Gender equality in life and education

1.1. The concept of gender equality and manifestations of gender inequality

It is important to understand the relationship between “sex” and “gender”. Gender is socially constructed characteristics of a person that reflect the norms, patterns of behavior and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl or boy. Due to its hierarchical nature, gender generates inequality and discrimination, which are closely related to other types of inequality and factors of discrimination - ethnicity, class position, age, sexual orientation, etc. Gender differs from sex, which is a complex of biological and physiological characteristics of people (chromosomes, hormones, reproductive organs, etc.). Unlike sex, gender is a sociocultural reflection of the perception and functioning of sex in social relationships. Gender inequality slows down the development of society, creates a conflict and discriminatory environment. At the same time, gender equality is not aimed at eliminating the difference between men and women, it is aimed at equalizing access to opportunities, removing its dependence on gender. Gender equality is implemented at the legal, value, and systemic levels, as well as at the level of access to opportunities and provision of equal conditions for personal choice for women and men. Ensuring gender equality requires consistent, systematic work at each of the listed levels simultaneously. An important role is played not only by the issuance of legislative acts and the implementation of official programs to support or protect the rights of women or men, but also by gender mainstreaming - the integration of gender issues into policy making and macro-management processes.

The fight against gender discrimination – sexism, harassment, objectification – and the prevention of gender stereotypes and barriers acquires special significance in the course of ensuring gender equality

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Today, gender equality is defined as a necessary condition for sustainable and prosperous development of any society or country. The concept of "gender equality" is multidimensional: there is a certain scientific consensus on how and in what way it should be defined and evaluated in terms of the capacities, opportunities and empowerment of individuals. The most obvious and, at the same time, widespread interpretation of gender equality is its definition as a set of mechanisms, tools and practices for achieving "gender justice", which is based on an attempt to transform established social and cultural practices, unfair and unequal social mechanisms, as well as the expansion of personal rights and opportunities

According to the principles of Sustainable Development established by the UN, gender equality is one of the important elements of building a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Determining gender equality as one of the goals of sustainable development, the United Nations sets itself a number of tasks: to stop all forms of gender discrimination; ensure full and effective participation of women in the development, adoption, and implementation of political decisions; adopt and strengthen effective policies and existing legislation to promote gender equality, etc. This means that the achievement of gender equality requires not only the involvement of maximum resources, but also the determination of specific spheres of society's life, in which the practices of achieving gender equality can be reflected. Today, Ukraine is actively working on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, which were developed by the United Nations.

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Gender inequality from a sociological point of view is a separate case of social inequality as such, and it combines the essence and manifestations of its other forms: economic, class, political, age, professional, informational, racial/ethnic, etc. Social inequality itself is a form of differentiation in which different social groups, communities and individuals have qualitatively and quantitatively different access to resources and, as a result, unequal life chances. That is, gender inequality implies different access to resources for representatives of different social groups, communities and individuals, separated by gender. Sociological studies of gender inequality not only contribute to the identification of related social problems, but also create a basis for developing programs for social adaptation, education and professional growth, which will contribute to the creation of a fairer and more equal society.

Since gender inequality is considered precisely as a special case of social inequality, sociological studies of gender inequality involve measuring the difference in access to various social goods and resources for representatives of different social groups and communities, separated by gender. Much attention is paid to the analysis of the spread and influence of gender stereotypes on various spheres of social life. On the one hand, gender stereotypes can limit individual opportunities, lead to discrimination and unequal access to resources (in particular, in the labor market). On the other hand, they can influence the formation of gender identities and social roles, which ensures a certain stability in society. In this context, one of the key tasks of sociology, given its public and educational functions, is the consistent fixation and systematic debunking of such stereotypes, prejudices, myths, etc. Distribution of gender roles in the family, role imbalances in various spheres of employment and consumption, disclosure of the sociocultural nature of perception and evaluation of gender characteristics - all these are important components of developing a sociological view of gender issues.

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To assess socio-political factors of gender (in)equality, the methodologies of complex quantitative comparison reduced to various indices are widespread; usually they include not only socio-political characteristics, but also economic, cultural, etc. Many of them are characterized by shortcomings characteristic of mechanistic approaches: ignoring local features, leveling the context of obtaining statistical indicators, using pseudometric indicators instead of qualitative data, etc. But, nevertheless, the heuristic potential of such indices, as well as their influence in the international socio-political and gender discourse, make them an important part of the system of knowledge about gender. Let's list the most famous and influential indices:

Global Gender Gap Index.
Gender Inequality Index.
Gender Development Index
Gender Empowerment Measure

Gender Equality Index from the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGI)

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2.1. International legal framework for gender equality

Gender equality is a fundamental human right, proclaimed as a principle of equality between men and women by the UN Charter of 1945 (Preamble, Article 8), it is also a necessary basis for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Promoting gender equality is critical to all areas of a healthy society, from reducing poverty to promoting the health, education, protection and well-being of girls and boys. Women and girls account for half of the world's population and therefore half of its potential. However, gender inequality persists everywhere and inhibits social progress. It should be noted that it was the UN Charter that laid the foundations for the further development and adoption of norms based on the gender principle, this process continued for many years. Its essence lies not only in the development and updating of the legal framework, but also in the creation by the international community of additional control bodies, expanding the scope of their powers and improving the areas of activity.

