Lebanon will now teach students about "Gender Perspective" to abolish dangerous stereotypes

Lebanon is making further strides in the education system. This time, they are tackling the out-of-date gender roles which can be harmful and even potentially dangerous.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Education and its Center for Educational Research and Development (CRDP) have officially signed a partnership agreement with the Lebanese NGO ABAAD – Resource Centre for Gender Equality in order to incorporate gender perspective studies into the public-school curriculum.

Program manager at ABAAD Raghida Ghamloush, told The Media Line that textbooks currently used in Lebanese public schools are helping to reinforce gender inequality in children from a young age.

“Many textbooks substantiate a stereotypical image of both men and women and their relevant social roles,” she said.

Executive director of the Lebanon-based Arab Institute for Women (AIW), Lina Abirafeh, also added “Lebanon tends to not fare well on global indices measuring gender issues, and this also adds political pressure.”

The stereotypical gender roles of what both men and women are “supposed” to fulfil are prevalent not only in the country but across the Arab world. Hopefully, the rest of the world can lead by Lebanon’s example.

According to the December 2018 Global Gender Gap Report of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Lebanon ranks 140 out of the 149 countries listed. Saudi Arabia ranked at 141, Iran ranked at 142, Syria ranked at 146, Iraq ranked at 147 and Yemen ranked at 149 and are the only other countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region that are ranked lower. The Global Gender Gap Report surveys 149 countries on their progression towards gender parity across four criteria: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. To put it lightly, we need to do much better.