dierking wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

What are other ideas for adapting teaching materials to be more gender-sensitive? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

bias – n. a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly​

characterization – n. the act of describing the character or qualities of someone or something​

curriculum – n. the courses that are taught by a school, college, etc.​

discourage – v. to make (someone) less determined, hopeful, or confident​

gender – n. the state of being male or female​

opportunity – n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done​

stereotype – n. an often unfair and untrue belief that many people have about all people or things with a particular characteristic​

Your opinion

This forum has been closed.

All comments (15)

Tony

08/26/2017 2:12 PM

I don't know how to react with this article, because the Female people around do not show extreme motions about the issue of gender equality, but on the contrast, most of the people are used to this sort of situation and no protests, no demonstrations gathered and marching in the street or anther approaches engaged, particularly with the development of our society, the living standards of families are obviously improved with incoming rising, family members, friends and colleagues are inclined to join some out door activities, especially wild camping in the parks or Barbeque on the beach, every body are enjoying the moments as we are staying together, in fact, the females as a vulnerable group who are undertaking some severe pains such as producing babies for generations passing on, and the important thing is that females could take the works which males are not competent, such as needles and wiring housework, meanwhile, females are all emotional beings and they would love you forever and put all they have into the family both of you established hand by hand, because the male is her everything of her world.

Valter Lima

08/24/2017 10:45 AM

The problem isn't when a explanation show more examples of mens then womans once or twice times. The problem is when it always happen in behalf to the mans.
But I really believe thar our children will be in better condition than we. Hwe live in a sos.re commentsRelated

# data[].attributes.body
1. Allowing children to pick and choose what they would like to be is essential for growth, confidence and self-esteem. Dollhouses, animals, building bricks and musical instruments are some examples of items that broaden the learning space for children. Try to avoid putting girls or boys into boxes in relation to what they can play with.
2. In general, girls are praised for the neatness of their work or their appearance, while boys are more likely to receive attributes based on effort and ability. The lack of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) or career and technical education subjects can be directed in some cases by these patterns of universal behavior. But we can change this by making the school a bias-free zone!
3.

We should avoid grouping children by their gender. Make sure all classroom rules apply to a multitude of sexes. Have equal books, guest speakers, films on males, females, transgender people, etc., to create wide exposure and to normalize these ideas for children.
4. We can teach our students to be open-minded and accepting of people from every background. Teachers are in a powerful position in that they can mobilize the next generation on how to respond to gender bias every day. Being aware of this bias can consciously help children to cope and deal with this conflict and respond to intolerance in the real world.
5.

We should avoid grouping children by their gender. Make sure all classroom rules apply to a multitude of sexes. Have equal books, guest speakers, films on males, females, transgender people, etc., to create wide exposure and to normalize these ideas for children.

# data[].attributes.body
Gender Biasness-it is the unequal treatment in in employment opportunities
(such as promotions)and expectations due to attitudes based on the sex of an employee or group of employees.

# data[].attributes.body
1)Create an open school environment with books, toys, sports equipment and musical instruments that cater to everybody.
2) Using inclusive language is extremely important
3) Be aware of current gender bias.
4) Think about your own conduct.
5) Teach acceptance!
6) Challenge traditional male and female stereotypes when giving examples to students, e.g. ‘a female soldier’ or ‘a male nurse’.
7) Avoid statements that generalise, ‘girls tend to...' or 'boys are more...’
8) Don’t limit what you ask your students to do, e.g. ask female students to carry sports equipment
9) Encourage mixed gender group work and seating arrangements
10) Actively discuss and analyse sexist advertising images and the media’s representation of men and women.

# data[].attributes.body
Gender Bias in classroom
There are 5 points

1. Create an open school environment with books, toys, sports equipment and musical instruments that cater to everybody.

Allowing children to pick and choose what they would like to be is essential for growth, confidence and self-esteem. Dollhouses, animals, building bricks and musical instruments are some examples of items that broaden the learning space for children. Try to avoid putting girls or boys into boxes in relation to what they can play with.

2. Using inclusive language is extremely important.

Gone are the days when we can divide the population into just girls or boys, male or female. As we are all aware, gender is a social construct, so the classroom can become an area in which these social norms are left at the gate and children can become anything they want to be. Words such as “You guys” can be a popular way of addressing a group, yet it’s an example of how we contribute to gender bias.

3. Be aware of current gender bias.

In general, girls are praised for the neatness of their work or their appearance, while boys are more likely to receive attributes based on effort and ability. The lack of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) or career and technical education subjects can be directed in some cases by these patterns of universal behavior. But we can change this by making the school a bias-free zone!

4. Think about your own conduct.

We should avoid grouping children by their gender. Make sure all classroom rules apply to a multitude of sexes. Have equal books, guest speakers, films on males, females, transgender people, etc., to create wide exposure and to normalize these ideas for children.

5. Teach acceptance!

We can teach our students to be open-minded and accepting of people from every background. Teachers are in a powerful position in that they can mobilize the next generation on how to respond to gender bias every day. Being aware of this bias can consciously help children to cope and deal with this conflict and respond to intolerance in the real world.

