What equality between girls and What equality between girls and boys, men and women? Can gender boys, men and women? Can gender equity provide for parity in contested equity provide for parity in contested

“old” male- or female-dominated “old” male- or female-dominated

territories THROUGH EDUCATION? territories THROUGH EDUCATION? Start up your own analysisStart up your own analysis

The equity approach …The equity approach …

Strives to enhance the idea that boys and Strives to enhance the idea that boys and girls, women and men can contribute on an girls, women and men can contribute on an equal footing to a common task (or a equal footing to a common task (or a family, a business, the society at large), family, a business, the society at large), while no gender is domineering over the while no gender is domineering over the other. The textbooks seem to powerfully other. The textbooks seem to powerfully promote it.promote it.

There still will have some gender division of There still will have some gender division of labour, but neither of the genders will labour, but neither of the genders will appear more important than the other.appear more important than the other.

And everybody will be appraised for their And everybody will be appraised for their share of work regardless whether men or share of work regardless whether men or women, girls or boys, like in… women, girls or boys, like in…

All active, all included…Equity All active, all included…Equity doesn’t seem unrealistic, does doesn’t seem unrealistic, does

it? it?

Pictures from Bulgarian first grade textbook ‘Homeland’ of the publishing houses Bulvest (2002)

However…However… There still exist trends boys and girls, women There still exist trends boys and girls, women

and men to be seen or expected to behave in and men to be seen or expected to behave in a prescribed way, “as befits a man or a a prescribed way, “as befits a man or a woman”, in public places or work situations, woman”, in public places or work situations, etc.etc.

Try to remember… instances when people Try to remember… instances when people around you:around you:

- didn’t expect you to achieve something (e.g. - didn’t expect you to achieve something (e.g. to come first in a maths test or mend your to come first in a maths test or mend your broken bicycle) only because you are a girlbroken bicycle) only because you are a girl

- or talked you out of doing something (e.g. to - or talked you out of doing something (e.g. to look after the flowers in the classroom) only look after the flowers in the classroom) only because you are a boy because you are a boy

Professional guidance is important in everyone’s Professional guidance is important in everyone’s life… life…

Yet …what difference can you single out in this two-Yet …what difference can you single out in this two-page 1-st grade textbook representations? page 1-st grade textbook representations?

Уча и мечтая.Какъв да стана?

I learn and dream what to become… I love

working on a computer… I want

to become a train driver.

I want to become a famous

chef.I want to become a pilot.

I want to be a doctor and cure people

I want to become an engineer and design robots

I want to be a builder and construct modern buildings.

I want to become a captain.

Homeland textbook, Bulgarian publishing house Bulvest 2000 (2002)

Analyze the professional Analyze the professional guidanceguidance

pagepage(note: there is some deliberate mix-up with the jobs – (note: there is some deliberate mix-up with the jobs –

children are expected to correct itchildren are expected to correct it) :) : How many boys and girls can you see?How many boys and girls can you see? How do they How do they ((the characters) speak about the characters) speak about

their dreams and/or wishes? How do their their dreams and/or wishes? How do their orientation or determination show in their orientation or determination show in their stance or word choice ? stance or word choice ?

What importance do you attach to the What importance do you attach to the professions represented?professions represented?

What are your conclusions on the impact What are your conclusions on the impact such a word-picture layout will have on 7-such a word-picture layout will have on 7-year olds?year olds?

How would you change the picture to How would you change the picture to make it more equitable in terms of gender make it more equitable in terms of gender representations? representations?

It is not only the textbooks…It is not only the textbooks…

Start a class project monitoring the MEDIA: the Start a class project monitoring the MEDIA: the press, commercials, the TV news, special press, commercials, the TV news, special programmes, movies, etc.programmes, movies, etc.

Who do you see more – men or women? Whose Who do you see more – men or women? Whose voice is more often heard or has more weight in voice is more often heard or has more weight in decision-making?decision-making?

In what types of activities are men and women In what types of activities are men and women shown involved? In what situations are men or shown involved? In what situations are men or women shown as more important? women shown as more important?

