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Gender equality in education: Digging beyond the obvious

Shutterstock_muslims_girls_at_school_in_north_part_of_nigeria_kaduna_on_july_30th_2013_richard_juilliart_shutterstock.com_.jpg.

When we talk about gender inequality in education, we first think about the barriers to schooling for girls and young women. And for good reason: three-quarters of the children who are at risk of never going to school are girls. Yet disparities exist in other dimensions of education, sometimes to the detriment of boys. To reduce them, IIEP-UNESCO favours an intersectional approach, which looks at gender through all other forms of discrimination and social exclusion. Here is how it works.

Globally, progress towards gender parity in schools has been significant over the past 25 years. According to UNESCO data, the number of girls enrolled in primary and secondary school has increased by 180 million over this period, including 69 million in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet girls and young women still face the most severe forms of exclusion, which are the result of several cumulative factors. Among them are socio-economic status, place of residence, ethnicity, religion, and living with a disability.

As a result, nine million girls aged 6 to 11 will never go to school worldwide, compared to about three million boys.

Poverty, rurality and intersecting inequalities

The recent Education Sector Analysis ( ESA ) of Sierra Leone shows that only 5% of poor, rural girls complete secondary school, compared to 68% of urban boys from better-off backgrounds. This high vulnerability of rural girls has also been observed in Nigeria. These two recent gender-sensitive ESAs are part of the Priority to Equality Initiative, the technical component of which is led by the IIEP-UNESCO Africa Office .

Beyond the issue of schooling, gender inequalities are manifested in other components of education, such as learning or school guidance. Two types of obstacles are generally distinguished. On the one hand, are those related to the educational offer, which are directly related to education systems, policies, or schools. On the other hand, are those related to the demand for education, i.e. the obstacles inherent in families, children, and society at large. Ultimately, all these factors are linked and impact each other.

What about boys?

Contrary to popular belief, gender disparities in education also weigh on boys. The social expectation for young men to earn an income can lead them to drop out of school before the end of lower secondary school. They may even never attend school to help their families.

In Sierra Leone, 67% of boys who drop out of school do so for economic reasons, compared to 53% of girls, according to the ESA. In Nigeria, food shortages during the rainy season and armed conflict in some areas are seen as additional barriers to boys' retention and completion.

Addressing the weight of social gender norms

Around the world, IIEP observes the growing political and legal commitment of countries to gender equality in education. While early pregnancy and early marriage are among the leading factors in girls' dropout from secondary school in sub-Saharan Africa, many states have recently lifted bans that previously prevented pregnant girls from attending classes. Sierra Leone and Mozambique, for example, did so in 2020. This is an example of a significant step towards more inclusive education. "However, the presence of entrenched gender norms at the local level, combined with weak institutional capacity, can hamper the implementation of gender policies and strategies in education," explains Fabricia Devignes, Head of the Gender at the Centre Initiative at IIEP-UNESCO Africa Office.

Social gender norms are the set of implicit ideas, stereotypes, and rules that consciously or unconsciously dictate how a person should supposedly be and act, depending on whether they are a woman, man, girl, or boy.

These norms manifest themselves, for example, through an unspoken rule that men should be strong and financially support their families. Or through the conditioning of boys' educational orientation towards technological and scientific paths, and less towards 'care' professions, for example (personal services, health and social work), associated with lower salaries. In Niger, only 6% of science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates are women.

Schools can play a key role in challenging these gender norms, the impact of which can have serious consequences for children's education and women's economic empowerment. But it can also reinforce and reproduce them, if education policies and systems are not based on the principles of gender equality.

"In education, we see significant differences in the treatment of girls and boys, linked to socio-economic realities, ethnicity, vulnerability to conflict, or gender norms. Taking these specificities into account is a way to produce more comprehensive and effective education sector analyses and plans. Fabricia Devignes, Head of the Gender at the Centre Initiative at IIEP-UNESCO Africa Office

Gender-responsive education planning: What conditions, what solutions?

Gender-sensitive educational planning is not limited to the formulation of strategies to combat gender inequalities. It must take into account the weight of gender norms and social roles in both process and content.

In addition to IIEP's support for the whole process of gender-sensitive planning, strengthening the gender sensitivity of budgets is one of the technical levers promoted by the Institute to the member countries of the Gender at the Centre Initiative. This approach ensures that investments in the education sector advance gender equality.

IIEP also works with countries on gender mainstreaming within education administrations. The aim is to strengthen their capacity to introduce gender into their operations in a systematic and considered way. This includes building the capacity of all staff in ministries of education on gender issues at all levels. It may also involve increasing the representation of women in senior positions in ministries of education.

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• Gender equality in education

This note provides evidence and lessons from evaluations relevant to addressing gender equality in education during disease outbreaks and other emergencies that can inform responses during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. It also draws on a synthesised body of evidence from evaluations on what works, for whom and in what contexts to advance SDG 4 Target 5: Equality and inclusion in education. This enables the authors to identify relevant evidence to consider and build on before designing innovative approaches to an unprecedented context.

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Yes We Can: Promoting Gender Equality from University to Primary Education Teaching through the Design of Knowledge Models

• Open access
• Published: 27 May 2024

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• Maider Pérez de Villarreal   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5590-5064 1 &
• Paolo Scotton   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3553-8076 2  

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Gender equality and women’s empowerment are important issues that still need to be addressed, despite some progress in recent years. The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which aim to tackle various global challenges, including the 4th (Quality Education) and 5th (Gender Equality) goals that were used to frame an activity in a science education subject in a primary education teaching degree. Previous research has found a decrease in girls’ interest in STEM and STEM-related jobs in primary and secondary education. To encourage girls in primary education towards STEM-related professions, an activity was organized in a science subject at a university in Navarre, Spain. The goal of this activity was to identify inspiring women scientists who could serve as role models for university and primary school students. A knowledge model, which is a concise and graphical representation of knowledge through concept maps, was created using the methodology of knowledge model design (Cañas et al. Revista De Informática Educativa 13:145–158, 2000) to showcase all the women scientists selected by the students. This final model is publicly accessible and can be shared with any educational center interested in promoting gender diversity in STEM fields. The results showed that the students learned meaningfully as they inquired about women scientists in professions that are typically considered more suitable for men. As these students are trainee primary school teachers, they can become part of an educational network that empowers girls by developing STEM-related activities that promote gender equality.

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Introduction

Although there has been some progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment in recent decades, there is still a considerable way to go in achieving equity in the social, economic, and labour fields. This gap is even greater in developing countries. According to the latest data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics ( 2014 ), 15 million girls will never have the chance to attend school. Of the almost 758 million illiterate adults, two-thirds are women, a percentage that has remained unchanged since 2000. According to a summary report by UNESCO in 2016 , although the gap between the number of girls and boys enrolled in school has reduced, many girls still drop out of school early, particularly during adolescence. This puts them at risk of abuse and hardship and negatively impacts their future opportunities in life. The benefits of education for girls and women are widely recognized, including improved decision-making abilities, better employment opportunities, increased protection against violence and exploitation, stronger communities, and more inclusive societies.