Sitting in the same classroom, reading the same textbook, listening to the same teacher, boys and girls receive very different educations." (Sadker, 1994) In fact, upon entering school, girls perform equal to or better than boys on nearly every measure of achievement, but by the time they graduate high school or college, they have fallen behind. (Sadker, 1994) However, discrepancies between the performance of girls and the performance of boys in elementary education leads some critics to argue that boys are being neglected within the education system:

Across the country, boys have never been in more trouble: They earn 70 percent of the D's and F's that teachers dole out. They make up two thirds of students labeled "learning disabled." They are the culprits in a whopping 9 of 10 alcohol and drug violations and the suspected perpetrators in 4 out of 5 crimes that end up in juvenile court. They account for 80 percent of high school dropouts and attention deficit disorder diagnoses. (Mulrine, 2001)

This performance discrepancy is notable throughout Canada. In Ontario, Education Minister Janet Ecker said that the results of the standardized grade 3 and grade 6 testing in math and reading showed, "...persistent and glaring discrepancies in achievements and attitudes between boys and girls." (O'Neill, 2000) In British Columbia, standardized testing indicates that girls outperform boys at all levels of reading and writing and in Alberta testing shows that girls, "...significantly outperform boys on reading and writing tests, while almost matching them in math and science." (O'Neill, 2000) However, the American Association of University Women published a report in 1992 indicating that females receive less attention from teachers and the attention that female students do receive is often more negative than attention received by boys. (Bailey, 1992) In fact, examination of the socialization of gender within schools and evidence of a gender biased hidden curriculum demonstrates that girls are shortchanged in the classroom. Furthermore, there is significant research indicating steps that can be taken to minimize or eliminate the gender bias currently present in our education system.

The socialization of gender within our schools assures that girls are made aware that they are unequal to boys. Every time students are seated or lined up by gender, teachers are affirming that girls and boys should be treated differently. When an administrator ignores an act of sexual harassment, he or she is allowing the degradation of girls. When different behaviors are tolerated for boys than for girls because 'boys will be boys', schools are perpetuating the oppression of females. There is some evidence that girls are becoming more academically successful than boys, however examination of the classroom shows that girls and boys continue to be socialized in ways that work against gender equity.

Teachers socialize girls towards a feminine ideal. Girls are praised for being neat, quiet, and calm, whereas boys are encouraged to think independently, be active and speak up. Girls are socialized in schools to recognize popularity as being important, and learn that educational performance and ability are not as important. "Girls in grades six and seven rate being popular and well-liked as more important than being perceived as competent or independent. Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to rank independence and competence as more important." (Bailey, 1992)

This socialization of femininity begins much earlier than the middle grades. At very early ages, girls begin defining their femininities in relation to boys. One study of a third grade classroom examined four self-sorted groups of girls within the classroom: the nice girls, the girlies, the spice girls and the tomboys. Through interviews researcher Diane Reay found that 'nice girls' was considered a derogatory term indicating, "...an absence of toughness and attitude." (Reay, 2001) Furthermore, the girlies were a group of girls who focused their time on flirting with and writing love letters to boys, the tomboys were girls who played sports with the boys, and the spice girls espoused girl-power and played 'rate-the-boy' on the playground. Reay's research shows that each of the groups of girls defined their own femininities in relation to boys. (2001)

The Reay study further demonstrates how socialization of girls occurs at the school level by tolerating different behaviors from boys than from girls. Assertive behavior from girls is often seen as disruptive and may be viewed more negatively by adults. In Reay's study, the fact that the spice girls asserted themselves in ways contrary to traditional femininity caused them to be labeled by teachers as "real bitches". (2001) This reinforces the notion that "...girls' misbehavior to be looked upon as a character defect, whilst boys' misbehavior is viewed as a desire to assert themselves." (Reay, 2001)

A permissive attitude towards sexual harassment is another way in which schools reinforce the socialization of girls as inferior. "When schools ignore sexist, racist, homophobic, and violent interactions between students, they are giving tacit approval to such behaviors." (Bailey, 1992) Yet boys are taunted for throwing like a girl, or crying like a girl, which implies that being a girl is worse than being a boy. According to the American Association of University Women Report, "The clear message to both boys and girls is that girls are not worthy of respect and that appropriate behavior for boys includes exerting power over girls -- or over other, weaker boys." (Bailey, 1992)

Clearly the socialization of gender is reinforced at school, "Because classrooms are microcosms of society, mirroring its strengths and ills alike, it follows that the normal socialization patterns of young children that often lead to distorted perceptions of gender roles are reflected in the classrooms." (Marshall, 1997) Yet gender bias in education reaches beyond socialization patterns, bias is embedded in textbooks, lessons, and teacher interactions with students. This type of gender bias is part of the hidden curriculum of lessons taught implicitly to students through the every day functioning of their classroom.

In Myra and David Sadker's research, they noted four types of teacher responses to students: teacher praises, providing positive feedback for a response; teacher remediates, encouraging a student to correct or expand their answer; teacher criticizes, explicitly stating that the answer is incorrect; teacher accepts, acknowledging that a student has responded. The Sadkers found that boys were far more likely to receive praise or remediation from a teacher than were girls. The girls were most likely to receive an acknowledgement response from their teacher. (Sadker, 1994) These findings are confirmed by a 1990 study by Good and Brophy that "...noted that teachers give boys greater opportunity to expand ideas and be animated than they do girls and that they reinforce boys more for general responses than they do for girls." (Marshall, 1997)

Beyond teacher responses, special services in education appear to be applied more liberally to boys than to girls. Research shows that boys are referred for testing for gifted programs twice as often as girls, which may be because, "...giftedness is seen as aberrant, and girls strive to conform." (Orenstein, 1994) Boys represent more than two-thirds of all students in special education programs and there is a higher the proportion of male students receiving diagnoses that are considered to be subjective. While medical reports indicate that learning disabilities occur in nearly equal numbers of in boys and girls, it may be the case that, "Rather than identifying learning problems, school personnel may be mislabeling behavioral problems. Girls who sit quietly are ignored; boys who act out are placed in special programs that may not meet their needs." (Bailey, 1992)

Gender bias is also taught implicitly through the resources chosen for classroom use. Using texts that omit contributions of women, that tokenize the experiences of women, or that stereotype gender roles, further compounds gender bias in schools' curriculum. While research shows that the use of gender-equitable materials allows students to have more gender-balanced knowledge, to develop more flexible attitudes towards gender roles, and to imitate role behaviors contained in the materials (Klein, 1985) schools continue to use gender-biased texts:

Researchers at a 1990 conference reported that even texts designed to fit within the current California guidelines on gender and race equity for textbook adoption showed subtle language bias, neglect of scholarship on women, omission of women as developers of history and initiators of events, and absence of women from accounts of technological developments. (Bailey, 1992)

Clearly the socialization of gender roles and the use of a gender-biased hidden curriculum lead to an inequitable education for boys and girls. What changes can be made to create a more equitable learning environment for all children? First, teachers need to be made aware of their gender-biased tendencies. Next, they need to be provided with strategies for altering the behavior. Finally, efforts need to be made to combat gender bias in educational materials.

