Women Teaching in South Asia

This collection adds fresh perspectives to the current policy and programming initiatives concerning woman teachers in South Asia. It discusses the issues related to the lives and experiences of woman teachers in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal and Bangladesh, providing a common framework for the analysis of the policies and programmes with and for them, in relation to their lived experiences as women in diverse families, communities and societies of the region. It promotes critical discussion of the potential and agency of woman teachers to create change in schools and in society, dwelling on the structural limitations that exist for women working within patriarchal institutions in male-dominated societies. Women Teaching in South Asia argues for a broader gender equality and empowerment perspective when working with woman teachers and for developing policies and programmes. The chapters demonstrate the need for explicit attention to ‘gender’ in the power dynamics between women and men, in the roles they play and in the tasks they perform in schools. This compilation is a valuable contribution with recommendations for future policy, programme and research project development to bridge the gender divide and make sustainable progress towards Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education For All (EFA). It will be a rich resource for ministries of education, NGOs and other agencies supporting educational development, as well as for researchers and academicians working in the fields of education and gender studies.