The socialization of boys and girls based on their gender starts at an early age, as noted by Marston and King ( 2006 ). Studies that looked at the gender attitudes expressed by youngsters aged 10–14 have found that they often show stereotypes or inequality (Kågesten et al., 2016 ). Unfortunately, schools can be environments where boys are exposed to violent norms, while girls face different forms of violence and discrimination (Heilman & Barker, 2017 ; Barker, 2000 ). However, girls, and to some extent boys, challenge stereotypes and feel uncomfortable with gender inequalities (Baric, 2013 ). Therefore, it is essential to initiate change processes early in life to shape attitudes and change behaviours (Kahle, 1983 ). There are several methods that can help promote school attachment and counteract gender stereotypes (UNESCO, Monitoring Report, 2018 ). These approaches include core and complementary study programs, resources, teacher training, and access to advice tailored to the needs of youngsters. Various successful programs have encouraged young people to reflect on themselves and critically examine social norms and gender inequalities, including violence (Wright, 2014 ).

Only 17 women have won the Nobel Prize in physics, chemistry, or medicine since Marie Curie won it in 1903, compared to 572 men. This indicates an underrepresentation of women of 2.9% concerning men. In 2019 , UNESCO’s Decipher the Code report showed that only 28% of researchers worldwide are women, which means that these significant disparities and inequalities are not accidental. Girls encounter discrimination, biases, social norms, and expectations that prevent them from moving forward, impacting the quality of education they receive and the disciplines they study. This lack of representation affects girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM disciplines) and is deeply rooted, slowing progress towards sustainable development.

In 2015, the United Nations proposed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a plan of action for the betterment of people, the planet, and prosperity, with the aim of promoting universal peace and greater freedom. To achieve this, the international community adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to ensure human rights for all and achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

Despite efforts made by the international community since 2006 to inspire and promote the participation of women and girls in science, there are still several barriers that hinder their full participation in this discipline. A study conducted in 14 countries, including Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Panama, Thailand, and Vietnam, found that girls have a 20%, 22%, and 30% lower probability of completing a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree in science-related subjects compared to boys, respectively. Although in first-world countries, the percentages of difference are somewhat lower, a gender gap still persists in terms of access to positions of greater responsibility (United Nations, 2015 ).

In 1998 , Kenway and Gough published an article about gender and science education, highlighting three perspectives. The first perspective viewed girls as an untapped source of intellectual potential for science and technology. The second perspective aimed to identify and reform factors that were seen as a barrier to girls’ performance in science. The third perspective focused on the underrepresentation of women in science, arguing that the masculine nature of the practice of science was oppressive to women, hence their “science avoidance.”

More recent research examined Biology and Geology textbooks for secondary education and found that there was a significant gender inequality in the representation of scientists. 95.1% of scientists mentioned were male, while only 4.9% were female (Aldaya & Pérez de Villarreal, 2018 ). This could be sending a subliminal message to 12-17-year-olds that science is a masculine field.

Factors affecting girls’ engagement with science include equity and access, curriculum and pedagogy, nature and culture of science, and identity (Brotman & Moore, 2009 ). There are no significant gender differences when it comes to learning science, according to Guzey and Jung’s 2021 study. The study found that both genders use a similar proportion of different thinking processes. However, a study by Makarova, Aeschlimann, and Herzog in 2019 found that gender-science stereotypes can impact young women’s and men’s aspirations to enroll in STEM majors in college. A less stereotypically masculine image of science increases the likelihood of aspiring to a career in STEM.

Authors such as Sjoberg and Schreiner ( 2005 ) implemented an international project named ROSE (Relevance Of Science Education) with the support of the Research Council of Norway. The project aimed to enhance the theoretical understanding of the factors related to the relevance of science curricula contents in different cultural contexts. The ROSE project’s theoretical foundations assumed that scientific literacy and technology are crucial for democratic participation, personal autonomy, and socio-economic development. Additionally, ROSE argued that scientific education must promote gender equity and cultural diversity (Acevedo, 2005 ). The study examined students finishing secondary education (15–16 years old). ROSE researchers analyzed the information provided by students on various factors that could impact their attitude towards science, as well as their motivation to learn science (Sjøberg, Schreiner & Stefánsson, 2004).

Science and technology: the variety of related extracurricular personal experiences with science and technology.

Trust in Science: interest in learning different science topics and technology in different social contexts (cultural, political, religious, linguistic, etc.)

Future and environment: the various points of view about school science derived from previous experiences.

Experience in school science: beliefs about the nature of science and perceptions about scientists.

Future work, plans, and priorities: values, interests, aspirations, priorities, and personal future expectations.

Work in science and technology: own feelings regarding the multiple environmental challenges.

In the first factor (1), results showed there was a broad agreement about the importance of science, technology, and research in all countries, although, in rich countries, youth were more ambivalent than adults, especially, girls. In most countries there was relatively little confidence in what scientists say, the girls trusting even less than boys. In the second aspect (2) science was not believed to be neutral and objective, being again the girls, the ones believing in it even less than the boys. This opinion was more indecisive in the less developed countries (Acevedo, 2005 ). In the third point (3), it was believed in all countries, that more attention should be given to the protection of the environment (boys less than girls, especially in many developed countries). Also (girls more than boys) thought environmental problems should not be left to the experts alone. Girls believed more than boys, that science and technology (S&T) could not solve all environmental problems, and this belief was higher in developed countries. In the fourth aspect (4) in developed countries, students liked less school science than other subjects, (girls liked it less than boys), whereas in developing countries, they believed school science shows exciting new jobs. In the fifth point (5), boys and girls from all countries (boys less than girls) would like to work on something that is important and significant, appropriate to their attitudes and values. In all countries (more in less developed countries) girls like more than boys to help others, as Pérez de Villarreal and Zufiaurre already showed in 2015 . The boys of the Nordic countries give less value to this aspect. In all countries, boys would like more than girls to work with machines and tools being girls very reluctant to do this in developed countries. In the last factor (6), students from developed countries (especially girls) did not want to become scientists. Girls from developed countries did not want to work in technology (especially in Japan and in the Nordic countries). The boys were less reluctant to do this in developed countries (except in Japan) and favourable in less developed countries.

We have developed a STEM-related teaching activity that focuses on the beliefs about the nature of science and perceptions about scientists (4th factor of ROSE project), specifically concerning women. This activity aligns with the 5th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of the 2030 Agenda, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The goal of this activity is to design a knowledge model on women scientists, reflecting on the obstacles they face while developing a professional career to help change students’ perception towards STEM-related professions.

The primary objective of this project was to ensure equal opportunities for both girls and boys by reforming the current educational system through the training of teachers. To improve the learning experience (understanding, critical thinking, knowledge acquisition) and skill development of BDPET (Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education Teaching) students, a didactic activity was created. The activity involved investigating the lives of female scientists who faced difficulties in their professional careers while trying to share their knowledge, inventions, or discoveries with the world. By doing so, these scientists could serve as role models for young girls and help them overcome preconceived notions about science in most countries, as suggested by the ROSE project (Sjoberg & Schreiner, 2005 ). If these teacher trainees carry out similar activities in primary schools, they could be instrumental in bringing about a paradigm shift towards a more inclusive society.