A study by Kelly Jones, Cay Evans, Ronald Byrd, and Kathleen Campbell (2000) used analysis of videotaped lessons in order to introduce teachers to their own gender-biased behavior. Requiring in-service programs to address gender bias in the classroom will make teachers more aware of their own behaviors: "As a teacher, I was struck by the Sadkers' research on classroom exchanges and was forced to acknowledge the disproportionate amount of time and energy, as well as the different sorts of attention, I give to male students." (McCormick, 1995)

Once teachers have recognized their gender-biased behaviors, they need to be provided with resources to help them change. In their study focusing on how the effects of a gender resource model would affect gender-biased teaching behaviors, Jones, Evans, Burns, and Campbell (2000) provided teachers with a self-directed module aimed at reducing gender bias in the classroom. The module contained research on gender equity in the classroom, specific activities to reduce stereotypical thinking in students, and self-evaluation worksheets for teachers. The findings from this study support the hypothesis that "...female students would move from a position of relative deficiency toward more equity in total interactions...." (Jones, 2000) This demonstrates that teachers who are made aware of their gender-biased teaching behaviors and then provided with strategies and resources to combat bias are better able to promote gender equity in their classrooms.

However, beyond changing their own teaching behaviors, teachers need to be aware of the gender bias imbedded in many educational materials and texts and need to take steps to combat this bias. Curriculum researchers have established six attributes that need to be considered when trying to establish a gender-equitable curriculum. Gender-fair materials need to acknowledge and affirm variation. They need to be inclusive, accurate, affirmative, representative, and integrated, weaving together the experiences, needs, and interests of both males and females. (Bailey, 1992) "We need to look at the stories we are telling our students and children. Far too many of our classroom examples, storybooks, and texts describe a world in which boys and men are bright, curious, brave, inventive, and powerful, but girls and women are silent, passive, and invisible." (McCormick, 1995) Furthermore, teachers can help students identify gender-bias in texts and facilitate critical discussions as to why that bias exists.

Gender bias in education is an insidious problem that causes very few people to stand up and take notice. The victims of this bias have been trained through years of schooling to be silent and passive, and are therefore unwilling to stand up and make noise about the unfair treatment they are receiving. "Over the course of years the uneven distribution of teacher time, energy, attention, and talent, with boys getting the lion's share, takes its toll on girls." (Sadker, 1994) Teachers are generally unaware of their own biased teaching behaviors because they are simply teaching how they were taught and the subtle gender inequities found in teaching materials are often overlooked. Girls and boys today are receiving separate and unequal educations due to the gender socialization that takes place in our schools and due to the sexist hidden curriculum students are faced with every day. Unless teachers are made aware of the gender-role socialization and the biased messages they are unintentionally imparting to students everyday, and until teachers are provided with the methods and resources necessary to eliminate gender-bias in their classrooms, girls will continue to receive an inequitable education.

Departments of education should be providing mandatory gender-equity resource modules to in-service teachers, and gender bias needs to be addressed with all pre-service teachers. Educators need to be made aware of the bias they are reinforcing in their students through socialization messages, inequitable division of special education services, sexist texts and materials, and unbalanced time and types of attention spent on boys and girls in the classroom. "Until educational sexism is eradicated, more than half our children will be shortchanged and their gifts lost to society." (Sadker, 1994)

It happens like clockwork every year. September, October and November roll around and I turn into a nostalgic, walking memorial of my long-gone grade school days.

Now some 20 years have passed, and those seem like easy times. I remember best friends and school cafeterias and baking-soda science experiments and those pungent mesh jerseys we dove into during gym. I remember developing crushes as quick as pink eye, and I remember throwing myself full-tilt into every available game of four-square. Most warmly, I remember that excited, confident, fearless little girl, not too concerned with gender roles.

This fall wasn’t any different in terms of my nostalgic transformation, and as I was strolling along amongst the leafy memories, I did some deeper reflecting on those early school days.

Looking back, now through the lens of an independent, educated, almost 30-year-old woman aware of gender roles and with my own experiences in coaching and teaching youth, I continue to circle around, like a plane held in a flight-pattern, to thoughts of other memories, maybe some that I “missed” — specifically, during those golden years with best friends and favorite teachers, did I encounter any gender bias?

Gender bias typically happens when a person makes assumptions about another’s behavior, preferences and abilities based only on their gender. Students who don’t match up with the strong masculine and feminine stereotypes that are holding today, may run into misunderstandings with their friends, classmates or teachers.

As I reflect back, a number of questions pop into my mind and make we wonder: Was I passed over when I hesitated in answering questions? Was I called on less because of my calm classroom demeanor? Were my girlfriends and I encouraged to cooperate rather than compete, as it’s pointed out that boys are encouraged to do? Was my behavior, when assertive, seen as disruptive and viewed negatively by my teacher?

