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What do you believe are the long-term and broader impacts of gender discrepancies in education?
How far does its influence project?
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Growing up, I've been made to believe that being a leader, working in STEM etc is up to men. Everything I had, from the toys we played with to the clothes we wear, was gendered (it has changed now of course). It has made me quite risk-averse and not willing to try more challenging careers because it's perceived to be not safe for women.
For example, my parents always discouraged me to pursue careers like builder or military because I'm not strong enough or 'manly' enough to work with the other workers who were mostly men.
At the moment, women are still discouraged to pursue these careers because it can be unsafe being surrounded by men. Even though these careers may play to my strengths, I don't think I can pursue them at the moment due to personal safety.
The gender discrepancies in education can have oppressive tendencies, most especially to genders that are considered 'inferior', thus totally decreasing their chances of getting quality education.
Students who are part of the LGBTQI++, for instance, face discimination and social inequality within the learning environments. This, in turn, can have negative effects with how they might approach and pursue their education. Women, on the other hand, especially those that belong to conservative, patriarchal societies, may also face challenges most especially when their male counterpart disregards their potential in pursuing for their education.
Hereon I say that education is not and should never be just a privilege, but rather it is a basic human right that everyone should uphold. With this, educators from all levels should strive to attain a learning environment that' s not only conducive, but is equal, accessable, and non-discriminatory.
I believe that gender discrepancies in education ultimately impact where people stand later in life. According to UNESCO statistics, young women in the rural regions of the Asian Pacific are likely to face higher barriers to education than their male counterparts. This means they are missing out on key subjects such as literacy, health, financial literacy and other subjects like science, art, etc.
With these discrepancies in place, young women cannot gain independence, especially in a financial sense. They may have to rely on their family or husbands to handle their finances and the health of young women can be put at risk as well if they do not understand what is happening to their bodies. They will also miss out on opportunities to work in high-paying roles if their educational background is limited.
While there is a fair amount of effort in place to bring more women into education, there is still a long way to go.
(https://bangkok.unesco.org/content/gender-equality-asia-pacific-education-international-women%E2%80%99s-day-2018-statistics-snapshothttps://bangkok.unesco.org/content/gender-equality-asia-pacific-education-international-women%E2%80%99s-day-2018-statistics-snapshot)