Methodology

To achieve full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls, and further achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/70/212 (Resolution adopted by the General Assembly of United Nations on 22 December 2012), declaring February 11th as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. It is under this frame the following didactic activity, was designed for two classrooms of 119 students from the teacher’s degree in primary education in the context of a science education subject at a university in Navarre (Spain) during the academic years 2018 and 2019.

This study used a mixed (qualitative and quantitative) research design (Creswell, 2014 ) to address the research problem and generate meaningful insights throughout the pragmatism paradigm. The students were initially taught the fundamental guidelines for designing concept maps (Novak, 1998 ), from short texts. This process usually takes about two weeks and was explained in detail in Cañas et al.‘s work ( 2000 ). Afterward, the students were required to construct knowledge based on the principles of inquiry-based learning (Blumenfeld et al., 1991 ) and meaningful learning. The former is an educational approach that empowers students to actively explore topics, pose questions, and investigate problems in-depth. Through this approach, students become more engaged in their learning process and develop the ability to apply knowledge in real-world contexts. The latter refers to the process by which individuals construct knowledge and understanding in a way that is personally relevant, interconnected, and applicable to real-world contexts. In meaningful learning, learners actively engage with new information, relate it to their existing knowledge and experiences, and integrate it into their cognitive structures.

The students were tasked with designing a knowledge model by hierarchically linking different concept maps. They had to present and defend their approach orally. Afterward, they completed a survey to determine if this activity would encourage them to pay attention to gender differences while studying sciences. The goal was to see if this activity could be used as a starting point to promote gender equality in primary education schools and influence children’s initial perceptions.(Fig. 1 )

The concept map shows the activity “Women and Science” and it is the root map which is the interface for the rest of the subordinate concept maps (username and password: womenscience). Available at: https://tinyurl.com/y2aunb6z

As a tribute to all the women scientists researching in different related science fields who have made a relevant discovery for humanity, students in the second year of the primary education teaching degree program (119 in total) of which, 45 were male and 74 were female from two different academic years (2018 and 2019) in mixed medium groups (26 in total), had to make the choice of a scientist woman or inventor who in their opinion had contributed to change the course of the world or whose contribution to science was significant. The methodology used in the first place was inquiry-based learning and students had to inquire about her life and work and reflect on what difficulties she could have encountered or could find in her professional and/or personal life according to the time and place she lived or lives. Later, students had to justify orally the reasons for their choice if the scientist’s contribution had its application in science or served to improve the welfare of humanity and in what sense, and if she had obtained recognition for it. Once this first step was done, they had to select the relevant concepts and build up a concept map about the scientist woman selected following meaningful learning theory (Ausubel, 1968 ; Novak, 1998 ). For that, they used the software Cmap Tools (IHMC, Florida) since it is free software that contributes to a process of meaning-making and constitutes an advanced organizer (Willerman & Mac Harg, 1991 ), and it implies taking a list of concepts and organizing them in a graphical representation where concepts are linked by connectors, forming a proposition with absolute meaning by itself (Novak, 1998 ; Novak & Gowin, 1984 ; Cañas et al., 2000 ). Finally, through cooperative learning, a shared Knowledge Model was built among all the students (González, 2008 ), which included all the scientist women selected by the 26 groups. Before this activity, students had been trained in using the software and designing concept maps following the recommendations of authors such as Cañas et al. ( 2000 ) and Novak ( 1998 ) (Fig. 2 ).

This concept map (underneath the root map and represented as an icon below the concept “Scientific women”) shows “Scientific Women” chosen by the 26 students’ groups according to their preferences. Available at: https://tinyurl.com/y2epy5lx

Design of the Knowledge Model: “Women and Science”

The activity was developed over 2 years with 2 different student groups from the teacher’s degree in primary education, conforming to 119 students in total, 64 in 2018 and 55 in 2019. In 2018, 22 students were male and 42 female, whereas in 2019, 23 were male and 32 female. They were organized into 26 medium groups (4–5 people in each group) and they selected scientist women, who conducted research in different fields related to science such as astronomy (Jocelyn Bell, and Vera Rubin, ), chemistry (Rosalind Franklin, Margarita Salas Alice Ball, Agnes Pockels), physics (Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson and Lise Meitner), mathematics (Karen Uhlenbeck), biology (Jane Goodall Barbara Mc Clintock, Rachel Carson, Wangari Maathai), education (Maria Montessori), psychoanalysis (Melanie Klein) and engineering (Hedy Lamarr, Elena García Armada and Mae Jemison). Out of the 19 scientists, only 2 were Spanish, which accounts for 10.5% of the total. Additionally, Rosalind Franklin, Jane Goodall, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Lise Meitner, and Elena García Armada were chosen by more than one group. The methodology used for developing the Knowledge Model (Cañas et al., 2000 ) followed the constructivist paradigm, and the theory of meaningful learning (Ausubel, 1968 ) (Fig. 3 ).

This concept map (which is displayed from Fig.  2 ) shows “Lise Meitner” as an example of a scientific woman who had to face difficulties in the society of the time to become a recognized physician. Available at: https://tinyurl.com/y5sefw7v

A Knowledge Model (KM) comprises a set of concept maps (CCMM) and digitized resources associated with them, all about a specific topic (Pérez de Villarreal et al., 2015 ). It can also be defined as a collection of CCMM linked to a root map representing increasing levels of specific differentiation. Where appropriate, associated resources (photos, documents, videos, etc.) that are designated generically with graphical icons are linked to the maps’ concepts, conforming to different dimensions of knowledge. Subordinated CCMM allow the user to navigate through this model and display resources. KMs are useful tools to create meaningful learning, avoid conceptual misconceptions, and foster conceptual change using related CCMM.

The CCMM elaboration technique is incredibly useful when working with Cmap Tools, a free software developed by the IHMC in Florida (Cañas, 2004 ; Novak and Cañas, 2006 ). The software provides a platform for teachers to foster an environment where students can transform information into useful, substantive, and transparent knowledge that can be integrated into their long-term memory. In this process, students play an active role in selecting and learning about the product through metacognition, promoting critical thinking and meaningful learning (González, 2008 ). This replaces the previous behaviourist-positivist model that favoured mechanical-rote learning and advocates for a new cognitive-constructivist model. For teachers in training, this software provides an excellent opportunity to learn how to create teaching material that can be shared using the free software. With a username and password, this tool can be used by anyone, irrespective of the country of origin or its degree of development, making it a democratic teaching tool.

Rubric for Coevaluation of the oral Defense of the Concept maps

After constructing their concept maps on a selected woman scientist, students defended their selection orally, emphasizing aspects of a rubric.:

Originality in the selection of an interesting researcher, according to the slogans of the activity.

Coherent and meaningful explanation about her life and work.

Proper oral expression, without errors.

Reflection on her work and the context in which she spent her life.

Application and recognition of her achievement and the implications for future generations.

The coevaluation rubric had four evaluation scores for each of the items mentioned above:

Poor (1 point).

Basic (2 points).

Good (3 points).

Excellent (4 points).

Each group evaluated the work of the rest of the groups except theirs, and the teacher also evaluated each group following the same rubric. The final score obtained for each group was the media between the teacher’s evaluation and the media of the evaluation of the rest of the groups.

