I could not help noticing that it is always a little boy who is chosen to pull the rope to raise the flag, while a little girl stands next to him, looking ornamental, with the upward-moving rope gliding effortlessly through her hands. I asked the director about this one day, wondering out loud whether it might not be possible, perhaps, from time to time for a little girl to raise the flag. She looked at me in a rather puzzled way and said that this was simply the way it was done in the whole country, and that it reflected their way of thinking about men and women and their roles in life. Men are considered to be stronger then women, so there are certain things that are more appropriate for them to do. (Heavens! How heavy is that flag, I thought to myself!)
I nodded thoughtfully, aware that we were on delicate cultural territory here. I pointed out that these days in Thailand, as well as many other countries, girls and women actually have the opportunity to do many things that traditionally were only acceptable for men to do. She agreed, and added that in all girls schools the girls have to raise the flag because there are no boys to do it. I suggested that, as teachers of young children, it is important not to give three-year old girls the message that there are certain things that they are inadequate to do simply because they are female. Rather, they should be given the same opportunities and encouragement as boys to test their abilities, solve problems and meet challenges. She seemed in agreement with my reasoning, and even said that maybe she might allow the girls to have a go with the flag sometimes, though I have yet to see any evidence of that. I guess old habits die hard.
While Thailand may still have a way to go in terms of attitudes to gender equality, girls here do have the same opportunities as boys to attend school and university and are able to go on to have successful careers and take up positions of influence in many different fields.
This is not the case in many parts of the world, where girls continue to be denied their right to education because of attitudes to their role; because they bear the burden of domestic work, sibling care and early marriage; and because they experience violence at or on the way to school.
At the VSO meeting last week, delegates were all given attractive spiral-bound notebooks to write in. The books are produced by UNGEI (United Nations Girls' Education Initiative - East Asia and Pacific), and contain at intervals pages with examples of simple but effective ways for teachers, schools and policy-makers to improve gender equality in education:
"Girls' interest and participation in math and science are negatively impacted at an early age by the stereotype that boys are better in these subjects. Teachers can ensure that they do not perpetuate such gender bias, and encourage all children to fulfil their potential."
"Girls and women are underrepresented in text books, and gender roles are often reflected in highly stereotypical ways. Teachers can review and create new classroom materials that include girls and represent both girls and boys positively."
"Gender responsive teacher policies that ensure there are female and male teachers at all levels of education help promote gender equality. The enrolment of girls in secondary education is higher in countries with high proportions of female teachers in primary education."
"Girls often receive less attention from teachers. Studies have demonstrated that boys are asked more questions, placed in priority areas of classrooms and given more leadership opportunities. Teachers can equally motivate and encourage boys and girls to perform."
Lack of equitable access to education, and traditional attitudes about the role of women are key factors that contribute to the huge disparity between men and women in terms of the opportunity to participate in public and political life and to influence decision-making processes. This is the subject of VSO's Women in Power campaign, launched in March for International Women's Day.
Women are estimated to account for almost two-thirds of the people globally who live in extreme poverty. Women perform two-thirds of the world’s work and produce 50% of the food, but earn only 10% of the income and own only 1% of the property. This deep-rooted and persistent inequality not only violates women's rights but also acts as a barrier to progress towards a world where poverty is eradicated and women and men are able to build sustainable and secure futures for themselves and their families.
The Women in Power campaign seeks to bring influence to bear on the global process which is currently underway to develop a new international development framework after the Millennium Development Goals expire in 2015. VSO is calling specifically for the post-2015 development framework to include a standalone goal on gender equality and women's empowerment, with a target of eliminating discrimination against, and increasing the participation of, women at all levels of public and political life.
You, too can fly the flag for girls and women by taking action on the VSO website
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