The Second International Conference on Gender Equity Education

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The Second International Conference on Gender
Equity Education
Educating Girls and Boys What Research Tell
UsPresenter Susan McGee Bailey, Ph.D.
June 22, 2006Hong Kong
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• The following slides highlight some key points
  in the presentation.

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• The topic of gender equitable education is one
  that for far too long has been relegated to a
  side issue, something that feminists worry
  about, but that the majority of mainstream
  educators do not consider a high priority.

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Purpose Draw attention to ways in which girls
were not receiving the same kinds of classroom
experiences as boys. Address the ways both
girls AND boys can benefit by looking carefully
at how girls are faring in school.

• How Schools Shortchange Girls

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Serious attention is needed to the ways in which
gender matters in the education of girlsand of
boys.
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• A zero sum game version of education where if
  one sex wins, the other loses, helps no one and
  hurts everyone.

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• What about Boy Brains
• and
• Girl Brains?

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• There is no conclusive proof of a correlation
  between the physical differences in mens and
  womens brains and differences in their
  intellectual ability.

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• Males and females are similar on most, but not
  all psychological variables.

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• Gender differences and similarities vary
  substantially in magnitude at different ages and
  depend on the context in which the measurement
  occurs.

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• The magnitude of gender differences can
  fluctuate and this fluctuation argues against the
  idea that gender differences are large and stable.

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• We cannot assume that differences in school
  performance among girls and boys are the result
  of innate or immutable differences between the
  sexes.

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• The differential expectations held for women and
  men place girls at particular disadvantages.

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• Men and boys are damaged by gender stereotypes
  as well, but this damage is less visible.

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• Examples of attitudes and behaviors that create
  obstacles to the education of girls

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• Education is viewed as more important for boys
• Girls are expected to help out at home more than
  boys
• Girls are more vulnerable to violence in school
  and on the way to and from school
• Where HIV is wide spread, parents increasingly
  count on their daughters help to care for the
  sick

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• Equal access is necessary, but not sufficient in
  terms of achieving gender equity in education.

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• Schools confront the dilemma of being both
  reflections of society and change agents in
  society.

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• Both girls and boys need and deserve an
  education that is free from traditional gender
  stereotypes, an education that enables them to
  choose freely from a wide range of options.

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21st century girls and boys must grow up valuing
and learning not only from mens accomplishments
but also from womens.
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• Gender equitable education is as much about
  citizenship as it is about the economy or the
  full development of individual potential.

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• Until and unless women and men see women as
  capable of contributing fully and equally to the
  governing of organizations and governments, women
  will remain second class citizens.

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• For generations, women have served as peace
  educators, both in their families and in their
  societies. They have proved instrumental in
  building bridges rather than walls.
• Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General

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• Sexual harassment and teasing and bullying of
  girlsand of boys who do not fulfill the
  traditional expectations of real boys,
  instructs both girls and boys about who has power
  and control.

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• I look forward to sharing insights, learning
  from each of you and strengthening progress
  toward more gender equitable educational
  environments for all our children.
• Thank you.