Which is the stronger sex? How does it show? Which is the stronger sex? How does it show? Are men OR women represented as better Are men OR women represented as better

professionals? Who has more power or is in more professionals? Who has more power or is in more powerful position? Who earns more, boasts more, powerful position? Who earns more, boasts more, etc.?etc.?

What is the role of sexist language? Power What is the role of sexist language? Power control, inferiority complex or…? control, inferiority complex or…?

You may make your own You may make your own investigation …investigation …

It has been a long process of which most of us are still It has been a long process of which most of us are still unawareunaware

You can go back to history books or movies: You can go back to history books or movies: How has the idea of How has the idea of separate gender life tracks developed? What was acceptable separate gender life tracks developed? What was acceptable /allowed THEN and is not acceptable NOW – in your society, on /allowed THEN and is not acceptable NOW – in your society, on other continents? other continents?

Religion:Religion: How has religion been regulating the gender How has religion been regulating the gender interactions? Do you find it fair or adequate to the present day interactions? Do you find it fair or adequate to the present day society?society?

You can interview your parents and grandparents: You can interview your parents and grandparents: How they felt How they felt about (their) men’s and/or women’s duties, place/position at about (their) men’s and/or women’s duties, place/position at home, at school, at workplace, in the society at large when they home, at school, at workplace, in the society at large when they were young, middle-aged, elderly? How have their ideas about were young, middle-aged, elderly? How have their ideas about “gender” social importance changed, if at all? “gender” social importance changed, if at all?

New legislation on gender equity: in your country or the EU:New legislation on gender equity: in your country or the EU: Does Does it help genders to be treated on equal footing yet still preserve it help genders to be treated on equal footing yet still preserve their difference in their own right? Can the legislation their difference in their own right? Can the legislation automatically “correct” existing injustice in gender interactions, automatically “correct” existing injustice in gender interactions, or publicly redress unfair treatment on gender/sexuality basis at or publicly redress unfair treatment on gender/sexuality basis at school or at the workplace? school or at the workplace?

Make yourselves emotionally Make yourselves emotionally and civilly involved…and civilly involved…

Make individual or group posters presenting your Make individual or group posters presenting your viewpoints on existing discrimination practices on viewpoints on existing discrimination practices on gender basis;gender basis;

Video hunt: film instances of unfair treatment on Video hunt: film instances of unfair treatment on gender basis at school, in the café, etc. (it’s easy – gender basis at school, in the café, etc. (it’s easy – your have your mobilesyour have your mobiles))

Write an essay or an article on biased gender Write an essay or an article on biased gender interactions, ending them with your interactions, ending them with your recommendations on how to change the described recommendations on how to change the described trends or unfair interactions between boys and trends or unfair interactions between boys and girls, men and womengirls, men and women

Start quotes page in your blog or school website Start quotes page in your blog or school website monitoring your friends’, teachers’, colleagues’ monitoring your friends’, teachers’, colleagues’ opinions on gender equity or gender inequality. Use opinions on gender equity or gender inequality. Use them to launch a public debate them to launch a public debate

It is you who can make the It is you who can make the differencedifference

Starting as of today…Starting as of today…

““One is not born, but rather becomes a One is not born, but rather becomes a woman” (Simone de Beauvoir)woman” (Simone de Beauvoir)

It is human beings not just MEN who are It is human beings not just MEN who are born free and equal…born free and equal…

Anatomy is a destiny (Sigmund Freud) but Anatomy is a destiny (Sigmund Freud) but people have worked it out how to put people have worked it out how to put additional importance on Nature, constantly additional importance on Nature, constantly reshaping their social (gender) interactions reshaping their social (gender) interactions to suit better their earthly ends. The rightful to suit better their earthly ends. The rightful question is whose ends and how? question is whose ends and how?

SUGGESTED BY:

Svoboda Gagarova, a teacher of English, Institution: Helpdesk for Intercultural Learning Materials, Bulgaria, www.helpdeskbg.org

Acknowledgment for the ‘Homeland’ textbook artists and authors of the Publishing House Bulvest 2000 (2002)