Survey for the Students

Once the practical activity was finished, a survey was designed to get to know the usefulness of this activity and if the initial goals had been obtained. The Survey was divided into two sections, containing the first one 4 Likert-type questions using a scale from 1 to 4, being 1 “great disagreement” and 4 “great agreement”; and the second one, three Likert-type questions using the same scale from 1 to 4 and one open question. In the first section, students had to answer if they found a gap in equality between genders, when accessing science careers, when entering the labour market, at the time of accessing the highest-paid academic, political, or professional positions, or when accessing professions related to upbringing and care.

In the second section, they had to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with the practical activity, regarding giving greater visibility to gender inequality in an educational and scientific context; if as future teachers, the didactic transposition of the activity in the context of a primary school could empower the girls to decrease the existing inequality; if education had a relevant role to eliminate or reduce gender inequality by accessing science-related professions. The open question asked students what they could think of as future teachers to eliminate the gender gap in the study of careers related to science.

Knowledge Model ‘Women and Science’

The Knowledge Model ‘Women and Science’ was built by students after selecting the scientist women they wanted to recognize through their work and achievement in a particular context and through the difficulties they could have lived to develop their professional careers. The methodology of social building is part of Ausubel’s meaningful learning theory (Ausubel, 1968 ), together with concept mapping and cooperative learning (Novak, 1998 ; Cañas et al., 2000 ), for getting to a domain of knowledge already described by Meichenbaum and Biemiller ( 1998 ). The following figure displays different related concept maps through different dimensions of knowledge from a different level of specification. In this particular Knowledge model, a user and password have been developed to allow teachers and students all over the world to have access to the information, once downloaded the free software Cmap Tools from the IHMC web. The username and password is ‘scientistwomen’ (Fig. 4 ).

The KM Women and Science contains several concept maps linked to the root map, which are displayed when clicking the icon under the concept

The KM Women and Science can be used by students and teachers from all over the world once applied the username and password (scientistwomen) as a basic platform for showing the lives and work of scientist women who can serve as an example for girls and therefore empower them. Primary education teachers can use the information for performing role-playing in the classroom, for inquiring about their discoveries…becoming a useful, meaningful, and democratic teaching material.

Reflection on the Difficulties Scientific Women could have Faced in Developing Their Scientific Career, According to the Students’ Perceptions

A table representing the difficulties detected by 119 students (organized in 15 medium groups in 2018 and 11 groups in 2019) of the teacher’s degree in primary education was built. According to the results, a ranking among the selected scientists (20 in total) experiencing more difficulties was made. Among them, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson (scientists on which the film ‘Hidden Figures’ is based) were the ones deserving their maximum recognition (4 groups from 26, 15,4%); and in the second position, scientists selected by 2 groups out of 26 (7,7%), such as Rosalind Franklin (discovery of the DNA structure); Jane Goodall (wildlife preservation and discovery of use of tools by chimpanzees); Lise Meitner (contributed to radioactivity studies essential for nuclear fission) and Elena García Armada (an engineer who has created an exoskeleton for helping disabled children with mobility problems). The other scientists were selected by only one group from 26 (3,9%). Only two of the selected women were Spanish (7,7%%) and only 31,6% of the selected are still alive.

According to the score of difficulties for each scientist, the ranking was the following:

Mary Jackson (16 points) > Dorothy Vaughan (15 points) > Katherine Johnson & Lise Meitner (12 points) > Rosalind Franklin & Jane Goodall (10 points) > Hedy Lamarr (7points ) > Alice Ball, Melanie Klein, Wangari Maathai (6 points) > Rachel Carson (5 points) > Jocelyn Bell, Elena García Armada, María Montessori & Agnes Pockels (4 points) > Karen Uhlenbeck (4 points) > Barbara McClintock, Margarita Salas & Mae Jemison (3 points) and Vera Rubin (2 points) (Fig. 5 ).

Graph showing the percentages of each of the difficulties perceived by the students of the teacher’s degree in primary education

The graph highlights some difficulties faced by women in the past. At that time, society did not approve of women working outside their homes, especially in jobs considered appropriate for men. The two most visible difficulties were gender bias and sexism, with each having a percentage of 13.97%. Other challenges included lack of recognition from society or colleagues (7.35%), economic dependence (5.88%), race discrimination (4.41%), and lack of family support (4.41%). Additionally, many women faced health issues, with 31.6% of them dying from diseases such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, and infectious diseases like tuberculosis. Women from humble origins or belonging to ethnic groups, such as Jewish, faced more challenges (3.7%). War (2.94%), exile (1.47%), and age (1.47%) were also perceived as obstacles for women’s career development. Age, in particular, refers to the lack of opportunities for women scientists once they reach retirement age. Lastly, beauty (0.74%) was considered a gift, but in a labour context, it often meant putting aside scientific dedication and exploiting the gift, as in the case of Hedy Lamarr (Fig. 6 ).

Graph showing the percentage of difficulties according to each of the scientific fields selected by students

This graph displays the opinions of students regarding the level of difficulty associated with studying various scientific fields. Physics is perceived as the most challenging field by 40.44% of the students, followed by chemistry (19.12%), biology (17.65%), engineering (8.09%), psychoanalysis and astronomy (both 4.41%), and finally, education and mathematics (both 2.94%).

The survey was completed by 48 out of 119 students, which is 40% of the total student population. Among the respondents, 69% were women and 31% were men. The majority of the students (85%) were between the ages of 20 and 23, while 6% were between the ages of 23 and 27, 2% were between the ages of 27 and 30, and 6% were over the age of 30.

In terms of academic background, 26% of the students received science training in high school, 11% received training in humanities, and 64% received training in social sciences. The majority of Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education Teaching (BDPET) students (79%) received their high school education, while 8% received job training and 13% had earned another degree or bachelor’s degree.

In the survey, students were asked whether they believed there was a gender gap in equality when pursuing science degrees. 70% agreed that there was a significant gap, 15% believed there was a slight gap, and 15% did not agree. Similarly, when entering the labor market, 70% of participants believed there was a gap, 15% believed there was a slight gap, and 15% did not. When it came to accessing the highest paid academic, political, and professional positions that assured more power, 64% agreed in the gap, 9% confirmed the existence of a slight difference, and 15% did not agree. Finally, with respect to professions related to upbringing and care, 74% agreed in the existence of the gap, while 26% did not.

As part of the evaluation for the educational activity called “Women and Science,” we asked some questions to the students to check if the initial objectives were met. The results showed that 100% of the students surveyed believed that this activity helped to raise awareness about gender inequality in an educational and scientific context, with 50% rating it as excellent, 38% as good, and 13% as adequate. Additionally, 98% of the students thought that this activity would empower girls and help to reduce gender inequality, as future teachers, with 2% rating it as excellent, 94% as good, and 4% as adequate. Finally, all the surveyed students (100%) agreed that education plays a crucial role in eliminating or reducing gender inequality, with 82% rating it as excellent, 13% as good, and 4% as adequate.

When we asked future teachers how to decrease gender inequality, they responded:

Promoting the same aspirations, skills, and values in children. Ending those roles of gender difference, sometimes even without realizing it, and which are transmitted to each other (good behaviour, different ways of expressing themselves, attitudes that are tolerated in boys but not in girls and vice versa, etc). Highlighting the important role that many pioneering women have carried out in different aspects of culture and knowledge (science, art …). Promoting a language that is less and less sexist. I believe that in the small and sometimes imperceptible moments of the educational community lies the difference and change occurs .