According to many serious and highly educated people, I probably did encounter gender bias, whether or not it was meant deliberately. Even though gender bias looks as if it favors boys, it really does everyone a disservice, reinforcing rigid, archaic stereotypes. Girls should always be passive and boys should always be assertive and eventually join society with these, subconscious or not, ideas about gender roles.

At the end of the day how much do these questions that rise from my reflections matter in terms of my own self-development? Did the gender bias I encountered hold me back in life? I like to think not. I’m a world-traveler, a risk-taker, a sports-fanatic, a confident leader with a great ability to speak up. I also have supportive family and friends around me and can’t count the number of mentors along the way. I like to think that my capacity to embrace the idea that it takes a village to raise a child isn’t a feminine trait, but a human one.

I’m now a fully-functioning adult with a bag full of professional experiences ranging from nanny, to tennis coach, to nonprofit employee. In many of my positions I’ve interacted with kids regularly. Although it may be true that I too have called more often on the boisterous boys, after this fall’s reflection, I consciously move ahead into the future. I’ll look for the quiet girls who are shyly off to the side. I’ll gladly praise the boys when the hyper ones take it down a notch. I’ll give the girls hard feedback without fearing for their fragile female selves. Together, we’ll kick this gender-bias thing out to the cur

Various groups have ranked gender inequalities around the world. For example, the World Economic Forum publishes a Global Gender Gap Index score for each nation every year. The index focuses not on empowerment of women, but on the relative gap between men and women in four fundamental categories – economic participation, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.[8] It includes measures such as estimated sex selective abortion, number of years the nation had a female head of state, female to male literacy rate, estimated income ratio of female to male in the nation, and several other relative gender statistic measures. It does not include factors such as crime rates against women versus men, domestic violence, honor killings or such factors. Where data is unavailable or difficult to collect, World Economic Forum uses old data or makes a best estimate to calculate the nation's Global Gap Index (GGI).[8]

According to the Global Gender Gap Report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2011, India was ranked 113 on the Gender Gap Index (GGI) among 135 countries polled.[9] Since then, India has improved its rankings on the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index (GGI) to 105/136 in 2013.[8] When broken down into components of the GGI, India performs well on political empowerment, but is scored to be as bad as China on sex selective abortion. India also scores poorly on overall female to male literacy and health rankings. India with a 2013 ranking of 101 had an overall score of 0.6551, while Iceland, the nation that topped the list, had an overall score of 0.8731 (no gender gap would yield a score of 1.0).[8]

Alternate measures include OECD's Social Institutions Gender Index (SIGI), which ranked India at 56th out of 86 in 2012, which was an improvement from its 2009 rank of 96th out of 102. The SIGI is a measure of discriminatory social institutions that are drivers of inequalities, rather than the unequal outcomes themselves.[10] Similarly, UNDP has published Gender Inequality Index and ranked India at 132 out of 148 countries.

Problems with indices

Scholars[3][11] have questioned the accuracy, relevance and validity of these indices and global rankings. For example, Dijkstra and Hanmer[2] acknowledge that global index rankings on gender inequality have brought media attention, but suffer from major limitations. The underlying data used to calculate the index are dated, unreliable and questionable. Further, a nation can be and are being ranked high when both men and women suffer from equal deprivation and lack of empowerment.[2] In other words, nations in Africa and the Middle East where women have lower economic participation, lower educational attainment, and poorer health and high infant mortalities, rank high if both men and women suffer from these issues equally. If one's goal is to measure progress, prosperity and empowerment of women with equal gender rights, then these indices are not appropriate for ranking or comparing nations. They have limited validity.[2] Instead of rankings, the focus should be on measuring women's development, empowerment and gender parity, particularly by relevant age groups such as children and youth.[12][13] Nevertheless, it is widely accepted that India along with other developing countries have high gender inequality and low women's empowerment than developed nations.[14][15]

Birth[edit]

The cultural construct of Indian society which reinforces gender bias against men and women, with varying degrees and variable contexts against the opposite sex,[16] has led to the continuation of India's strong preference for male children. Female infanticide and sex-selective abortion is adopted and strongly reflects the societally low status of Indian women. Census 2011 shows decline of girl population (as a percentage to total population) under the age of seven, with activists estimating that eight million female fetuses may have been aborted in the past decade.[17] The 2005 census shows infant mortality figures for females and males are 61 and 56, respectively, out of 1000 live births,[18] with females more likely to be aborted than males due to biased attitudes, cultural stereotypes, insecurity, etc.

A decline in the child sex ratio (0–6 years) was observed with India's 2011 census reporting that it stands at 914 females against 1,000 males, dropping from 927 in 2001 – the lowest since India's independence.[19]

The demand for sons among wealthy parents is being satisfied by the medical community through the provision of illegal service of fetal sex-determination and sex-selective abortion. The financial incentive for physicians to undertake this illegal activity seems to be far greater than the penalties associated with breaking the law.[20]

Childhood to adulthood and its education[edit]

Education is not wise attained by Indian women. Although literacy rates are increasing, female literacy rate lags behind the male literacy rate.