The principle of gender equality developed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, with the adoption of which gender equality became part of international human rights law. Norms regarding the observance of gender equality are an integral part of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966, according to which all people “are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law”. Later, the principle of gender equality was reflected in documents related to various areas of human rights: ensuring political rights, overcoming discrimination, ensuring human rights during armed conflicts, labor relations, etc. In 2015, at the 59th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, a review and assessment of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (E/2015/27) was carried out, twenty years after its adoption at the Fourth World Conference on the Status of Women, as well as the final documents of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly held in 2000. The Political Declaration adopted by the Commission on the Status of Women on this occasion provides a solid basis for the full, effective and accelerated implementation of the commitments made in Beijing.

The Gender Equality Strategy of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) 2023 emphasizes that UNDP, acting as an integrator of the SDGs, is able to solve the problem of gender inequality and contribute to the expansion of women's rights and opportunities. Gender equality and social inclusion is a core commitment of UNDP and an aspiration in every initiative, project and program implemented and managed by UNDP.

Ensuring gender equality in education is an important prerequisite for building a democratic society based on the values of equality and respect for human rights. This issue is gaining more and more relevance, which is reflected in a number of acts adopted under the auspices of the UN, its specialized agencies, regional international organizations, and in the national legislation of Ukraine. In this regard, UNESCO promotes gender equality throughout the education system, including participation in education (access), within education (content, context and practice of teaching and learning) and through education (learning outcomes, life and work opportunities). This activity is guided by the UNESCO Strategy for Gender Equality in Education and through it (2019-2025) and the Action Plan on Gender Equality.

At the international level, a number of norms for combating violence have been developed. Gender-based violence is a phenomenon deeply rooted in gender inequality that continues to be one of the most visible human rights violations in all societies. Gender-based violence is violence directed against a person because of their gender. Both women and men experience gender-based violence, but the majority of victims are women and girls. A woman's right to live without violence is confirmed by a number of international agreements, in particular, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women of 1979 (resolution A/RES/34/180) provides for a number of measures that states must implement to eliminate discrimination against women in many areas, including political and public life, citizenship, education, work, health care, marriage and family life.

Work on the prevention of gender problems and the protection of gender rights is also carried out at the level of individual regional unions and organizations, for example, the European Union, the African Union, the OSCE, etc.

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The international institutional mechanism for ensuring the gender principle is a key component of the global struggle to create a fair and equal society for women and men. Within the framework of the topic, various international organizations, institutions and mechanisms that act as the main actors in this area are disclosed. The international institutional mechanism for gender mainstreaming is a complex system of organizations working together to create a more just and equal world for all genders.

The priority role in the field of human rights within the UN is played by the General Assembly, in accordance with Art. 22 of the UN Charter, implementing tasks in this direction, creates auxiliary bodies if necessary. Some of them are created ad hoc, others are permanent or function for a long time. A significant contribution is made by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOR), the UN Security Council and the auxiliary body of the General Assembly - the Human Rights Council, which introduces mechanisms called "Special Procedures". In addition, a number of international legal acts have been adopted to develop the provisions of the International Charter of Human Rights, most of which provide for the creation of contractual (control) bodies for their compliance. These institutions are additional mechanisms for the protection of human rights, the effectiveness of which increases in states with a low level of protection of citizens. Attention is paid to the main institutions in the field of ensuring gender equality.

UN Human Rights Council.
Commission on the Status of Women.
Human Rights Committee.
Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children.
Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences.
Special rapporteur on human trafficking, especially women and children.
Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Working Group on discrimination against women and girls.
"UN Women" is the UN structure on issues of gender equality and empowerment of women.
Experts Group on Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA).
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO).
The Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE).
United Nations Human Rights Office.
European Court of Human Rights.
The Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men.
European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).
The Inter-American Commission of Women (IACHR).

