1.3 Gender inequality and childhood
Structural gender inequality affects even our youngest citizens and is played out daily, for example in the toys, clothes and expectations given to babies.
Read this excerpt from Sciencegrrl (The case for a gender lens in STEM) [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] and think about the content in relation to your classroom environment.
Our society isn’t neutral, it is highly gendered. The reason these hurdles are invisible is that they are so deeply embedded. We must look through both eyes to detect the unconscious biases that permeate our society, homes, classrooms and workplaces before we can start to dismantle them. Empowering individuals with real choice and freeing ourselves from social stereotyping and cultural expectations is better for girls and women, but also for boys and men.
Young women receive messages about themselves and the opportunities available to them from wider society, family and friends, the classroom and the workplace. The balance of these messages is crucial. The ‘girls’ toys’ that value physical perfection over adventure or intelligence, and the objectification of women in the media are just two examples of how the roles and capabilities of women are diminished in wider society. We are all exposed to these messages. Casual reliance on such stereotypes leads to unconscious bias in all areas of girls’ lives. If this is left unchallenged, girls and young women find their cultural straightjackets tightened and they are less likely to say ‘YES’ to STEM. Stereotypes and unconscious bias undermine real choice. We must start to take them seriously.
…the need to challenge pervasive unconscious biases and stereotypes is largely only ever given lip service – if that. Undermining cultural messages and social norms represent invisible roadblocks to the success of girls and women. Such barriers are invisible precisely because they are so deeply embedded. Today, girls and women are told they can be whatever they want. They are hearing the words (Ofsted 2011) but how can we expect them to heed the message when we still talk about a ‘working mum’ but not a ‘working dad’? When women are narrowly represented in the media and the toys children are given are gendered so that girls toys are more likely to reinforce domestic duties and physical perfection, whilst the boys get action roles and adventure challenges?
In your Learning Log write down your first reactions to this article. Does it chime with your experience? Are there aspects of gender inequality that it excludes? How does it relate to the experience of young women in the education system? Leave your answers for a while and then come back and think again about what you’ve read. What barriers or roadblocks can you think of in relation to gender equality in STEM?
Your learning log is personal and confidential, however you may wish to make a note of questions about Science Grrl’s post that you would like to share and discuss with colleagues in your study group.
So what can we do about it?
As we’ve seen gender impacts every single area of our lives even from an early age, but much of this remains accepted or hidden in our society. In order to begin to address inequality we need to learn to see and identify it.
Applying a Gender Lens
Against this background of persistent gender inequality, Science Grrl argues that:
Despite being in an age of challenging gender roles, we still live with the echoes and reality of a patriarchal culture. Recognition of patriarchy (a social order in which men are the primary holders of power and decision making) is not an accusatory statement. It is necessary to look at long-held systems through a gender lens to make real progress towards real equality.
(Science Grrl, The case for a gender lens in STEM)
The UN recognizes the importance of developing and applying a ‘gender lens’:
‘Think of the gender lens as putting on spectacles. Out of one lens you see the participation, needs and realities of women. Out of the other you see the participation, needs and realities of men. Your sight or vision is the combination of what both eye sees.’ – UNESCO (2006)
Using a gender lens enables us to identify where genders are treated differently and to address gender inequality. We have to remind ourselves and train our minds to recognise the different ways girls and boys experience our classrooms and schools and the differences in interactions that take place. Noticing these differences and how different treatment and experiences lead to different outcomes is a crucial first step towards putting in place initiatives or changes that will lead to gender equality.
One of the first steps in applying a gender lens is understanding gender stereotypes.
1.2 Structural gender inequality