Gender Equity in Education Essay examples

In today’s society, we have engineered inventions to know one’s dreams, self-driving cars, etc., but we have not understood the basic principles of human equality. Equality has been fought for throughout all of history, but still, millions are fighting for it still. Gender equality is the equal treatment of people without regard to their gender. All genders are subject to this unfair inequality, however, it seems women are the main victim. Inequality can occur in the workforce, everyday decision making, etc. There is no exact cause of it, and it is very hard to change a person’s bias. Though it is very unfortunate, there are numerous groups today working today to enlighten those who still have these absurd beliefs.

Parents usually encourage these ideas without even realizing it. For example, girls are praised for playing with dolls but boys are often ignored for displaying nurturing behavior. Likewise, boys get attention for being good at sports while girls don’t often receive encouragement for being active. As Bruning points out in his article “Separating the Sexes in Toyland”, these kinds of stereotypes are destructive because they limit our potential (22). It is not difficult to notice that in general little boys are more spatially and mathematically inclined and little girls are more verbal (Arbetter 16). However, a study done in 1992 called “How Schools Shortchange Girls” found that young boys who play with dolls develop better motor skills and girls who play with blocks develop better math and science skills (Zhumkhawala, 48)

Parents direct their child interest into certain behaviour according to their gender, for example when boys are younger they are encouraged to play football and be aggressive and they are discouraged from crying. And girls are encouraged to play with dolls and to look after their appearance. Feminists believe this is how an individual's social identity is shaped by gender.

As a child grows, the gender roles and modeling they see can affect everything. Even our toys as children try to enforce gender stereotypes. For example, Toys that reinforce gender stereotypes include barbies, baby dolls, kitchen sets, and makeup for girls, toy

Children before they are even born are put into two categories, male or female. If they are male they are automatically chosen to wear “boy” colors such as blue, whereas a female is chosen to wear “girl” colors such as pink. Boys should like cars, trucks, and planes, and girls should like sparkles, princesses and butterflies. Without even realizing it, parents gender stereotype their child. Boys are raised to be fathers and become doctors or

At a very young age children are labeled on what it means to be a male and female based on their gender. This labeling is taught, but also it is something we as humans pick up on. Most of the time infants start to categorize gender by three months and are fully developed by one and half to two years old, and labeling by eighteen to twenty months (Hunt, 2016). At about two to three years old they start to develop the knowledge of roles of men and women hypothetically and start to stereotype men and women (Hunt, 2016). With the influences such as kid’s toys and TV shows it further reinforces what women and men should do. They develop an ignorance towards gender, and by playing with and watching gendered things they are learning a misinterpretation

As things stand now, females, a group constituting approximately half of our nation, are unable to achieve such ends because the educational system puts them at a disadvantage by marginalizing them and placing their needs in learning below those of males. Granted, this is not the case in every school. Many females grow to become very successful individuals and receive the luxury of having teachers who care about their education, who see all in the classroom as equally important to the learning process. However, in a growing number of schools, some form of discrimination, no matter how subtle, exists. If we want to grow as a nation, we need to address this problem and allow all to have an equal chance at success. Perhaps women in our society have it much better than in earlier generations. Perhaps they indeed are afforded more opportunities to receive an education, and a whole new world of job opportunities is open to them that had not existed previously. But by allowing such discrimination to continue to exist, in any form, we convey the message that as a society, we still somehow wish to retain some sense of separateness between the capabilities of the two genders.

From the research I have read while there is a disagreement on when and how much of a gender gap exists in math and science, there is definitely an equity issue that needs addressing. There seems to be an abundance of information about equity issues and as a future teacher I feel that it is important to examine these issues. If gender equity issues exist in today's’ classrooms why do they and what can be done to help correct it.

Whether a person looks at achievement scores, curriculum design, or even the most basic of all, teacher and student interactions, it is clear that gender makes a tremendous difference in the nations public elementary and secondary schools. Our schools have a responsibility to prepare both boys and girls for full and active roles in the family, the community and the work force. Whether we look at these issues from a political, economical or social perspective, it is essential to remembers that girls are one half of our future. As educators, it is critical to move our daughters and sisters from the back of the classroom, to the center and front. We must give them the knowledge and courage to fly. To fly meaning, the self-esteem and encouragement and also the curriculum that does not reinforce the message: A womans place is in the kitchen. We must give our daughters the power to break racial and gender barriers and capability in educating ones self in a

Gender inequality is a topic that has manifested the news in the recent years. Stories of women being sexually harassed, the expanding wage gap, and women fighting for their rights is a topic that has no problem making the news every night. As both gender can experience gender inequality, women often are the oppressed gender in society. As a society, Americans have failed to minimize the amount of inequality that takes place in everyday interactions. How many times as a woman heard, “That is a man’s job. You should not be doing that,” in life decisions or tasks. Americans should combat gender inequality because it hurts both genders. Women lack political and economic power, experience more sexual harassment and workplace discrimination, and are susceptible to gender roles and stereotypes.

“Gender equality is not a women’s issue. It’s a human issue. It affects us all” (Anonymous). It’s an issue that has existed since the earliest of times and continues to be a major problem. Even in works of fiction, it is a major theme. For example, in famous works such as “Their Eyes Were Watching God” female characters must face the hardships that come with gender prejudice. The novel, which was written in 1937, shed light on an issue that no one would dare speak of at the time: gender inequality—and it was written by a black woman who had suffered gender inequality first hand in 20th century America. She hoped to gain support in stopping the prejudice. But unfortunately, gender inequality continues to still be a problem today both in the United States and other countries. Gender inequality has led to unequal pay in the US, untimely and dangerous marriages in Sudan, and unfair trials in third world countries.

To claim nothing will ever change is an understandable statement. There is no denying the current oppression women face on a daily bases. However, if you reflect on the societal progress America has made to create gender equality, there is a glimmer of hope. To begin, throughout the 1900’s, America has passed many laws to decrease the disparity among gender. For example, the right to vote and the civil right act were key legislation for equivalence. It is also notable that it is now a norm for mothers to be a part of the workforce. In fact, today, only about 12 percent of American households consist of a husband who financially supports a wife and children, while the mother stays home (Wade 248). The equal pay act was another major gender equality progression. Although there is still a major gender pay gap, the gap is decreasing. Moreover, in 2017, 18 percent of federal officials are women. This is the highest it has ever been.

Gender differences occur in many aspects of a person’s life whether it is culture, politics, occupation, family and relationships, or the economy (just to name a few). One major difference in gender occurs in learning and education in the elementary and secondary levels. Research has found that males and females learn differently in many aspects of education. First of all, female and male brains are constructed differently affecting the way they learn; this leads to basic differences in learning and also gives an introduction into why the way one learns differs according to gender and how males and females learn subjects and tasks differently. Second, males and females are treated differently, sometimes unconsciously, in educational

Gender equity issues in mathematics and science have been the focus of many educators and researchers for years. Women have often been denied an equal education in math and science for many reasons. Parents and teachers must realize this fact and change their habits wherever necessary. Girls must be given the same opportunity as boys from the beginning, particularly in math and science where girls tend to lag behind.

Gender equity in terms of education is about the socialization of men and women and the results of this process on the life outcomes of the two genders (Husen & Postlethwaite, 1994). In the United States, the education system is required to treat males and females equally. There has been much research done to compare the genders in all areas. In the past, research has found that women fall far behind men in many areas such as math, and science, but men lag behind women in certain areas as well. Over the years, many provisions have been made with the goal of equalizing the treatment of girls and boys in public education. These improvements are proven successful as women, as well as men, are advancing in areas where they tend to lag