Literacy rate census of India 2001 and 2011 comparison

Literacy for females stands at 65.46%, compared to 82.14% for males.[21] An underlying factor for such low literacy rates are parents' perceptions that education for girls are a waste of resources as their daughters would eventually live with their husbands' families. Thus, there is a strong belief that due to their traditional duty and role as housewives, daughters would not benefit directly from the education investment.[22]

Adulthood and onwards[edit]

Discrimination against women has contributed to gender wage differentials, with Indian women on average earning 64% of what their male counterparts earn for the same occupation and level of qualification.[23]

This has led to their lack of autonomy and authority. Although equal rights are given to women, equality may not be well implemented. In practice, land and property rights are weakly enforced, with customary laws widely practised in rural areas. Women do not own property under their own names and usually do not have any inheritance rights to obtain a share of parental property.[24]

Economic inequalities[edit]

Labour participation and wages[edit]

The labour force participation rate of women was 80.7 in 2013.[25] Nancy Lockwood of Society for Human Resource Management, the world's largest human resources association with members in 140 countries, in a 2009 report wrote that female labour participation is lower than men, but has been rapidly increasing since the 1990s. Out of India's 397 million workers in 2001, 124 million were women, states Lockwood.[26]

Over 50% of Indian labour is employed in agriculture. A majority of rural men work as cultivators, while a majority of women work in livestock maintenance, egg and milk production. Rao[27] states that about 78 percent of rural women are engaged in agriculture, compared to 63 percent of men. About 37% of women are cultivators, but they are more active in the irrigation, weeding, winnowing, transplanting, and harvesting stages of agriculture. About 70 percent of farm work was performed by women in India in 2004.[27] Women's labour participation rate is about 47% in India's tea plantations, 46% in cotton cultivation, 45% growing oil seeds and 39% in horticulture.[28]

There is wage inequality between men and women in India. The largest wage gap was in manual ploughing operations in 2009, where men were paid ₹ 103 per day, while women were paid ₹ 55, a wage gap ratio of 1.87. For sowing the wage gap ratio reduced to 1.38 and for weeding 1.18.[29] For other agriculture operations such as winnowing, threshing and transplanting, the men to female wage ratio varied from 1.16 to 1.28. For sweeping, the 2009 wages were statistically same for men and women in all states of India.[29]

Access to credit[edit]

Although laws are supportive of lending to women and microcredit programs targeted to women are prolific, women often lack collateral for bank loans due to low levels of property ownership and microcredit schemes have come under scrutiny for coercive lending practices. Although many microcredit programs have been successful and prompted community-based women's self-help groups, a 2012 review of microcredit practices found that women are contacted by multiple lenders and as a result, take on too many loans and overextend their credit. The report found that financial incentives for the recruiters of these programs were not in the best interest of the women they purported to serve.[30] The result was a spate of suicides by women who were unable to pay their debts.[31]

Property Rights[edit]

Women have equal rights under the law to own property and receive equal inheritance rights, but in practice, women are at a disadvantage. This is evidenced in the fact that 70% of rural land is owned by men.[citation needed] Laws, such as the Married Women Property Rights Act of 1974 protect women, but few seek legal redress.[32] Although the Hindu Succession Act of 2005 provides equal inheritance rights to ancestral and jointly owned property, the law is weakly enforced, especially in Northern India.

Occupational inequalities[edit]

Entrepreneurship[edit]

Different studies have examined the women in entrepreneurship roles and the attitudes and outcomes surrounding their participation in this informal economic sector.[33] [34] A 2011 study published by Tarakeswara Rao et al. in the Journal of Commerce indicated that almost 50% of the Indian population consists of women, yet fewer than 5% of businesses are owned by women.[33] In fact, in terms of entrepreneurship as an occupation, 7% of total entrepreneurs in India are women, while the remaining 93% are men.[33] Another 2011 study conducted by Colin Williams and Anjula Gurtoo, published in the International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship describes how previous studies have concluded that women entrepreneurs face several barriers in the development of their work.[34] Some of these barriers include lacking access to institutional credit which presents negative consequences in terms of expanding businesses.[34] In addition, women in this realm may lack a formal designated space for their occupational work and can face gendered violence due to their more open presence in society.[34] The other major challenge for women entrepreneurs is the type of activities performed in their occupational role.[34] Often times, these activities may be quite limited, corresponding to traditional gendered roles, performing business ventures such as selling fruit or flowers at temples in India, which hinders the further development of women entrepreneurs beyond a certain point.[34]

This study by Colin Williams and Anjula Gurtoo also gathered data in the form of personal interviews with various women working in a entrepreneurship realm.[34] In the study, the categories of occupation among women entrepreneurs were defined as the following: home helpers, venders, office assistants, and shop assistants.[34] The findings from the study indicated that these entrepreneurial women did not consider job security to be an area of concern like some of their counterparts working in other industries.[34] However, a primary concern for these women was the lack of alternate employment which initially prompted them to pursue entrepreneurial work, though economic benefits were slowly acquired after gaining a foothold in the industry.[34]

Teaching[edit]

Teaching is another area of occupation that has many differences based on male versus female teachers in terms of their overall statistical composition and their impact on education.[35] In one particular 2008 study conducted by Amita Chudgar and Vyjayanthi Sankar, published in Compare described the growth of female teachers over recent years, as teaching had previously been considered to be a dominated field in India in earlier times.[35] In the mid-1970s, female teachers accounted for approximately 25% of the teaching force, and this proportion grew to 43% by 2008.[35] This article also outlined that compared to male teachers, female teachers had lower educational qualifications, though a slightly greater proportion of female teachers received specific teacher training.[35] In addition, on average, more female teachers in the study compared to male teachers had a teaching experience that exceeded ten years.[35]

Scientific Professions[edit]

Within the area of various scientific professions, there are several contributing factors to barriers and discrimination that women in these fields face, though the historical trajectory has indicated improvement over the years.[36][37] An underlying contributing cause to gender discrimination in scientific professions includes traditionally constructed gender-stereotypes about the expectations of women as current or prospective homemakers and mothers, with science and technology being a primarily male-dominated sphere.[36][37] Specifically, one area within scientific occupations where clear gender differences manifest is in faculty at science and technology colleges in terms hiring practices and duties assigned.[36] A 2003 study published by Namrata Gupta et al. in Work, Employment, and Society conducted analysis based on four different reputed science and technology higher institutions in India.[36] The results indicated that 40% of female faculty members felt some form of discrimination in their respective institutions, favoring male faculty members.[36] In addition, in terms of hiring practices, the interview committees of these institutions pose questions to female applicants relating to how family would be balanced with work and why the applicant was interviewing for a position rather than serving as a homemaker.[36] Furthermore, discriminatory hiring practices in favor of men are pursued due to certain beliefs about a questionable commitment level in the work environment for women after becoming married and the idea that men need these positions more than women as males are thought to serve as the primary income providers in the traditional familial structure.[36]

