Latent Gender Discrimination in a Pakistani Text Book

Lesson No. 20 is called “Doctor’s advice”. The purpose of the article is show the virtue of cleanliness. However, the article is based on the notions of gender prevalent in society because it tells the story of a girl Hina who wanted to eat fruit chat but her brother did not let her because it was not clean. Later on she asked her brother to get her golgappy but he refused again. However, she proceeded to have them anyways and subsequently she got sick. First of all, it shows the subjugation of the female gender by the male gender. There is no mention of the respective ages of the children hence age cannot be a viable criteria to maintain authority.

The only criterion evident therefore is gender and the lesson shows that the male gender is more powerful than the female gender as the brother has more authority. Additionally, the brother is also more rational of the two as he forbids her sister to eat unhygienic stuff. The girl is projected as being unintelligent as she really did get sick after eating the golgappay. There is an idea of inequality of the sexes in this article, however, another interesting take on this is found in the article Feminism, Philosophy and Education, which states,

“WE concur that a just society is one in which we all contribute( or could contribute) and benefit. Influenced by Arendt, we use ideas of coconstruction, of the in-between….Freedom is to be found in action with others. It is not simply the negative freedom of interference from others, nor again is it simply the freedom to make individual choices (Arendt, [1961], 1993, p. 151). There is an equality of recognition of the presence of the other as who as well as what she is.”

(Maxine Greene and Morwenna Griffiths, Feminism, Philosophy and Education: Imagining Public Spheres, pg. 83)

The last two lessons show no signs of gender discrimination. In conclusion, we can see that gender roles are substantiated by these textbooks. Even though they do not promote active discrimination, just the fact that the preexisting gender roles are not challenged and the minds of a new generation are not opened up to possibilities means that the notions about gender existing in society will continue to exist and perpetuate themselves. Although I have only managed to analyze one textbook, this seems to be the general trend in the curriculum set forth by the education boards of Pakistan. This point was also made by Dr Rubina Saigol in her interview to the daily times. The need of the hour is a complete revision of the education curriculum to develop new ideas to truly inculcate new ideas into the minds of the next generation so that they can take those ideas forward and form a new society rather than simply indoctrinating existing ideas prevalent in society. The society in the world is transforming and there are continual efforts to reduce discrimination based on natural variables, Pakistan should also follow the world example and reform their education system. Both at the elementary and the secondary levels discrimination based on natural differences should by systematically taken out of the curriculum so that the students do not subconsciously internalize these ideas and hence follow in the steps of the past generations. Discrimination has a tendency of growing stronger and living in a highly patriarchal society like Pakistan with religious overtones, it is incumbent on the government of Pakistan to teach tolerance to the new generation rather than discrimination.

The society as a whole can benefit by this reform. Conclusively we can see that there is gender discrimination in the educational curriculum of Pakistan and there is a need to transform the curriculum to do away with gender discrimination so that these notions of gender are not internalized and consequently perpetuated by the next generations.