ARE MEN AND WOMEN DIFFERENT?

In educating the child, parents and teachers play allied roles. It is expected that both are willing to communicate in order to better understand the children under their guardianship. Gender issues prevail in society in all areas of life and it is essential that concept of gender and its sensitization be clarified for further understanding. To minimize these gender issues we need to start changing the mindsets of the younger generation as they are those who can bring about further change in the society, with their innovative ideas, thoughts and ideas.

TERMS USED RELATED TO GENDER SENSITIVITY

GENDER was first used as a phrase, “ the social relations to gender,” which later on evolved to GENDER. The SOCIAL RELATIONS TO GENDER seek to explain sharing, decision making, division of labor, and return to labor within the household and in society, among others. It focuses on the attributes acquired in the process of socialization: our self and group definitions, our sense of appropriate roles, values and behaviors, and above all, expected and acceptable interactions in relationships between women and men.

“Gender Sensitivity” means gender awareness which is more analytical and critical since it clarifies issues about gender disparities and gender shapes the roles of women and men society, including their role in development, and how it affects relations between them.

HOW TO PROMOTE GENDER AWARENESS IN PARENTS AND TEACHERS

1. Curriculum/Text- it is important that all text, reading material and books be free of notion of gender inequality as bias is embedded in textbooks, lessons and teachers interactions with students. Gender roles, expectations reflected by written text and pictures should be gender-sensitive to promote the concept of gender equality.

2. Educational System- Educational system needs to be gender-sensitive and gender-friendly for girls and boys. Moreover the leadership also needs to be granted using a gender lens.

3. Guidelines by Gender Experts- There’s a need for the development of criteria of meeting gender sensitive guidelines.

4. Role of Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations- Governmental and non-governmental organizations can play a pivotal role in promoting gender equality.

5. Use of Sensitive Vocabulary- Gender Neutral language needs to be promoted at all levels and throughout the institutions for students, staff, and faculty management levels.

6. Educational Policies- All policies, programs, and interventions need to be gender-sensitive.

7. Teacher Training Programs- Gender sensitivity training needs to be mandatory for all teacher training programs, certificate and academic courses. Male teachers most especially must be exposed to gender sensitivity trainings.

8. Extra fringe benefits- Benefits must be offerd in rural areas to promote girl education e.g. scholarships, food packs etc.

9. School-Parents Partnership- both needs to be strengthened to identify and address gender issues in homes and in educational institutions.

10. Gender trainings/ Sensitization sessions- Gender trainings must be provided for parents, teachers, staff, administrators, and local officials.

11. Monitoring- Gender sensitivity progress must be constantly reviewed by gender experts and steps should be taken to sustain the same.

12. Gender Sensitivity Counseling- Gender sensitivity counseling must be made available for students staff, teachers, and parents.

13. Allocation of Bydget- Educational authorities and schools must be provided with a suitable budget to promote and sustain the gender sensitive agenda.

14. Commitment from Senior Leadership/Government- Gender fair practices are effective when top leadership supports gender equity and equality measures and also effectively communicates the organizations commitment to gender equality.

15. Gender Sensitive Organizational Culture- Organizational change needs to be institutionalized by promoting gender balanced staff, gender sensitive governance structure; equal valuing of women and men’s working style etc.

16. Gender Audit- Gender audit institutions should be carried out by gender experts to review curriculum, policies, programs, interventions, etc.

17. Creation of a Gender Responsive School- A gender responsive one where the academic, social and physical environment and its surrounding community.

18. Institutionalization of Special Committees/ Groups in Academic Settings- in order to promote gender-friendly and safe environment for children it is important to institutionalize special committees such as:

a. Committee for preparing and implementing Code of Ethics at workplace,

b. Gender interest committeec. Sexual harassment committeed. Child Abuse committee

19. Gender Mainstreaming- In order to address gender concerns holistically it is essential to mainstream gender in all institutions of society.

20. Role of Media- Media constantly reinforces the traditional stereotypes of women and men and thus needs to address and promote gender equality by using a gender less sensitively.

GENDER MAINSTREAMING

It is formulating a set of procedures, techniques, and strategies so that gender issues can be recognized on a sustained basis. For teachers, gender mainstreaming is integration girls’ and boys’ concerns and experiences into the design implementation, monitoring and evaluation of school policies, programs and project, economic, and social agenda.

-( a handbook on Gender and Development Training, Book 1, 2003)

Institutions should adopt gender mainstreaming so that gender sensitivity will prevail. this can only be made possible if the following are practiced:

1. Train teachers in gender equality education to have it actualized more effectively at school sites.

2. Gender Analysis should be conducted through the curriculum materials, teachers and learning processes, school structures and culture.

3. School-parent partnership on gender issues should be strengthened by making the parents, teachers, administrators and local officials aware of their legal obligations and children’s rights.

4. Gender Sensitivity training needs to be mandatory for all teacher training programs, certificate and academic courses. All teachers should be gender sensitized and must be exposed to gender sensitivity trainings.

5 . The key officials of both the DepEd and the CHED from the top children down to the lowest level of school managers should undergo a series of gender sensitivity training sessions on the form of special training program on gender sensitivity, zonal on gender and development training program, and trainers’ training on gender sensitivity among others.6. The Authors, publishers, Board on Textbooks and other concerned agencies stereotyping and continue to review existing textbooks and teacher manuals in the elementary and secondary levels for sex biases and stereotyping.

7. Concerned school officials should review policies for possible discrimination clauses on student admission requirements, recruitment and selection, promotions, access to training and scholarships and other human resource development activities to ensure a gender- fair school community.

ROLES TEACHERS SHOULD PLAY TO ADDRESS GENDER

SENSITIVITY

1. Teachers should understand gender roles and expectations to help them analyze their own differential behaviors towards boys and girls.

2. Teachers should attend gender trainings so that they can facilitate the change to be brought about in the curriculum materials such as syllabus, modules instructional aides and others.

3. Teachers should cooperate with government and non- government organizations to meet the challenges and promoting gender equality.

4. Teachers should strive to work hand in hand with social administrators so that gender sensitive organizational culture will be institutionalized by promoting gender balanced staff gender sensitive governance structure, equal valuing of women and men’s working styles, etc.

5. Teachers should be active and decisive in promoting a gender responsive school where the academic social and physical environment and its surrounding community take into account the specific needs of both boys and girls

6. Teachers should conduct researches on gender sensitivity issues to properly address inequalities and discrimination between men and women.

7. Teachers should find appropriate time during assemblies, conferences, meetings and the like to raise gender issues and concerns.

8. Teachers should initiate information dissemination campaign in gender-fair education and include in school papers articles which discuss about gender sensitivity issues to raise the level of awareness or consciousness and generate greater support in addressing gender-specific issues.

LASTLY!

9. Above all, teachers should treat every boy and girl equally in all aspects and be strong proponent of democracy which caters to equality.