Gender Equity in K-12 Education, Academia and Higher Education: A Global Perspective

Dear Colleagues,

Education is a vehicle for social change. It has been linked to development, whether personal, social, economic, or national development. According to Ozturk (2001), improved education leads “to greater income equality, which, in turn, is likely to favor higher rates of growth. As education becomes more broadly based, low-income people are better able to seek out economic opportunities” (p. 42). Education is an important tool for reducing poverty and all kinds of inequities, including gender inequity. Quality education becomes a gateway to ensuring social justice and allowing all individuals to engage in productive work and have a voice in the society they live.

The education of girls and women has long been thought of as very crucial for national development. Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 4 (Quality Education), and Goal 5 (Gender Equality) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are all tied to access to and quality of education for all, especially girls and women, in all societies. A United Nations Sustainable Development Report (2023) showed the following on gender equality and quality education, respectively:

a. (i) With only seven years remaining, a mere 15.4 per cent of Goal 5 indicators with data are “on track”, 61.5 per cent are at a moderate distance, and 23.1 per cent are far or very far off track from 2030 targets. (ii) In many areas, progress has been too slow. At the current rate, it will take an estimated 300 years to end child marriage, 286 years to close gaps in legal protection and remove discriminatory laws, 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions of power and leadership in the workplace, and 47 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments (p. 22).

b. The world is falling far behind in providing quality education and the COVID-19 Pandemic caused learning loss for many students in many countries (p. 61).

This Special Issue on ‘Gender Equity in K-12 Education, Academia and Higher Education: A Global Perspective’ will focus on the following areas:

1. Global Commitment to Gender Equality in Education: Country Analysis.
• Gender policy on education, implementation of the policy, and issues related to the implementation of the policy.
2. Enrolment and Completion Rates at All Levels (K-12, undergraduate levels, and graduate levels).
• Issues related to inequities in access and completion rates, and obstacles to completion rates including social, cultural, religious, finance, etc.
3. Women and STEM in Higher Education.
4. Women and the Professoriate.
• Mentorship, publications, and leadership as editors of journals.
5. Women and Leadership in K-12 and in Higher Education.
6. Women and Marketable Competencies: The Role of Higher Education.
7. Black Female Faculty Experience in Higher Education.
8. Race and Gender in Academia and Higher Education.
9. Women Studies Programs in Higher Education—Changing Focus.
10. Women, Higher Education, and Health-Related Issues.

Other areas will be considered.

References

• Ozturk, Ilhan. 2001. The Role of Education in Economic Development: A Theoretical Perspective. Journal of Rural Development and Administration, 3: 39–47.
• United Nations. 2023. The Sustainable Development Goals Report Special edition. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2023/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2023.pdf (accessed on 14 May 2024).

Prof. Dr. James Etim
Guest Editor

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• gender
• equity
• education
• disparities
• global perspectives