Teaching both boys and girls the great achievements not recognized of women throughout history. Thus, they will recognize that not only men have done fundamental things for life but women have also played a fundamental role in getting to have everything we have today .

Starting with taking care of our vocabulary, to use both genders. Coeducation is also important, and for this to be carried out several measures should be taken, regarding: how we care for girls or how we care for boys, how we take care of the structure of the playground and of course, how we give all of them the same opportunities .

Using inclusive language, explaining jobs where you can see that both men and women have achieved important things for society, not associating jobs with gender (cleaning lady or firefighter) … the truth is that teachers have a lot to change to reduce gender inequality .

As teachers we should work on numerous contents related to this inequality. In this way, our students would be learning while being aware of social elements of inequality that we overlook. The first thing is to know how to identify those attitudes or thoughts that generate maleness or inequality and that we give as natural or on which we do not reflect, for being able to work them in a focused and exhaustive way .

The study aims to add to the research on gender stereotypes in the field of science. It does so by introducing activities that encourage women’s empowerment in primary education teacher training. In addition, the study offers teaching materials that can be used globally to challenge gender stereotypes in science and promote a shift in perception that encourages more girls to choose science-related careers and professions. Good et al. ( 2010 ) suggest that efforts should be made to address gender stereotypes in textbooks across all educational levels. This is important because stereotypical representations can influence the understanding and anxiety levels of high school students of both sexes. The decision to pursue a field of study or vocational training is typically made relatively late, by which time gender images of school subjects have already been internalized. Therefore, it is better to encourage reflection on stereotypical gender images of science and mathematics subjects in early childhood, starting from the teaching materials of science-related subjects. Archer et al. ( 2010 ) further emphasize that young children do not have deep knowledge about science subjects and often associate masculine traits with science. Teachers and educators must address gender-stereotypical beliefs as they can potentially impact the development of career interests among children and high school students. According to various authors, including Nosek et al. ( 2002 ), Cundiff et al. ( 2013 ), and Šorgo et al. ( 2018 ), the main barrier preventing young women from identifying with science and pursuing research careers is the association of science subjects with masculine traits. This belief is considered to be a stereotype, and it is believed to influence the aspirations of young women, as noted by Lane et al. ( 2012 ) and Ramsey ( 2017 ), who suggest that it may discourage them from pursuing STEM careers.

Studies suggest that having role models can have a positive effect on attitudes towards increasing the number of women in science. As a result, it is suggested that role models should be included in the science curriculum. Universities such as Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have successfully used undergraduate women in science and engineering to recruit high school girls to those fields. Women or girls who are only a few stages ahead of their students are likely to be the most effective role models for science classes. Therefore, girls should be encouraged to form science clubs at both the elementary and junior high levels to support those in the lower grades. This way, social perceptions of acceptance and belonging could be fostered and perhaps the negative attitudes developed between ages 9 and 13 and observed also in 15 (Sjoberg & Schreiner, 2005 ), could be ameliorated. During the early high school years, girls should have the opportunity to speak with both collegiate undergraduate and graduate women in science as well as professional female scientists and engineers. Conscious efforts may be needed in the beginning, but as students, teachers, counselors, and administrators practice these strategies, they will become routine (Sjoberg et al., 2004 ). The recognition of inequalities in science classrooms and the implementation of remedial instructional and curricular strategies is a critical first step in improving the participation of women in science-related fields. Science teachers as well as educators of science teachers, should be cognizant of these strategies and apply them through discussion or social construction of knowledge activities in their classes to get to the domain of knowledge (Meichenbaum & Biemiller, 1998 ).

It is worth noting the views of primary education teacher students on the scientific fields that have presented more challenges for the careers of female scientists. Physics was the most cited area, which is consistent with the findings of Makarova et al. ( 2019 ). This trend may be linked to the media’s influence and power in shaping opinions and beliefs. For instance, some students watched the film “Hidden Figures,” which features female scientists as main characters, and were inspired by them. It is important to highlight the achievements of female scientists and showcase them as role models for young girls in primary and secondary education.

The use of concept maps and knowledge models is a new strategy for improving gender equality in primary education teacher’s degrees. This methodology was chosen because it is a powerful tool for promoting meaningful and critical learning (Novak, 1998 ; Ausubel, 1968 ) and for fostering conceptual change (Özdemir & Clark, 2007 ; Posner et al., 1982 ). Primary education teachers play a significant role in spreading the necessary conceptual change needed to empower girls and encourage their curiosity in science, as they will be the ones teaching K-12 students. Therefore, schools are the first step in initiating this change.

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Our thanks to the students from the teacher’s degree in primary education from the years 2018 and 2019 for taking part in this research and for their valuable comments.

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de Villarreal, M.P., Scotton, P. Yes We Can: Promoting Gender Equality from University to Primary Education Teaching through the Design of Knowledge Models. Interchange (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10780-024-09522-1

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Teacher motivation and learning outcomes

Providing a quality education for all lies at the heart of the Education 2030 Agenda. Achieving this goal will require ‘well-qualified, trained, adequately remunerated, and motivated teachers’ (UNESCO, 2016: 30). However, global trends indicate that teacher motivation has been falling in recent years, leading to teacher shortages (Crehan, 2016; UNESCO IICBA, 2017). With motivation playing an important role in teacher performance, reversing this trend is critical to maintaining quality teaching and thus positively impacting student learning outcomes (TTF, 2016; World Bank, 2018). Motivating teachers with the proper incentives is key to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 targets 4.1 (ensuring all girls and boys complete a quality education) and 4.c (substantially increasing the supply of qualified teachers) (United Nations, 2015).

What we know

Both high- and low-income countries around the world face issues in both attracting and retaining quality teachers, due largely to poor motivation and incentive structures (Crehan, 2016; Han and Yin, 2016; UNESCO IICBA, 2017). Data show that teacher salaries have fallen compared to other occupations with similar educational requirements, leading the profession to suffer a drop in prestige (GMR, 2015; UNESCO, 2019b; World Bank, 2018). In many low-income countries, teachers are facing rising pupil/teacher ratios (PTRs) and deteriorating working conditions due to increased student enrolment rates (UNESCO IICBA, 2017; World Bank, 2018). Additional factors contributing to lowered teacher motivation include lack of support from leadership, poor accountability, inadequate living conditions, or violence in schools (TTF, 2016; World Bank, 2018; UNESCO, 2019b; UNESCO IICBA, 2017). Such issues may lead to increased teacher absenteeism and attrition, meaning students receive fewer hours of instruction (Ramachandran et al., 2018; UNESCO IICBA, 2017).

