Gender Exclusion in Textbooks: A Comparative Study of Female Representation in Provincial ELT Textbooks of Pakistan

Abstract

The focus of this study was female gender representation in secondary level ELT textbooks published by four different textbook boards of Pakistan, namely Baluchistan Textbook Board, Sindh Textbook Board, Khyber Pakhtunkhwah Textbook Board and Punjab Textbook Board. It targeted a comprehensive comparison between the female gender images as represented in four sets of textbooks and gender conceptions of their respective female readers. To achieve the objectives, the study was divided into two parts: In part 1, the textbooks by four state-run textbook boards were analyzed and in part 2, their respective female readers’ gender conceptions were collected and analyzed. The study employed multi-dimensional analytical tools like manifest, latent analysis and Fairclough (2001) CDA model for interpretation and explanation of textbook discourse. The study revealed a low representation share of female gender in four sets of textbooks. It brought out that female readership had stereotype conceptions regarding the attributes, professions and activities as appropriate for the female gender. It was also found that Sindh and Punjab Textbook Boards had improved female gender representation than other provincial textbook boards. The quantitative findings of part 2 proposed that textbooks could play a vital part in modeling gender conceptions of readership as Sindh and Punjab Textbook Boards’ female readership showed better gender conceptions. The study recommended a gender-based test of the textbooks at national level prior to publication to ensure gender equality as directed in National Curriculum.

Women Representation in Textbooks in Pakistan: Impact on Career and Study Choices of Female Students Enrolled in the Postgraduate Programmes

“…The participants also agreed with the suggestions by (Waqar & Ghani 2019) that "the fair representation of the feminine gender…. will make the students appreciate the contribution and worth of women as a productive and important component of the society" (p. 390).…”

“…Most of the participants did not know many of these women and their work. Waqar, S., & Ghani, M. (2019). Gender exclusion in textbooks: A comparative study of female representation in provincial ELT textbooks of Pakistan.…”

“…The textbook regime in Pakistan is comprised of curriculum bureaus and the textbook boards constituted by each provincial ministry of education in its domain. The most recent studies (R. Ali & Hussain 2019;Iqbal, Saleem, & Ahmad 2019;Sultan, Shah, & Fazal 2019;Waqar & Ghani 2019) highlighted how the textbook regimes in Pakistan perceived women in Pakistani society and ascribed to them stereotypical roles in different stories found in textbooks. These findings were not different from the earlier studies that analysed textbooks (Aziz 1993;Mirza 2006;Nayyar & Salim 2005) in spite of more women taking up the role of textbook writers and editors but still the leading roles were given to male writers and editors.…”

“…Ali, Hassan, & Hanan 2019;R. Ali & Hussain 2019;Sultan et al 2019;Waqar & Ghani 2019) suggesting that the textbooks "are gender biased" and "there is an unequal representation of both genders" (Ahmad & Shah 2019, p. 17). The two authors rightly observe that, Thus, the content of the textbook seems to be systematically manipulated in favour of males.…”

Diverse ELT reading materials: Cross mapping gender ideas of respective readers

“…Thus, the textbooks serve as a tool to communicate gender ideologies in parameters as reckoned suitable by society. Waqar and Ghani (2019) propose that these books for children not only teach gender roles to young minds but in fact the stereotypical roles where one is powerful and the other group is powerless. Dean (2007) explains that textbooks contain a gendered picture of the world where each gender group has a defined set of behaviors and actions; sadly, readers adapt themselves to these stereotypes consciously or unconsciously.…”