[Assam] [ungei] eDiscussion #1: Early Gender Socialization, 27 October 2006

Fri Oct 27 15:57:15 PDT 2006

I would say that it is the girls who need more of acclimatization (to the "big bad world outside") and empowerment. Their roles need to be redefined. The girls are the ones who are not allowed to be financially independent and are not trained for the same. So change their education. Make them more skilled in outdoor/business oriented and soci-political work.

   The boys are already being given such skills thus their curriculum should be tampered with  much except for sensitizing them to the changing gender roles and the need thereof.

  Umesh

  Ed.M. Harvard '05

UNGEI - The United Nations Girls' Education Initiative <ungei at lists.unicef.org> wrote:
    Thank you very much for your excellent inputs that are listed below. It seems we have a challenge to describe what would be the general characteristics of positive gender roles for boys and girls. It is not easy to conceptualize a "new " set of gender roles that would lead to equality and equity between boys and girls.
  Could we go back to our traditional/cultural child rearing practices and reflect how they wanted to shape us as boys and girls? How much do we want to change from these ideals? What do we want to change really?
  Can we also elaborate culturally bound gender role expectation by examining our quotes, proverbs, mottos or aphorisms that describe how boys and girls should be brought up and/or disciplined? What do they tell us? And finally can we reflect on what would be the most appropriate child rearing practices that can facilitate positive gender socialization processes starting right from the beginning of life?
  Your inputs and reflections are important starting points for the UNGEI Meeting scheduled a day before the High Level EFA Meeting in November, which will focus on the EFA Goal Number 1: Early Childhood Care and Education.
  Nurper Ulkuer, Ph.D.
Program Officer
ECD (Early Childhood Development) Unit/Program Division
UNICEF New York
Moderator of this eDiscussion

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    Although I come late in this discussion I believe this is indeed a very insightful approach. It is not only that we affix specific gender roles from birth and that we expect each of the gender roles to present discrete and pure models we also create a hierarchy of masculine and feminine traits regardless of who they are attributed to. In other words being tough (a masculine trait) usually, is ranked as a more elevated trait than being considerate in the global value system of today. Thus whether men or women are defined as being firm or tough it is viewed as positive where as being loving, sensitive or considerate is viewed as weak and of course more so for men. The same is true of the dichotomy between being rational and intuitive.
  The assumption seems always to be that these are mutually exclusive traits. Although we do know for fact that both men and women have a mixture of both and that in fact the most creative human beings as research indicates are those that are best able to combine femininity and masculinity in equal manifestations.
  Malak Zaalouk (Ph.D)
Education Adviser
UNICEF, Regional Office
Middle East and North Africa

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    Gender Socialization is the idea of this era. It appears as an idea to empower the genders with same oppurtunities. It also appears to reduce distinction between genders through similar clothing, toys etc. The idea seems as a revolutionary one, but their are strong apprehensions against it. The competition among genders has not been accomplished even in politics, sports, etc., both have their own teams which play against the same gender. Moreover, toys, interests, likes & dislikes of both genders have never been the same. So, in practical, gender socialization will bind the personalities of children & they may be able to excel the way they are now. However, very wisely understanding the Natural Gender Realities & Limitations; Gender Socialization must be promoted for the Better Gender Understanding -- Thus to fulfill our common dream of Making the World a Better Place.
  Khush Naseeb Gill
Administrator, Manchester Public School ( MPS )
Faisalabad, Pakistan

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    Hi to everybody taking part in this discussion.
  Here we look at this issue of positive gender socialization as some thing that has been influenced by tradition and religious belief from old which is affecting this present generation. Why we agree on this?
  Back in the days of old the roles of women were only to cook and do other things for her husband and children. Their roles, if it is in the rural area, is to cook for the husband sent the food on the farm and he will eat and other things. But now if we are to define the roles of a female and males clearly, then let us look at their responsibilities which will lead to positive gender equality. In the days of old, boys were empowered because our great grandparents belief that women were only there to make children for the men while men are there to labour and feed the home. But now looking at the world now we want to disagree to this and define the various roles of the opposite sex.
  In positive gender roles a boy child is born with a nature strength from god is true though but the world we are now living is not world to fight war anymore, is a world of improvement we are not talking about strength here. We are talking about how to sustain a family to make the world a better place for living. Here we want to recommend that in other to have a positive gender socialization the children should be empower. Let it be the full responsibility of the parents, government or any local NGOs to educate both male and female.
  With this happening we will not have corruption in any country because the responsibilities will be share in the home either the mother work for the children fees and the father is there to build houses or do anything better for the family.
  This tradition and belief of old has led to this negative gender socialization where girl child is only looked at as the house maid.<./p>   Edward Nuarpah
Center for Child Empowerment
Liberia West Africa

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    Greetings,

I am looking to start schools for girls that would cross all boundaries. I would like to start a 'global village' by simultaneously beginning schools for girls in remote regions of the world along with schools here in the U.S. We would be connected in many ways. Is there an interest in beginning this kind of creative project together?

Mary Ellen Sheehan
Executive Director
Neighbors of the World

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Umesh Sharma
5121 Lackawanna ST
College Park, 
(Washington D.C. Metro Region)
MD 20740 

1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]

Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005

weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/
website: www.gse.harvard.edu/iep

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