With teacher motivation driven by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, finding the proper incentives to influence them is complex and multifaceted (Crehan, 2016; Martin, 2018). While many systems have experimented with motivating teachers through bonus pay for meeting specific targets, results have been mixed for such direct extrinsic motivation (Crehan, 2016; Education Commission, 2019; World Bank, 2018). Instead, research shows that allowing teachers more agency to work towards different promotion opportunities can offer a strong incentive to remain in the profession (Cabus, Haelermans, and Flink, 2020; Calvert, 2016; Cordingley et al., 2019; Tournier et al., 2019). Measures that improve teachers’ professionalism, such as collaboration and continuous professional development, have also been shown to improve motivation (Cordingley et al., 2019; Education Commission, 2019; Tournier et al., 2019). School leaders can play a vital role in inspiring teachers, by offering support, consistent standards, and effective evaluation and accountability structures. Such support from school leaders can further improve professionalism and reduce rates of teacher absenteeism (Education Commission, 2019; Martin, 2018; TTF, 2016).

Lack of financial resources

In countries where salaries place teachers at or below the poverty line, or where a teacher’s salary is well below that of professions requiring similar levels of qualifications, research shows that few other policy options can improve motivation among teachers without low pay being addressed first (Tournier et al., 2019; UNESCO, 2019b). Even so, many governments do not have resources to spare for salary increases. For most low- and middle-income countries, teacher salaries already account for 75 per cent or more of the education budget (World Bank, 2018). As such, ministries of education are faced with difficult decisions of whether to pay higher salaries to fewer teachers – and thus increase PTRs – or pay lower salaries to a higher number of teachers and keep ratios at more manageable levels (UNESCO, 2019b).

Inadequate teaching and learning environment

Poor working conditions also affect teacher motivation. Limited education budgets may also lead to insufficient resources for school infrastructure or teaching materials. Data indicate, for example, that approximately 25 per cent of primary schools globally do not have access to clean drinking water or single-sex sanitation facilities (UIS, TTF, and GEMR Team, 2019). Shortages of equipment such as desks, books, computers, and other teaching materials can frustrate teachers and cause drops in motivation (TTF, 2016; UNESCO IICBA, 2017; World Bank, 2018).

Cultural and societal perceptions

Findings from the Global Teacher Status 2018 study suggest that there is a correlation between teacher status and student learning outcomes in a country (Dolton et al., 2018). In many countries, teaching is considered a profession of last resort and does not enjoy the same esteem as other occupations requiring similar levels of education. This makes recruiting and retaining quality candidates especially difficult. Young teachers often leave the profession after only a few years to seek opportunities in other fields offering higher pay or more prestige (IBF International Consulting, 2013). Improving incentives to attract and retain teachers that are better qualified can shift these views, but changing perceptions can take a long time and requires ongoing efforts (World Bank, 2018).

Weak teacher management structures

Many countries have weak teacher management systems. School leaders often do not have suitable training or background experience to provide teachers with proper support or oversight (Chiriboga Montalvo and Pinto Haro, 2019; Tournier et al., 2019; Yimam, 2019). This can lead to teachers losing trust in their leadership and the established system, lowering expectations and motivation (Cordingley et al., 2019). Leaders who recruit or assess teachers based on patronage or political leanings also raise frustrations and reduce confidence in the validity of the system (Education Commission, 2019).

Limited career flexibility

Many teacher career structures are based on a single salary scale, where teachers earn promotions based solely on academic qualifications or years of experience (Chimier and Tournier, 2018 Crehan, 2016; UNESCO, 2019b). However, research shows that this model can stifle teacher agency and reduce motivation (Crehan, 2016; Tournier et al., 2019). Career structures offering more options and choice can improve teacher motivation, but such structures are complicated to implement and typically lead to upheaval in established systems (Chiriboga Montalvo and Pinto Haro, 2019; Sayed and de Kock, 2019; Tournier et al., 2019).

Equity and inclusion

While women make up the majority of the global teaching force, they are underrepresented at the secondary school level, as well as in school leadership and management positions (UNESCO, 2018, 2019a). This lack of opportunity for career progression can have demotivating effects on women teachers seeking professional growth and advancement. In OECD countries, women teachers face a 13.5 per cent wage gap in comparison to men (OECD, 2018). Other factors that lower women teachers’ motivation, especially in displacement or extremely rural settings, include lack of suitable housing, physical safety concerns, and sexual harassment (UNESCO, 2018, 2019a). Such issues can result in a lack of incentives for women to work in such difficult environments. With women teachers and school heads shown to act as role models and improve retention of girls in school in rural and low-income settings, this can have a potentially detrimental effect on girls’ education (UNESCO, 2018, 2019a).

Low-resource schools

School environments and working conditions tend to be worst in rural or low-resource areas. Because of this, these schools have higher rates of teacher turnover and absenteeism, causing students who are already in disadvantaged circumstances to face lower learning opportunities (UNESCO, 2019b; World Bank, 2018). Without providing proper incentives to motivate teachers to work in these areas, the gaps between students in low- and high-resource schools will continue to widen.

Policy and planning

Establish basic conditions for teachers.

While it is recommended that countries devote six per cent of their gross domestic product to education to meet Education for All requirements, only 41 countries in the world currently do so (UNESCO, 2019b). Providing competitive salaries for teachers does not solve every motivation problem, but it is important to establish at least a basic level of financial incentive. It is also important to ensure regularity of pay. If governments cannot designate enough money for teachers to earn a competitive salary, other measures offer little hope of improving teacher motivation (Tournier et al., 2019; UNESCO, 2019b).

Widen opportunities for career progression?

When developing teacher career structures, diverse options for promotion can provide teachers with more self-determination (Chimier and Tournier, 2018; Crehan, 2016). This could include horizontal mobility (earning promotions through more senior teaching positions) as well as traditional vertical mobility that leads to leadership and management positions (Tournier et al., 2019). In conjunction with this, incentives for each promotion level to include salary increases and extra responsibilities could be considered (Martin, 2018; Tournier et al., 2019). Such career progression helps improve teacher motivation and retention by creating goals for teachers to strive towards instead of merely waiting a set amount of time for their next promotion (UNESCO, 2019b). Teacher pay for performance schemes have been found to improve student achievement in some contexts; however, in order for such schemes to function correctly, other mechanisms need to be in place such as a mechanism to assess teacher performance and student learning, as well as a salary scale to make such incentives relevant (World Bank, 2013: 9).

Accountability and feedback structures

School heads cannot expect to have motivated and high-performing teachers without setting out proper guidance and expectations. Written standards with indicators of success to strive towards can provide teachers with direction and motivation (UNESCO, 2019b). Policies should also include a focus on leaders providing oversight and feedback to foster teacher improvement (Martin, 2018; UNESCO IICBA, 2017). It is important to strike a balance between teacher accountability and the support they receive through more formative evaluation (very often the former takes precedence over the latter), and separate as much as possible to ensure trust. Professional and participatory accountability mechanisms are interesting strategies to nurture and sustain professional growth and motivation among teachers (Tournier et al., 2019).

Introduce more collaboration and professional development

By purposely incorporating opportunities for collaboration and quality professional development, well-designed teacher policies can build professionalism (Tournier et al., 2019). When teachers work together in a collaborative and mutually supportive environment, their motivation and confidence can begin to build (Crehan, Tournier, and Chimier, 2019; Education Commission, 2019; STiR Education, n.d.). Teacher networks have been found to increase the amount of time teachers spend in the classroom, leading to gains in actual teaching time (Jeevan, 2017). Collaboration can lead directly to senior teachers providing important professional development for their junior colleagues (Tournier et al., 2019). Professional development should include relevant topics that teachers can use, otherwise it could have a demotivating effect by seeming to teachers to be a waste of time and resources.