Military service[edit]

Women are not allowed to have combat roles in the armed forces. According to a study carried out on this issue, a recommendation was made that female officers be excluded from induction in close combat arms. The study also held that a permanent commission could not be granted to female officers since they have neither been trained for command nor have they been given the responsibility so far. Although changes are appearing and women are playing important roles in army and the defence minister is also female.[38]

Education inequalities[edit]

Schooling[edit]

India is on target to meet its Millennium Development Goal of gender parity in education by 2015.[39] UNICEF's measure of attendance rate and Gender Equality in Education Index (GEEI) capture the quality of education.[40] Despite some gains, India needs to triple its rate of improvement to reach GEEI score of 95% by 2015 under the Millennium Development Goals.

In rural India girls continue to be less educated than boys.[41] Recently, many studies have investigated underlying factors that contribute to greater or less educational attainment by girls in different regions of India.[42] In one 2017 study performed by Adriana D. Kugler and Santosh Kumar, published in Demography, examined the role of familial size and child composition in terms of gender of the first-born child and others on the educational attainment achieved in a particular family.[42] According to this study, as the family size increased by each additional child after the first, on average there was quarter of a year decrease in overall years of schooling, with this statistic disfavoring female children in the family compared to male children.[42] In addition, the educational level of the mother in the family also plays a role in the educational attainment of the children, with the study indicating that in families with mothers that had a lower educational level, the outcomes tended to more disadvantageous for educational attainment of the children.[42]

Secondary Education[edit]

In examining educational disparities between boys and girls, the transition from primary to secondary education displays an increase in the disparity gap, as a greater number of females compared to males drop out from their educational journey after the age of twelve. [43] A particular 2011 study conducted by Gaurav Siddhu, published in the International Journal of Educational Development, investigated the statistics of dropout in the secondary school transition and its contributing factors in Rural India.[44] The study indicated that among the 20% of students who stopped schooling after primary education, near 70% of these students were females.[44]This study also conducted interviews to determine the factors influencing this dropout in Rural India.[44] The results indicated that most common reasons for girls to stop attending school was the distance of travel and social reasons.[44] In terms of distance of travel, families expressed fear for the safety and security of girls, traveling unaccompanied to school every day.[44] Furthermore, in rural areas the social reasons consisted of how families viewed their daughter's role of belonging in her husband's house after marriage, with plans for the daughter's marriage during the secondary school age in some cases.[44]

Literacy[edit]

Though it is gradually rising, the female literacy rate in India is lower than the male literacy rate.[45] According to Census of India 2011, literacy rate of females is 65.46% compared to males which is 82.14%. Compared to boys, far fewer girls are enrolled in the schools, and many of them drop out.[45] According to the National Sample Survey Data of 1997, only the states of Kerala and Mizoram have approached universal female literacy rates. According to majority of the scholars, the major factor behind the improved social and economic status of women in Kerala is literacy.[45] From 2006-2010, the percent of females who completed at least a secondary education was almost half that of men, 26,6% compared to 50.4%.[25] In the current generation of youth, the gap seems to be closing at the primary level and increasing in the secondary level. In rural Punjab, the gap between girls and boys in school enrollment increases dramatically with age as demonstrated in National Family Health Survey-3 where girls age 15-17 in Punjab are 10% more likely than boys to drop out of school.[46] Although this gap has been reduced significantly, problems still remain in the quality of education for girls where boys in the same family will be sent to higher quality private schools and girls sent to the government school in the village.[47]

Reservations for female students[edit]

Under Non-Formal Education programme, about 40% of the centres in states and 10% of the centres in UTs are exclusively reserved for females.[41] As of 2000, about 0.3 million NFE centres were catering to about 7.42 million children, out of which about 0.12 million were exclusively for girls.[41] Certain state level engineering, medical and other colleges like in Orissa have reserved 30% of their seats for females.[48] The Prime Minister of India and the Planning Commission also vetoed a proposal to set up an Indian Institute of Technology exclusively for females.[49] Although India had witnessed substantial improvements in female literacy and enrolment rate since the 1990s, the quality of education for female remains to be heavily compromised.

Health and survival inequalities[edit]

Main article: Women's health in India

On health and survival measures, international standards consider the birth sex ratio implied sex-selective abortion, and gender inequality between women's and men's life expectancy and relative number of years that women live compared to men in good health by taking into account the years lost to violence, disease, malnutrition or other relevant factors.[50]

Sex-selective abortion[edit]

Main article: Sex-selective abortion

Birth sex ratio map for India, boys per 100 girls in 0 to 1 age group according to 2011 census.[51]

In North America and Europe the birth sex ratio of the population ranges between 103 and 107 boys per 100 girls; in India, China and South Korea, the ratio has been far higher. Women have a biological advantage over men for longevity and survival; however, there have been more men than women in India and other Asian countries.[52][53] This higher sex ratio in India and other countries is considered as an indicator of sex-selective abortion.

