• Japan FIT support

• DESD M&E Phase II

The pursuit of gender equality is central to sustainable development where each member of society respects others and plays a role in which they can fulfil their potential. The broader goal of gender equality is a societal one to which education and all other social institutions, must contribute.

Discrimination based on sex is often structurally embedded. In many societies women bear the major burden of responsibility for food production and child-rearing, they are excluded from family and community decisions affecting them, and they have little or no access to the means of income generation.

Gender issues must therefore be mainstreamed throughout educational planning – from infrastructure planning to material development to pedagogical processes. The full and equal engagement of women is crucial to ensuring a sustainable future.