Increase teacher inputs to leadership decisions

To better encourage teachers to feel they have a stake in the education system, they should be involved in decision-making processes whenever possible. Seeking teacher input at both the school and system level can lead to higher feelings of agency and improve overall motivation (Calvert, 2016). Whether deciding new policies at the ministry level or simply shifting the focus of a school’s priorities, teacher input should be valued and sought out.

Plans and policies

• Kenya: Teachers Service Commission strategic plan (2019–2023)
• Cambodia: Teacher Policy Action Plan (2015–2020)
• Pakistan: Teacher Education Strategy (2018)
• OECD. Teachers matter: Attracting, developing and retaining effective teachers. Pointers for policy development  (2011)
• UNESCO. Teacher Policy Development Guide  (2019)
• World Bank. Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) – Teachers  (2020)
• VVOB. Professional learning communities: A guideline for South African schools  (2015)

Cabus, S.; Haelermans, C.; Flink, I. 2020. Evaluating a certificate programme on educational mentorship and coaching leading to induction activities for new teachers in Rwandan primary schools. Leuven: HIVA-KU.

Calvert, L. 2016. Moving from compliance to agency: What teachers need to make professional learning work . Oxford, OH: Learning Forward and NCTAF.

Chimier, C.; Tournier, B. 2018. ‘Three initiatives to foster teacher motivation’. Learning Portal [blog], 21 November. Paris: IIEP-UNESCO.

Chiriboga Montalvo, C.; Pinto Haro, J. 2019. Reforma de la carrera docente en Ecuador. Paris: IIEP-UNESCO.

Cordingley, P.; Crisp, B.; Johns, P.; Perry, T.; Campbell, C.; Bell, M.; Bradbury, M. 2019. Constructing teachers’ professional identities. Brussels: Education International . Brussels: Education International.

Crehan, L. 2016. Exploring the impact of career models on teacher motivation . Paris: IIEP-UNESCO.

Crehan, L.; Tournier, B.; Chimier, C. 2019. Teacher career pathways in New York City. Paris: IIEP-UNESCO.

Dolton, P.; Marcenaro, O.; de Vries, R.; She, P.-W. 2018. Global teacher status index 2018. London: Varkey Foundation.

Education Commission. 2019. Transforming the education workforce: Learning teams for a learning generation . New York: Education Commission.

GMR (Education for All Global Monitoring Report). 2015. The challenge of teacher shortage and quality: Have we succeeded in getting enough quality teachers into classrooms?  Policy paper 19.

Han, J.; Yin, H. 2016. ‘Teacher motivation: Definition, research development and implications for teachers’. In: Cogent Education, 3(1) .

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UNESCO launches Women 4 Ethical AI Platform

On 6 March 2023, the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) opened with a focus on the priority theme “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”. To truly have impact in this area, UNESCO's Social and Human Sciences Sector launched the Women 4 Ethical AI Platform at this occasion, on the same day.

Some countries around the world still have laws that discriminate against women and this appalling situation is being repeated in the digital space. That is why there is a need to fill the digital revolution with an ethical purpose, that fasters gender equality now.

This new Platform will provide a unique space for global gender quality leaders in frontier technologies to combine their strengths and influence to achieve the clear goal of implementing UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence with a gender lens. This global instrument is the first global normative standard in the field of AI, adopted by all 193 Member States of the Organisation at its 41 st General Conference in 2021. It offers a full chapter of action-oriented policy recommendations to address gender-related challenges in AI. This includes: Dedicating funds from the public budgets linked to financing gender-related schemes, which unfortunately is often lacking or insufficient. Ensuring that national digital policies include a gender action plan . Encouraging female entrepreneurship , participation, engagement and leadership in all stages of the AI life cycle; Investing in targeted programmes to increase the opportunities of girls’ and women’s participation in STEM and ICT disciplines; Eradicating gender stereotyping and ensuring that discriminatory biases are not translated into the AI systems.

With the Recommendation, UNESCO will engage women in AI to advance the ethical development and deployment of AI, for fair and inclusive outcomes, with a special focus on gender diversity and empowerment.

The Platform was inaugurated during a high-level event at CSW67 on: “The Gender Digital Revolution: Addressing Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, Access to Information and Gendered Online Violence” in the presence of Itah Kandjii Murangi, Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation of Namibia.

UNESCO promised, and UNESCO delivers on the wider commitment of promoting gender equality in the digital domain and the establishment of the Women for Ethical AI platform is the realization of a promise fulfilled.

UNESCO spotlighted different but interlinked issues at the event in two consecutive panels. The first, “ New Policy Actions to Avoid Gender Stereotypes and Bias in AI” , provided policy advice for decision-makers legislating on AI. The second , “Promoting Gender Responsive Policies to Guarantee Women’s Right of Access to Information in the Digital Age and Combatting Gendered Online Violence” , presented concrete ways to strengthen gender equity in the rights of access to information and freedom of expression in digital spaces.

The 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women will conclude on 17 March with an outcome document on agreed conclusions on the priority theme, negotiated by all Member States.

I've been repeatedly asked "Can you hire more women?" The question was wrong. The question should have been "How can we grow the pipeline of women candidates?" and "How can you support the women already in the workforce today?". It takes a multistakeholder approach, starting with companies helping to upskill women.

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News UNESCO’s civil society partners unite for impact at UN Civil Society Conference in Nairobi 31 May 2024

Gender equality, youth aspirations keys to sustainable peace, Security Council hears

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Gender equality and the aspirations of young people are crucial for ensuring sustainable peace and security, the UN’s top political and peacebuilding official told the Security Council on Tuesday.

Addressing ambassadors at the Council’s open debate on the role of women and youth, UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo highlighted the significant challenges and impacts faced by women.

“Women bear the brunt of the global rollback of human rights,” she stated.

She referenced her recent visit to Afghanistan, where women are systematically denied basic rights, including education and employment opportunities.

“Women I met in Kabul told me of their aspirations and dreams: the same education afforded to men, equal employment opportunities and freedom to choose their futures. They look to the global community to support them in realizing their rights so that they can contribute to their country’s future,” she said.

Dismantle structural inequalities

Ms. DiCarlo pointed out that Afghanistan is not unique in that regard and that commitments on gender equality “are being ignored, if not reversed, in many regions”.

She underscored the importance of the Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace , which calls for dismantling patriarchal power structures and ensuring women’s equal access.

“Doing away with structural gender inequalities is a matter of equity and right,” she asserted.

“But, it is also a powerful means to improve the chances of success of peace and political processes,” she added, emphasising that UN special political missions have strived to promote women’s rights and meaningful participation in peace processes.

Youth inclusion

Youth inclusion was another critical focus of the Under-Secretary-General’s remarks.

She highlighted the need for young people to shape their futures and participate safely in peace processes and electoral activities.

“ They [young people] are not ‘adults in the making’ ,” she said. “They are full human beings with hopes, aspirations, ideas and energy to contribute right now.”

She stressed that engaging youth in peace processes is a missed opportunity that governments should seize to rebuild trust in institutions and increase intergenerational solidarity.