The 2011 Census birth sex ratio for its States and Union Territories of India, in 0 to 1 age group, indicated Jammu & Kashmir had birth sex ratio of 128 boys to 100 girls, Haryana of 120, Punjab of 117, and the states of Delhi and Uttarakhand to be 114.[51] This has been attributed to increasing misuse and affordability of foetus sex-determining devices, such as ultrasound scan, the rate of female foeticide is rising sharply in India. Female infanticide (killing of girl infants) is still prevalent in some rural areas.[45]

Patnaik estimates from the birth sex ratio that an expected 15 million girls were not born between 2000 and 2010.[54] MacPherson, in contrast, estimates that sex-selective abortions account for about 100,000 missing girls every year in India.[55]

Girl babies are often killed for several reasons, the most prominent one being financial reasons. The economical reasons include, earning of power as men as are the main income-earners, potential pensions, as when the girl is married she would part ways with her family and the most important one, the payment of dowry. Even though, it is illegal by Indian law to ask for dowry, it is still a common practice in certain socio-economic classes which leads to female infanticide, as the baby girls are seen as an economic burden.[56]

Gender selection and selective abortion were banned in India under Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostics Technique Act in 1994.[57] The practice continues illegally. Other institutional efforts, such as advertisements calling female foeticides a sin by the Health Ministry of India and annual Girl Child Day[58] can be observed to raise status of girls and to combat female infanticide.

Health[edit]

Immunisation rates for 2 year olds was 41.7% for girls and 45.3% for boys according to the 2005 National Family Health Survey-3, indicating a slight disadvantage for girls.[59] Malnutrition rates in India are nearly equal in boys and girls.

The male to female suicide ratio among adults in India has been about 2:1.[60] This higher male to female ratio is similar to those observed around the world.[61] Between 1987 and 2007, the suicide rate increased from 7.9 to 10.3 per 100,000,[62] with higher suicide rates in southern and eastern states of India.[63] In 2012, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal had the highest proportion of female suicides.[60] Among large population states, Tamil Nadu and Kerala had the highest female suicide rates per 100,000 people in 2012.

Some studies in south India have found that gender disadvantages, such as negative attitudes towards women's empowerment are risk factors for suicidal behavior and common mental disorders like anxiety and depression.[64]

Gender-based violence[edit]

See also: Violence against women in India, Rape in India, Acid throwing, Dowry death, and Bride burning

Average annual crime rates per 100,000 women in India by its States and Union Territories. Crime rate in this map includes all Indian Penal Code crimes such as rape, sexual assault, insult to modesty, kidnapping, abduction, cruelty by intimate partner or relatives, importation or trafficking of girls, persecution for dowry, dowry deaths, indecency, and all other crimes identified by Indian law.[65]

Domestic violence,[66][67] rape and dowry-related violence are sources of gender violence.[45][68] According to the National Crime Records Bureau 2013 annual report, 24,923 rape cases were reported across India in 2012.[69] Out of these, 24,470 were committed by relative or neighbor; in other words, the victim knew the alleged rapist in 98 per cent of the cases.[70] Compared to other developed and developing countries, incidence rates of rape per 100,000 people are quite low in India.[71][72] India records a rape rate of 2 per 100,000 people,[69][73] compared to 8.1 rapes per 100,000 people in Western Europe, 14.7 per 100,000 in Latin America, 28.6 in the United States, and 40.2 per 100,000 in Southern African region.[74]

Other sources of gender violence include those that are dowry-related and honor killings. NCRB report states 8,233 dowry deaths in the country in 2012.[75] Honor killings is violence where the woman's behavior is linked to the honour of her whole family; in extreme cases, family member(s) kill her. Honor killings are difficult to verify, and there is dispute whether social activists are inflating numbers. In most cases, honor killings are linked to the woman marrying someone that the family strongly disapproves of.[76] Some honor killings are the result of extrajudicial decisions made by traditional community elders such as "khap panchayats," unelected village assemblies that have no legal authority. Estimates place 900 deaths per year (or about 1 per million people). Honor killings are found the Northern states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.[76]

Political inequalities[edit]

This measure of gender inequality considers the gap between men and women in political decision making at the highest levels.[77]

On this measure, India has ranked in top 20 countries worldwide for many years, with 9th best in 2013 – a score reflecting less gender inequality in India's political empowerment than Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, France and United Kingdom.[78][79] From the prime minister to chief ministers of various states, Indian voters have elected women to its state legislative assemblies and national parliament in large numbers for many decades.

Women turnout during India's 2014 parliamentary general elections was 65.63%, compared to 67.09% turnout for men.[80] In 16 states of India, more women voted than men. A total of 260.6 million women exercised their right to vote in April–May 2014 elections for India's parliament.[80]

India passed 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments in 1993, which provides for 33 per cent quotas for women's representation in the local self-government institutions. These Amendments were implemented in 1993. This, suggest Ghani et al., has had strong effects for empowering women in India in many spheres.[81]

Reasons for gender inequalities[edit]

Lorber[82] states that gender inequality has been a historic worldwide phenomena, a human invention and based on gender assumptions. It is linked to kinship rules rooted in cultures and gender norms that organises human social life, human relations, as well as promotes subordination of women in a form of social strata.[82] Amartya Sen highlighted the need to consider the socio-cultural influences that promote gender inequalities[83][84] In India, cultural influences favour the preference for sons for reasons related to kinship, lineage, inheritance, identity, status, and economic security. This preference cuts across class and caste lines, and it discriminates against girls.[85] In extreme cases, the discrimination takes the form of honour killings where families kill daughters or daughters-in-law who fail to conform to gender expectations about marriage and sexuality.[86] When a woman does not conform to expected gender norms she is shamed and humiliated because it impacts both her and her family's honor, and perhaps her ability to marry. The causes of gender inequalities are complex, but a number of cultural factors in India can explain how son preference, a key driver of daughter neglect, is so prevalent.[84][87][88]

Patriarchal society[edit]

