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Gendered inequality in education at home and abroad
Gendered inequality in education at home and abroad
Image: Kanchanachitkhamma
It’s interesting how when I reflect on my time in secondary school and compare it to the experiences of others I realise that there are at least a few things that need to change.
For example I attended an all girls secondary school. There were five optional subjects for the Junior Certificate that students could choose two between. The subjects were as follows: business studies, music, home economics, art and technology. The all-boys secondary school on the other side of town offered subjects such as construction studies, engineering, design and communication graphics, biology, physics, chemistry, P.E, art, business studies, accounting, economics, geography and religion.
Whereas in the mixed school in the next town the subjects students could study for the Junior Certificate were Graphics, music, engineering, applied technology, business studies, home economics, art and wood technology. In the mixed school, the subjects for Leaving Certificate are accounting, art, biology, chemistry, physics, music, design and communication graphics, construction, history, home economics, and geography.
This information about the three types of schools just in my local area does not send out some good messages. Are the single sex schools telling us that young girls should only study art, home economics or technology or as a Leaving Certificate student one or more of the three sciences? If you are a boy studying at an all boys secondary school you can only study science subjects or subjects like engineering and construction studies. Who says that boys cannot have excellent careers as chefs, bakers or musicians?
Image: Ron Lach, Pexels
Although nowadays subjects are not labelled specifically as subjects for girls or subjects for boys but between the 1930s and 1970s this was less subtle. For example maths was titled “arithmetic: girls only” and “elementary maths for girls”. Why was it specifically named “girls only”? Was there a difference between this and the maths that boys were taught?
We can take this a step further by looking across the world to countries where education is not accessible for female students unless they are willing to risk their lives to attend school. According to Julia Gillard, over 130 million girls in 2020 did not attend school worldwide.
There are a whole host of reasons why girls do not attend school or do not finish school. Some families are so poor that they cannot afford to send their daughters to school. Others live in areas where it is too dangerous for girls to attend school.
According to UNESCO data on girls’ rights and access to education globally, 2% of the countries in the world limit the education of girls who are pregnant or a mother. Even when they are allowed to attend school they are separated from their classmates. These girls are made to feel less than their peers and it makes socialising and enjoying school life difficult. Interestingly the places where education is not mandatory or free have the highest rates of marriage for children.
UNESCO has created an online platform called Her Atlas for people to learn about girls’ right to education and if and where that right has been met across the world. Her Atlas is frequently updated and it features countries such as Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Hungary and Iceland to name but a few. Users can also discover which of the featured countries have signed up to the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education. Last year UNESCO published a report titled Protect her rights, strengthen your laws: Her Atlas: status report on girls’ and women’s right to education. They included their research about girls’ education in every country across the world, the barriers and discrimination they face.
There is gendered inequality both here in Ireland and abroad. We can look deeper into our own towns or villages and find situations of discrimination between girls and boys.
This is naturally very disheartening for women and young girls across the world. In Ireland it can be disheartening and discouraging for young female students when deciding on what subjects to study or what careers to pursue. In Ireland more of a range of subjects should be offered in single sex schools. Education is needed to increase awareness, understanding and respect that girls and boys have the right to equal education.
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