NCERT to promote gender sensitisation through their school curriculum

New Delhi: In a bid to promote gender equality, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has made specific efforts to focus attention on gender disparities in education. The NCERT have developed syllabus and textbooks across the subjects in the school curriculum.

In response to Parvesh Sahib Singh, Member of Parliament, Smriti Zubin Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development stated in Lok Sabha that the government of India is implementing various programmes/schemes and legislations to address multiple forms of gender discrimination.

Since textual materials are pivotal sources of knowledge, it is essential that they include issues of equity and equality as children from all segments of society access them. To teach this, NCERT has involved text books at all stages of school education to prioritise gender sensitization in designing activities/exercises.

Gender-sensitive messages have been incorporated in the inside of cover pages of the textbooks and the other supplementary material. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has also prepared guidelines for gender sensitivity in textbooks and textual material, including question papers.

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She further added that there are various schemes implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development for the welfare of women including Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Swadhar Greh, Ujjawala, Rashtriya Mahila Kosh, Working Women Hostels.

The ministry is also implementing scheme of ‘One Stop Centre’ to provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence, scheme for ‘Universalisation of Women Helpline’ intended to provide 24 hours immediate and emergency response to women affected by violence and scheme of ‘Mahila Police Volunteers’(MPVs) in which MPVs acts as a link between police and community and help women in distress.