A debate on gender inequalities in education in Latin America and the Caribbean was conducted by the Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (OREALC/UNESCO Santiago) during the event “Promoting gender equity and equality in Education 2030”, which was held in Santiago, Chile, on April 5^th, 2016.

The event was opened by the Undersecretary of Early Childhood Education from Chile, María Isabel Pérez, the Minister of Education and Culture from Paraguay, Marta Lafuente, and the senior education specialist from OREALC/UNESCO Santiago, Cecilia Barbieri. Approximately 150 participants attended the event, including gender specialists from the region, academics, representatives from civil society, and teachers and school principals.

In her initial remarks Cecilia Barbieri highlighted that Latin America and the Caribbean face very specific challenges concerning gender. “We know that there has been a great progress over the last 15 years, and that this is due to the political commitment of authorities, civil society, and various organizations. Still, our challenges remain immense. Inequality at multiple levels continues to be one of the region’s biggest challenges”, she pointed out.

According to Barbieri, gender must be considered as a priority topic in planning for education, starting with the infrastructure and continuing to the development of material and pedagogical processes, because the full and equitable participation of female students is fundamental in ensuring a sustainable future.

“UNESCO continues and will continue working with all Member States by contributing knowledge, information, collecting data and disseminating successful experiences so that the pathway to development of each individual has no barriers, regardless of gender, social, economic, sexual, or ethnic background. All people matter, and all people matter to us. As long as equality is not yet a reality, we still have a debt to settle with the people. UNESCO has taken on this commitment with you”, Barbieri emphasized.

As such, the Minister of Education and Culture from Paraguay, Marta Lafuente, referred to the world agreement reached around the new 2030 Agenda, and indicated that education is one of the central goals for achieving sustainable development. “If, as world leaders, civil society, governments, and organizations, we do not see education as a central goal, we are denying that there is life on Earth.  Education is a collective and public good and the right to education enhances the enjoyment of other rights. Gender equality is part of this effort, and we must review what we are doing”, she reiterated. 

The Undersecretary of Early Childhood Education from the Ministry of Education in Chile indicated that in this country, “even though a gender approach has been integrated into curricula and study programs for a few years now, it is important to uncover pedagogical practices that deepen and replicate gender biases, even more so considering the fact that education is a largely ‘femizined’ sector, and to foster a pedagogical paradigm based on dignifying boys and girls as such, without differences that may become social inequalities”.

Atilio Pizarro, Section Chief for Planning, Management, Monitoring and Evaluation from OREALC/UNESCO Santiago presented the report Gender and Education For All 2000-2015: Achievements and Challenges, which was prepared by the GEM Report team. The document highlights progress made in terms of gender equality in education, and it underlines the remaining obstacles to progressing towards greater equality in this area.

Furthermore, the thematic report Gender inequality in learning achievements in primary education. What can the TERCE tell us?, coordinated by OREALC/UNESCO Santiago, was launched by the main researchers, Denisse Gelber and Ernesto Treviño, who utilized data from the Third Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study (TERCE). The report takes a deeper look at the gender gap in learning achievements in the region and analyzes significant educational inequalities by gender and subject area. The text specifies that male students have a significant advantage in mathematics and that female students demonstrate a similar advantage in reading and writing. 

Moreover, the report indicates that low competency levels in reading among male students can increase the probability of grade repetition and early drop out of school, thereby decreasing the participation of males in tertiary education and corresponding professions. Likewise, low performance in mathematics and science among female students can reduce interest in careers in fields such as computing, engineering and sciences, which offer greater opportunities for earning a higher income.

The report provides a number of recommendations, among others, that it is essential to review the content of the curriculum and educational materials, in a way that males and females are both portrayed in activities of different natures, such as performing scientific activities, caring for small children, and doing household chores, among other everyday situations.

The event closed with a round table to take a deeper look at the remaining gender equality challenges in the region. Panelists were María Inés Salamanca, representative of UN Women in Chile, Carlos Eugenio Beca, from the technical secretariat of the Regional Teacher Strategy of OREALC/UNESCO Santiago, Gloria Calvo from the National Pedagogical University of Colombia and the Minister of Education of Paraguay,

Further information:

• Report Gender and Education For All 2000-2015: Achievements and Challenges
  Prepared by the GEM Report team

• Thematic Report from OREALC/UNESCO Santiago:
  Gender inequality in learning achievement in primary education. What can TERCE tell us? Full report (PDF, 793 kb)

Documents from the event

• Presentation by Atilio Pizarro

• Gender inequality in learning achievement in primary education
  Presentation by Ernesto Treviño, Denisse Gelber & Pamela Inostroza
  Versión en español
• Presentation by Carlos Eugenio Beca (in Spanish)
  UNESCO Regional Strategy on Teachers
• Words from Gloria Calvo
• National Pedagogical University of Colombia

Photo gallery (Flickr)