GENDER CONCEPT & ROLES FOR DEVELOPMENT

The paper examines the concept of gender and sex, the difference between gender and sex & explain the terms gender dynamics. Gender is a social construct that impacts attitudes, roles, responsibilities and behavior patterns of boys and girls, men and women in all societies. Increasing attention has been given to the importance of achieving gender equality in education. To date, however, most efforts have focused on addressing gender parity - an equal number or proportion of girls and boys accessing educational opportunities. Although simple gender parity may be easier to measure, gender equality encompasses a wider concept, of which gender parity is only a part. Gender equality moves beyond access and requires that girls and boys also experience the same levels of quality and outcomes of education. One of the key impediments to achieving gender equality in education is that it cannot be addressed in a vacuum; rather, educational institutions are products of the inequalities that exist in larger society.