Students, professionals and academics reflect on the role of education in gender equality

Members of the different levels of the Faculty of Education of the Catholic University shared their reflections within the framework of International Women's Day.

How can education contribute to gender equity in Chile? Eight women from the community reflected on the matter and responded to this question, contributing with different perspectives on the challenge of reducing the gaps between men and women in Chile. The campaign was framed in International Women's Day and was carried out through the social networks of the Faculty of Education UC.

Gender perspective in preschool education

If there is something that all the participants in the exercise agreed on, it is that the preschool stage is crucial in the development of people. According to the academic of the unit, Maria Ines Susperreguy, “education can favor equitable learning opportunities for all boys and girls, from the initial cycle. This is central for them to develop math skills, for example, which are crucial for future school and job performance.”

For this reason, "it is important that, starting from initial education, our boys and girls know the meaning of gender equality," he reflected. Paola Vasquez, coordinator of the Quality Management System in the UC Center for Educational Transformation, CENTER. for the professional It is important that boys and girls “learn from an early age to respect and share with their peers, without prejudice or stigma, and to understand that we all have the same rights, opportunities and forms of treatment regardless of gender. In this way we will train people who will transfer respect for gender equality to both old and future generations”.

similar opinion has Lia Oyarzun, student of Pedagogy in Early Childhood Education and president of the student center of the race, who pointed out that the preschool stage is key to avoiding the reproduction of gender gaps: “As a future early childhood teacher, I think it is very important to recognize the important work we have in building a society with gender equality. From childhood, the foundations of a patriarchal society begin to be built, which are arbitrarily imposed on infants, and that is why we must work from a critical and equitable education, which questions the patterns imposed by society.

Along the same lines, the student of pedagogy and territorial adviser of Education UC, Sofia Amar, explained that "within the classroom is the society of the future, and it is necessary to educate them in respect for others, understanding the responsibility we have as teachers."

intersectional education

La intersectionality It allows recognizing the differences and inequalities linked to different contexts, such as social, ethnic and gender. For the academic of the Faculty of Education UC, Veronica Garcia Lazo, "education strengthens gender equality in the country by recognizing that the circumstances of women and people of diverse genders are different, and by promoting an inclusive, safe and respectful environment that allows the development of the potential of all people."

In this sense, the academic and general editor of the Educational Thought Magazine, Ana Luisa Munoz, explained that training in gender issues is essential to be able to recognize where these normalities and differences occur: “Training in an anti-sexist education with an intersectional perspective helps us understand how gender inequalities and violence operate in our families, educational institutions and society”.

check all the reflections of members of the UC Education community.