Women Teaching in South Asia

This collection brings fresh perspectives to the current policy and programming initiatives concerning women teachers in South Asia. It discusses issues related to the lives and experiences of women teachers in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal and Bangladesh, providing a common framework for the analysis of these issues as well as policies and programmes related to them. It promotes critical discussion of the potential and agency of women teachers to create change in schools and in society, while dwelling on the structural limitations that exist for women working within patriarchal institutions in male-dominated societies. Women Teaching in South Asia argues for a broader gender equality and empowerment perspective. The articles demonstrate the need for explicit attention to 'gender' in the power dynamics between women and men, in the roles they play and in the tasks they perform in schools. This compilation is a valuable contribution with recommendations for future policy, programme and research project development to bridge the gender divide and progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA). It will be a rich resource for policy makers, voluntary agencies, researchers and academics working in the fields of Education and Gender Studies.