Read To Learn

Now let’s look at your school environment and how gender is represented in your teaching and learning materials.  Take about 30 minutes to look through a sample of textbooks, library books and other teaching and learning materials to find some photos of girls/women and boys/men.  While you are reviewing the materials and books, try to notice the following:

1. Overall, are there more pictures (photos, drawings, sketches, cartoons) of males or females? Or are both genders represented equally?
2. What are the boys/men and the girls/women doing in the pictures? Are they doing the same things together, or different things and separately?
3. What have you learned from looking at how the genders are represented in teaching and learning materials? 

UNESCO has created a useful checklist that you can use to make sure you are being gender-responsive when planning your lesson resources and activities:

• Are the materials used by the teacher or students free from gender stereotypes?
• Do the materials show females and males an equal amount of times?
• Do the materials show females and males with equal respect, and potential (when talking about jobs, or the future, for example)?
• Does the curriculum reflect the needs and life experiences of both males and females?
• Does the curriculum promote peace and equality for males and females, regardless, of their race, class, disability, religion, sexual preference, or ethnic background?