Patriarchy is a social system of privilege in which men are the primary authority figures, occupying roles of political leadership, moral authority, control of property, and authority over women and children. Most of India, with some exceptions, has strong patriarchal and patrilineal customs, where men hold authority over female family members and inherit family property and title. Examples of patriarchy in India include prevailing customs where inheritance passes from father to son, women move in with the husband and his family upon marriage, and marriages include a bride price or dowry. This 'inter-generational contract' provides strong social and economic incentives for raising sons and disincentives for raising daughters.[89] The parents of the woman essentially lose all they have invested in their daughter to her husband's family, which is a disincentive for investing in their girls during youth. Furthermore, sons are expected to support their parents in old age and women have very limited ability to assist their own parents.[90]

Son preference[edit]

A key factor driving gender inequality is the preference for sons, as they are deemed more useful than girls. Boys are given the exclusive rights to inherit the family name and properties and they are viewed as additional status for their family. In a survey-based study of 1990s data, scholars[91] found that son are believed to have a higher economic utility as they can provide additional labour in agriculture. Another factor is that of religious practices, which can only be performed by males for their parents' afterlife. All these factors make sons more desirable. Moreover, the prospect of parents 'losing' daughters to the husband's family and expensive dowry of daughters further discourages parents from having daughters.[91][92] Additionally, sons are often the only person entitled to performing funeral rights for their parents.[93] Thus, a combination of factors has shaped the imbalanced view of sexes in India. A 2005 study in Madurai, India, found that old age security, economic motivation, and to a lesser extent, religious obligations, continuation of the family name, and help in business or farm, were key reasons for son preference. In turn, emotional support and old age security were main reasons for daughter preference. The study underscored a strong belief that a daughter is a liability.[94]

Dowry death rates per 100,000 people map for Indian States and Union Territories in 2012.

Discrimination against girls[edit]

Main article: Discrimination against girls in India

While women express a strong preference for having at least one son, the evidence of discrimination against girls after they are born is mixed. A study of 1990s survey data by scholars[91] found less evidence of systematic discrimination in feeding practices between young boys and girls, or gender based nutritional discrimination in India. In impoverished families, these scholars found that daughters face discrimination in the medical treatment of illnesses and in the administration of vaccinations against serious childhood diseases. These practices were a cause of health and survival inequality for girls. While gender discrimination is a universal phonomena in poor nations, a 2005 UN study found that social norms-based gender discrimination leads to gender inequality in India.[95]

Dowry[edit]

Main articles: Dowry, Dowry law in India, and Dowry death

In India, dowry is the payment in cash or some kind of gifts given to bridegroom's family along with the bride. The practice is widespread across geographic region, class and religions.[96] The dowry system in India contributes to gender inequalities by influencing the perception that girls are a burden on families. Such beliefs limit the resources invested by parents in their girls and limits her bargaining power within the family.[citation needed]

The payment of a dowry has been prohibited under The 1961 Dowry Prohibition Act in Indian civil law and subsequently by Sections 304B and 498a of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).[97] Several studies show that while attitudes of people are changing about dowry, the institution has changed very little, and even continues to prevail.[84][98]

Marriage laws[edit]

Main article: Child marriage in India

Men and women have equal rights within marriage under Indian law, with the exception of all men who are allowed to unilaterally divorce their wife.[95] The legal minimum age for marriage is 18 for women and 21 for men, except for those Indians whose religion is Islam for whom child marriage remains legal under India's Mohammedan personal laws. Child marriage is one of the detriments to empowerment of women.[95]

Discrimination against men[edit]

Main article: Men's rights movement in India

Some men's advocacy groups have complained that the government discriminates against men through the use of overly aggressive laws designed to protect women.[99] Although socially women have been at a disadvantage, Indian laws highly favor women.[100] If a husband commits adultery he will be jailed, but a woman cannot be jailed for adultery and neither will she be punished by the courts.[101][102] There is no recognition of sexual molestation of men and rarely the police stations lodge an First Information Report (FIR); men are considered the culprit by default even if it was the woman that committed sexual abuse against men. Women can jail husband's family for dowry related cases by just filing an FIR.[103] The law IPC 498A demands that the husband's family be considered guilty by default, unless proven otherwise, in other words it implements the doctrine of 'guilty unless proven innocent' defying the universally practiced doctrine of 'innocent until proven guilty'. According to one source, this provision is much abused as only four percent of the cases go to the court and the final conviction rate is as low as two percent.[104][105]Supreme Court of India has found that women are filing false cases under the law IPC 498A and it is ruinng the marriages.[106] Some parents state, "discrimination against girls is no longer rampant and education of their child is really important for them be it a girl or a boy."[107] The Men's rights movement in India call for gender neutral laws, especially in regards to child custody, divorce, sexual harassment, and adultery laws. Men's rights activists state that husbands don't report being attacked by their wives with household utensils because of their ego.[108] These activist petition that there is no evidence to prove that the domestic violence faced by men is less than that faced by women.[109]

Political and legal reforms[edit]

Since its independence, India has made significant strides in addressing gender inequalities, especially in the areas of political participation, education, and legal rights.[10][110] Policies and legal reforms to address gender inequalities have been pursued by the government of India. For instance, the Constitution of India contains a clause guaranteeing the right of equality and freedom from sexual discrimination.[111] India is also signatory to the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, or CEDAW.[112] However, the government maintains some reservations about interfering in the personal affairs of any community without the community's initiative and consent.[95] A listing of specific reforms is presented below.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

Prenatal Diagnostic Testing Ban

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013

Hindu Succession Act, 1956 (Amended in 2005; Gives equal inheritance rights to daughters and sons – applies to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs)

Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act of 1937, (The inheritance rights are governed by Shar

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1. Create an open school environment with books, toys, sports equipment and musical instruments that cater to everybody.

2. Using inclusive language is extremely important.

3. Be aware of current gender bias.

4. Think about your own conduct.

5. Teach acceptance!