Why Kerala Government's Push For Gender Neutral Textbooks Was Long Due

For years, Indian education has been steeped in sexism, with textbooks often portraying males as dominant and females in submissive roles, maintaining long-held beliefs of strength and weakness along gender lines. These elements, which are deeply embedded in cultural consciousness, manifest themselves in concerning ways in the minds of young students and affect how they see themselves and others. However, in Kerala, a quiet revolution is underway—a revolution that seeks to break away from the age-old norms of patriarchy and usher in a new era of gender equality. By introducing the idea of gender neutrality in school books, the state aims to break the chains of patriarchy and make way for a more equal society.

Sexism in Indian Textbooks

To understand the depth of the situation, one only needs to look at the troubling cases documented in textbooks from various Indian states.

In 2017, Maharashtra's Class 12 textbooks sparked nationwide outrage by claiming that "ugliness" fueled the demand for dowry—a clear reminder of the widespread misogyny in our educational system. The textbook unabashedly stated, "If a girl is ugly and handicapped, then it becomes difficult for her to get married. To marry such girls, the bridegroom and his family demand more dowry."

Similarly, in 2006, a textbook in Rajasthan made headlines for its eyebrow-raising comparison between housewives and donkeys. The text likened housewives to these hardworking animals, stating, "A donkey is like a housewife. It has to toil all day and, like her, may even have to give up food and water. In fact, the donkey is a shade better, for while the housewife may sometimes complain and walk off to her parent's home, you'll never catch the donkey being disloyal to his master."

Despite feeble attempts to dismiss these comparisons as "good humour," the reality remains clear: such analogies promote harmful stereotypes and reinforce antiquated notions of gender roles. Far from being harmless jests, they reveal a troubling acceptance of sexism within the very institutions tasked with shaping the minds of future generations.

According to UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring Report, women and girls are underrepresented in school textbooks around the world, and when they are included, they frequently find themselves in outdated roles that reinforce orthodox views that assign patriarchal gender roles.

A survey of 188 lessons from Indian textbooks found that the majority of 114 (60.6 per cent) featured male characters as the lead, while only 13 (6.9 per cent) had female notable characters. Regarding India, the report claimed, “Half the illustrations in elementary English, Hindi, mathematics, science, and social studies textbooks depicted only males”

Take, for instance, the story 'Resignation' from the 'English Rapid Reader' for grade IX in Rajasthan. Within this story lies a sentence that captures the protagonist's woes: "There was a disappointment and defeat all around him. He had no son, but three daughters; no brother but two sisters-in-law." 

In a country where the practice of female foeticide continues to be a grim reality, these stories become even more concerning. Female foeticide, which involves sex-selective abortions, still affects Indian society, even though the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (1994) has made tests that determine the sex of an unborn child illegal.

Kerala's Gender-Neutral Textbooks

The ideas and beliefs children absorb during their formative years often shape their outlook on life well into adulthood. Particularly within the structured environment of schools, where young minds are most impressionable, the messages they receive can leave a lasting impact. However, when concepts like sexism, misogyny, and patriarchal ideals are perpetuated within educational materials, the consequences can be far-reaching and detrimental.

For example, the state of Kerala promised to remove sexist language from textbooks by 2021 after an increasing number of cases involving women's deaths reportedly caused by dowry harassment and domestic abuse surfaced. The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, stated, "In light of the recent horrifying incidents of domestic abuse, Kerala has decided to take more stringent measures to create a fair society."  The government intends to "sieve" out sexist images of women in school textbooks as part of its efforts to create a more equitable society.

"Steps will be taken to turn our schools and colleges into spaces that embrace the idea of gender equality and equal rights," the chief minister added. 

True to their word, the Kerala state government has launched a groundbreaking initiative: creative textbooks with gender-neutral  messages. This strategic initiative seeks not only to disrupt established gender norms but also to instill the concept of gender neutrality in the impressionable minds of young students.

A father grating coconut in the kitchen and cooking snacks for his daughter may seem strange in a patriarchal society, but it is now a reality illustrated on a page from a Class 3 Malayalam medium textbook, where the father sits on the floor grating coconut while the mother cooks dishes.  Following a two-month summer break, textbooks featuring pictorial representations of family members of all genders participating in cooking and other household activities have sparked enthusiasm.  

The distinctive textbooks received widespread attention after state General Education Minister V Sivankutty uploaded a page from one of them in a Facebook post the other day. The objective is to inculcate the message of gender neutrality in the minds of children, authorities said.

Students and Educators Speak Out

Students like Pavithra Krishna, a lower primary student from Vithura, are embracing the gender-neutral messages with open arms. "I was surprised to see pictures of a father scraping coconut in the kitchen in my new Malayalam textbook," she shares during an interview with Press Trust of India. "I showed this to my father and asked why he doesn’t do this at home."

Educators, too, are lauding the initiative as a positive step towards dismantling entrenched gender stereotypes. Sindhu, a teacher from the capital city, stresses the importance of challenging societal norms. "Knowingly or unknowingly, there is a general impression in our society that cooking and housework are the sole responsibilities of women," she reflected during her interview with PTI. "But the chapters and pictures in the new textbooks give the message that cooking and other housework are the collective responsibility of both father and mother."

Kerala's journey is but the beginning of a larger movement—a movement towards a world where every individual, regardless of gender, has the opportunity to thrive and succeed.

Views expressed by the author are their own