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3.1. Legislation in the field of ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men

The topic is devoted to the analysis of national legislation in the field of ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men. Key legal acts aimed at guaranteeing gender equality, protection against discrimination and stimulation of equal opportunities in all spheres of life are under review. An analysis of legislative norms is carried out, which relate to labor relations, education, participation in political and public life, access, protection from violence and other aspects of everyday life. Implementation and enforcement mechanisms are also covered, including monitoring, litigation, administrative procedures and regulation. The achievements and shortcomings of the existing system of legislation on gender equality are considered, as well as possible ways of its further improvement in order to achieve full equality between women and men.

Ensuring and affirming the principle of gender equality is an end-to-end state policy that permeates all spheres of social life. The defined principle is reflected in a number of legislative and sub-legal normative legal acts, as well as in program and strategic documents of Ukraine. In addition, the Association Agreement signed in 2014 between Ukraine, on the one hand, and the European Union, the European Atomic Energy Community and their member states, on the other hand, obliges to ensure gender equality and equal opportunities for men and women in the field of employment, education and training, economic and social activity, as well as in the decision-making process.

The following are analyzed as basic NPAs:

The Law of Ukraine "On ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men".
The Law of Ukraine "On the principles of prevention and combating discrimination in Ukraine".
The Law of Ukraine "Combating trafficking in human beings".
The Law of Ukraine "On Preventing and Combating Domestic Violence".
Instructions on the integration of gender approaches during the development of normative legal acts, approved by order of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine on February 7, 2020 No. 86
Methodological recommendations for identifying cases of gender discrimination and the mechanism for providing legal assistance, approved by the order of the Coordination Center for Providing Legal Assistance.
Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 722/2019 "On the Sustainable Development Goals of Ukraine for the period until 2030"
State strategy of regional development for 2021-2027
Methodological recommendations for assessing the gender impact of industry reforms.
Concepts of communication in the field of gender equality
National Action Plan for the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 "Women, Peace, Security" for the period until 2025.
Action plan for the implementation of the commitments of the Government of Ukraine, taken within the framework of the international initiative "Biarritz Partnership" to establish gender equality.
National strategy in the field of human rights.
National economic strategy for the period until 2030.
National strategy for creating a barrier-free space in Ukraine for the period up to 2030.
Strategy of human development.
State strategy for ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men for the period up to 2030

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The subject is devoted to consideration of subjects and instruments of implementation of the state gender policy. The various actors involved in the formulation and implementation of gender strategies and programs at various levels of government and public sectors are analyzed. The roles and functions of authorities, international organizations, activist groups, scientific institutions and other subjects in solving gender issues are considered. Various tools used to implement public gender policies are also revealed, including legislation, strategies, programs, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, training courses, campaigns and other tools. The role of each subject and the effectiveness of various tools in achieving gender equality and fulfilling the tasks and goals of gender policy are revealed in detail.

The Law of Ukraine "On ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men" No.2866-IV establishes that the authorities, institutions and organizations empowered to ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men include (Article 7):

Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on human rights.
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
Specially authorized central body of the executive power to ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men.
Bodies of executive power and bodies of local self-government.
Public associations

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The legislative basis for ensuring the principle of gender equality in the educational environment is analyzed. Legal aspects of ensuring gender equality in the sphere of education of Ukraine are considered. In particular, it is a legislative framework aimed at guaranteeing equal opportunities for all population groups in access to education, regardless of gender. Important legal acts, such as the Constitution of Ukraine, laws on education, government acts and other normative legal documents, which determine the principles and mechanisms of ensuring gender equality in the educational sphere, are considered.

The essence of the international initiative "the Biarritz Partnership" is unfolding, within the framework of which the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine defined obligations regarding the integration of the gender component into the educational process (introduction of anti-discrimination examination of educational content and conducting a gender audit of educational institutions. In 2022, by order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated December 20, 2022 Government No.1163 approved the Strategy for the Implementation of Gender Equality in Education until 2030, the purpose of which is focused on ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men, preventing and countering any discrimination in the field of education for all participants in the educational process, at all levels of education by introducing changes in the structural-organizational and substantive-procedural aspects.The strategy defines the basic principles, target groups, goals and objectives for the implementation of the state policy regarding ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men in the field of education.

Adopted in 2022, the State Strategy for ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men for the period until 2030 and the operational plan for its implementation for 2022-2024 contain an analysis of the current state, main problems and trends in the field of ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men, in particular, in the education and training sector. The Strategy focuses on the fact that according to the Gender Inequality Index, Ukraine ranks one of the highest in education (27th place). Almost 100% is the literacy rate, high and balanced level of involvement of girls and boys in education (basic secondary education covers 92.7% of girls and 90.7% of boys, secondary education - 86.1% and 85.3%, respectively, higher education - 88.8% and 76.8%). At the same time, access to such education remains a problem for various groups of women and men, primarily among those living in rural areas, persons with disabilities, and those of pre-retirement age who need retraining. In addition, it is noted that gender aspects are still insufficiently taken into account during the formation and implementation of educational policy, which leads to the feminization of employment in the field of education, the preservation of gender stereotypes, and the presence of discriminatory educational content at all educational levels.

