Education plays a key role in shaping a person’s worldview, values, and life choices. It is at school that children get their first ideas about who they can become in the future, what professions are “suitable” for them, and what role they should play in society. However, along with knowledge, the educational environment sometimes reproduces established social ideas about “female” and “male” roles. This is how gender stereotypes are formed, which can affect children’s educational and professional opportunities.
Gender stereotypes are simplified representations of the qualities, abilities, and roles of women and men, girls and boys. In education, they can manifest themselves in many forms, from the content of educational materials to adults’ expectations of children’s behavior or performance.
How gender stereotypes manifest themselves in education
One of the common manifestations of gender stereotypes is the division of educational interests and future professions according to the principle of "for girls" and "for boys". Girls are more often encouraged to pursue humanities, creative pursuits, or professions related to care and communication. In contrast, boys are more often supported in choosing technical, engineering, or natural science fields.
Such attitudes can be formed in elementary school through:
- examples in textbooks and educational materials;
- adults' statements about children's abilities;
- expectations of girls' and boys' behavior;
- extracurricular activities in which children are invited to participate.
For example, girls may be praised more often for being diligent and neat, while boys may be praised more often for being smart or a leader. Such differences in approaches shape children’s perceptions of their own abilities.
The impact of educational materials The content of textbooks and educational materials also plays an important role in shaping perceptions of gender roles. In many educational examples, men are portrayed as scientists, leaders, soldiers, or inventors, while women are portrayed as teachers, nurses, or stay-at-home mothers.
When children constantly see such examples, they may perceive them as the norm and transfer these perceptions to their own future.
As a result, girls may be less likely to consider careers in science, technology, or management, even if they have the appropriate abilities.
Adult expectations and their influence
Teachers and parents can often unconsciously reproduce gender stereotypes in their interactions with children.
For example, the expectation that boys are better at math or technical tasks, and girls are better at languages or creative subjects.
These attitudes can affect children's self-confidence. Research shows that even subtle cues from adults can shape their sense of whether or not this field is right for them.
In the long term, this may influence the choice of study profile, university, and future profession.
Implications for equality of opportunity
Gender stereotypes in education have wider social consequences. They can lead to unequal representation of women and men in various professional fields. For example, women are often underrepresented in fields related to technology, engineering or security, while men are less likely to work in education, social work or care.
This distinction limits the opportunities for both women and men to realize their abilities regardless of gender expectations.
In addition, gender stereotypes can influence economic inequality.
Fields where more women work often pay less, which partly contributes to the gender pay gap.
How to create a more equal educational environment
Overcoming gender stereotypes in education is an important step towards creating a society of equal opportunities.
This involves a comprehensive approach that includes:
- reviewing and updating training materials for a more balanced representation of women and men in different professions;
- raising awareness among teachers about the impact of stereotypes on the educational process; supporting children in choosing educational interests without gender-related restrictions;
- creating an environment where every child canto develop their abilities regardless of gender expectations.
Why is this important?
Education has the potential not only to transfer knowledge, but also to shape a more just society. When girls and boys receive equal support to develop their abilities, they have more opportunities to realize their potential.
Overcoming gender stereotypes in school is an investment in a future where the choice of profession, career, and life path is determined by a person's interests and talents, not by gender-related expectations.
This article was made possible by the support of the Norwegian people through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway (MFA of Norway) within the framework of the project “Building a Gender-Inclusive Recovery with the Women’s Movement of Ukraine” (GEN-Recovery). Responsibility for the content of the information lies with the NGO “La Strada-Ukraine”. The information presented in this article does not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway or the Government of Norway.
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