Supporting youth participation

To support youth participation, the UN is allocating resources from the Peacebuilding Fund to back national action plans for youth, peace and security.

Regional efforts, such as the African Union's framework and the Arab regional youth, peace and security strategy, are also instrumental in catalysing national actions, she said.

Environmental peacebuilding, where young women often play leading roles, was another area highlighted, as Ms. DiCarlo called for recognising and advancing the contributions of young environmental defenders, community leaders and peacebuilders.

In conclusion, Ms. DiCarlo emphasised that transformative changes rely on national action involving all segments of society, supported by international efforts. The Security Council , she urged, can reinforce that woman, along with men, are responsible for building peace and prosperity in their societies.

“Gender equality and realising the aspirations of young people are essential for sustainable peace and security around the world,” she said.

SDG 16: INCLUSIVE SOCIETIES

• Reduce all forms of violence and related death rates
• End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and violence against children
• Promote rule of law at national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice
• Reduce illicit financial and arms flows, and combat organized crime
• Reduce corruption and bribery
• Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions
• Strengthen relevant institutions to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime

More than 108.4 million people had been forcibly displaced by the end of 2022, over 2.5 times the number reported a decade ago.

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School Teachers and Pupils Promote Gender Equality in Gaza Schools

Date: Tuesday, 28 May 2024

School teachers are trained to promote gender equality and promote positive gender roles and empower pupils to do the same in the Gaza Strip, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Ministry of Education through the HAYA Joint Programme.

By promoting messages of empathy, understanding, and respect, educators can help children cope with the trauma of war and build resilience in the face of adversity. Education can play a key role in building psychological resilience, empowerment, and social support, among others. In conflict-affected areas like Gaza, education is a key component to preventing acceptance of violence against women, girls, and boys is to ensure the understanding of violence concepts, gender equality, and respect, especially at a young age when these beliefs are still being formed. Towards this end, before Israel’s war on Gaza, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) with the Ministry of Education through the HAYA Joint Programme trained over six hundred teachers and counsellors in forty schools throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Using a gender-based violence* support manual developed by World Vision and updated by HAYA, teachers and counsellors learned how to use positive teaching methods, promote gender equality, and challenge gender stereotypes in their school curriculum. They were also trained on how to detect and refer cases of violence among pupils. Through extra-curricular activities, parents and their children also learned about and debated gender-based violence concepts, gender equality, and traditional gender roles.

Before the war, school counselor Dr. Samah Abu Zeina began working in the field of education to create a positive change in her community and says this training will help her do just that.

Samah says that as a result, she, other counsellors, and the teachers used positive teaching methods in their classrooms, and the way the teachers communicate with pupils and how pupils interact with each other changed for the better, becoming more understanding and respectful.

Sixteen-year-old pupil Malak says violence affects children and young people’s social and psychological development as well as their education. The extra-curricular activities had provided an opportunity for Malak, her fellow pupils, and her teachers to discuss topics around gender and violence and brainstorm ways they can each work on their behaviours to help prevent and reduce the negative effects of violence.

For Malak, these extracurricular activities gave her the self-confidence to express herself freely, and she now wants to be a proponent for gender equality, sharing what she has learned with other pupils, especially those who have suffered from violence.

Despite the challenges, the HAYA Joint Programme plans to continue working with pupils on promoting positive attitudes and behaviours that combat violence against women and girls and train teachers, counsellors, parents, and children about gender-based violence and what they can do to prevent and stop this violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Especially given the impact of Israel’s war on schools and education still to come, Samah says that the support given through HAYA has made a difference and efforts must continue , including updates to the curriculum supporting women’s rights and empowerment. “ Gender equality will be achieved when there is a correct awareness of gender-based violence concepts, far from outdated customs and traditions and incorrect religious interpretations of gender-based violence describing these concepts incorrectly and inappropriately.” While war can have devastating consequences for education, including the disruption of learning, loss of opportunities, and trauma, education also serves as a powerful tool for promoting resilience, empowerment, and hopefully sustainable peace.

Survivors of violence in the West Bank can contact health care , justice and policing, and social services listed in the full directory of available services in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip . Please note that services in Gaza have largely been disrupted by the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, with several services only partially functioning or not at all.

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What you need to know about education for sustainable development

What is education for sustainable development  .

Education for sustainable development (ESD) gives learners of all ages the knowledge, skills, values and agency to address interconnected global challenges including climate change, loss of biodiversity, unsustainable use of resources, and inequality. It empowers learners of all ages to make informed decisions and take individual and collective action to change society and care for the planet. ESD is a lifelong learning process and an integral part of quality education. It enhances the cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioural dimensions of learning and encompasses learning content and outcomes, pedagogy and the learning environment itself. 

How does UNESCO work on this theme?  

UNESCO is the United Nations leading agency for ESD and is responsible for the implementation of ESD for 2030 , the current global framework for ESD which takes up and continues the work of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) and the Global Action Programme (GAP) on ESD (2015-2019). 

UNESCO’s work on ESD focuses on five main areas: 

• Advancing policy
• Transforming learning environments
• Building capacities of educators
• Empowering and mobilizing youth
• Accelerating local level action

UNESCO supports countries to develop and expand educational activities that focus on sustainability issues such as climate change, biodiversity, disaster risk reduction, water, the oceans, sustainable urbanisation and sustainable lifestyles through ESD. UNESCO leads and advocates globally on ESD and provides guidance and standards. It also provides data on the status of ESD and monitors progress on SDG Indicator 4.7.1, on the extent to which global citizenship education and ESD are mainstreamed in national education policies, curricula, teacher education and student assessment.  

How does UNESCO mobilize education to address climate change?   

Climate change education is the main thematic focus of ESD as it helps people understand and address the impacts of the climate crisis, empowering them with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to act as agents of change. The importance of education and training to address climate change is recognized in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change , the Paris Agreement and the associated Action for Climate Empowerment agenda which all call on governments to educate, empower and engage all stakeholders and major groups on policies and actions relating to climate change. Through its ESD programme, UNESCO works to make education a more central and visible part of the international response to climate change. It produces and shares knowledge, provides policy guidance and technical support to countries, and implements projects on the ground. 

UNESCO encourages Member States to develop and implement their  country initiative  to mainstream education for sustainable development. 

What is the Greening Education Partnership?

To coordinate actions and efforts in the field of climate change education the  Greening Education Partnership  was launched in 2022 during the UN Secretary General's Summit on Transforming Education. This partnership, coordinated by a UNESCO Secretariat, is driving a global movement to get every learner climate-ready. The Partnership addresses four key areas of transformative education: greening schools, curricula, teachers training and education system's capacities, and communities.

How can I get involved?   

Every single person can take action in many different ways every day to protect the planet. To complement the ESD for 2030 roadmap , UNESCO has developed the ESD for 2030 toolbox to provide an evolving set of selected resources to support Member States, regional and global stakeholders to develop activities in the five priority action areas and activities in support of the six key areas of implementation. 

UNESCO also launched the Trash Hack campaign in response to the 2 billion tons of waste that the world produces every year, waste which clog up the oceans, fill the streets and litter huge areas. Trash Hacks are small changes everyone can make every day to reduce waste in their lives, their communities and the world.   

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