Need to feminize math instruction for high school girls for gender equity in education: Special on IWD 2026

International Women's Day 2026 will be celebrated on March 8, featuring the theme 'Give To Gain,' which encourages the global community to 'forge gender equality through abundant giving' and foster a 'mindset of generosity and collaboration.' This observance, which has been taking place since 1911, aims to 'Celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness about discrimination, and take action to establish gender parity.'

"Contributing to women's advancement—whether through donations, knowledge sharing, resources, infrastructure, visibility, advocacy, education, training, mentoring, or time—helps build a more supportive and interconnected world," the organizers emphasize, highlighting the importance of creating a 'world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination—a diverse, equitable, and inclusive world where differences are valued and celebrated.'

Additionally, as a contribution to knowledge, here is the abstract of my paper titled "Feminising mathematics learning at high school level by emphasizing verbal-linguistic intelligence: Lesson studies using feminist pedagogy based learning sheets," which has been submitted for the 11th International Conference on Gender and Women's Studies 2024 (GWS2024). This conference, themed 'GENDER EQUITY IN EDUCATION AND WORKPLACES,' is hosted by Wilson College, affiliated with the University of Mumbai, in partnership with the International Center for Research & Development (ICRD) and Unique Conferences, Canada.

Abstract

Lesson studies were organised with a group of nine girls at risk of failure when the school reopened after two-year shut down due to COVID-19 crisis. The girls (N=25; Age group: 15-17 years) had the on-line maths instruction for grades 8 and 9 and when school re-opened, only nine girls who developed learning gaps in maths reported to the school, the rest decided to take direct board examination. The survey studies on loss of learning due to COVID crisis revealed the maths learning and general education of girls in adolescent period suffered the most due to social isolation and inadequacy of on-line instruction and unsuitability for supportive and remedial learning. Since there group was small, needs-based and girls-friendly learning sheets emphasising language of maths (listening, speaking and reading of maths), visual math literacy and reciting maths formula with pauses by relating operational symbols to verbs and term-symbols to nouns was taken up through designed learning sheets. Seventeen topics transacted in 20 hours spread over one month made girls confident to tackle objective and short answers type questions and get reasonable the word problems as articulated by them. All nine girls passed the dreaded math examination. Conclusion is that non-competitive or supportive group learning and learning sheets designed to promote verbal-linguistic intelligence make maths learning female friendly

Keyword: Feminist pedagogy, gender equity, group learning, language of maths, social pedagogy, verbal-linguistic intelligence,