The effectiveness of these legal instruments in preventing gender-based discrimination and promoting the creation of equal conditions for training and professional development is analyzed. Current problems and challenges arising in the context of legal regulation of gender equality in the educational sphere are highlighted..

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4.1. Ensuring gender equality in Ukrainian education

In 2022, the Ukrainian government approved the Strategy for the Implementation of Gender Equality in Education for the period until 2030, and also approved the Operational Plan for its implementation for 2022-2024. One of the tasks of this plan was to overcome the gender-based choice of specialties in colleges and higher educational institutions, which is the basis of horizontal gender segregation in the labor market and the factor of a gender gap in wages. Studies have shown that although Ukraine has a stable formal advantage in the remuneration of work between different genders in education, there are still problems, such as the uneven distribution of students by major. To solve these problems, a number of measures have been adopted, including increasing the integration of gender aspects into all levels of educational policy, preventing the feminization of employment in the educational sphere, and overcoming gender stereotypes. Studies have also shown a positive trend in the minds of citizens regarding gender equality in choosing a profession. However, despite notable progress towards gender equality, there are still some challenges that need attention, such as continuing to fight gender discrimination and stereotypes in education. Within the framework of the topic, the complex dynamics of gender aspects in the field of education in Ukraine are considered, as well as current problems that require further study and resolution are highlighted..

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Social aspects of gender inequality in the educational sphere are considered. In particular, attention is paid to the phenomenon of the latent curriculum. The latent curriculum, which includes informal norms and stereotypes, is an important aspect of the education system that can reproduce and reinforce gender inequalities. The need to realize and overcome these negative aspects in order to achieve true gender equality is emphasized. Emphasis is placed on the importance of identifying and analyzing the latent curriculum for effectively countering gender inequalities in modern education. Because the expansion of access to education itself does not always lead to the elimination of gender inequalities, and often hides their meaningful aspects. The formal resolution of issues of gender equality in education does not solve all problems, as complex aspects of social relations and cultural reproduction remain invisible and unresolved. Thus, the paradoxical nature of the development of gender relations in the field of education is highlighted: although with increasing access to education, the opportunity for various social groups, including women, increases, but at the same time the degree of asymmetry and imbalance increases. This paradox is considered in the context of social transformations and cultural changes that occurred during the historical development of the educational system

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Gender analysis is considered precisely as an analytical tool. It identifies a variety of methods that can be used to understand and interpret relationships between men and women; access to existing or potential resources; areas of activity and barriers they may face. More broadly, gender analysis provides information that recognizes that gender and its relationship to race, culture, ethnicity or religion, class, age and/or other social status are important for understanding different practices and forms of participation, behavior and the activities of women and men in various spheres of life in society: politics, economy, labor, education, culture, etc.

Practical aspects of achieving gender equality in the higher education system are considered. Solving practical tasks should be based on the use of various analytical approaches and methods, so the types of gender analysis act as effective tools for monitoring and identifying existing gender problems. The use of a comprehensive and versatile gender approach will reveal the main problems and manifestations of gender inequality, which will help to develop optimal and effective programs and strategies to overcome them. Within the framework of this topic, the basics of the following analytical models are revealed:

Comprehensive Gender Analysis (CGA).
Gender Impact Assessment (GIA).
"3R method" (consists of three "Rs": representations, resources, realities).
Harvard Analytical Method (HAM).
Moser's Analytical Method.

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Ukraine is undergoing significant changes in its attitude to gender issues, a gender approach is being actively implemented in the field of higher education, so there is a need and an urgent question regarding existing trends, perspectives and further steps in this process. Within the framework of this topic, the current state of development of gender equality in higher education of Ukraine is analyzed and key trends are determined. It also explores the development perspective, including ways to improve women's access to higher education, increase gender awareness among students and academic staff, and integrate gender aspects into curricula and research. Finally, the need for further steps is highlighted, such as the development and implementation of specific policy strategies, support for research in the field of gender education, and promotion of gender culture in higher education institutions. The following can be singled out as the main directions to which special attention should be paid:

Support of equal access to education.
Increasing the participation of women in STEM.
Implementation of inclusive gender policies.
Increasing female leadership.
Partnership with the public.
Increasing gender self-awareness.

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