Gender Equity
in the Classroom:
What it Looks Like
and What You Can Do
These gender-stereotypical comments,
spoken by
children in 2020, probably seem old-fashioned, and almost
quaint. They might even be considered fairly harmless; not
exactly appropriate, but not particularly attention-worthy.
Think again. In recent years, it has become abundantly
clear that the routine gender stereotypes we are exposed to
as children are incredibly formative. These gender stereotypes
go on to shape our adult lives, creating patterns that dictate
our career choices, home life, relationship dynamics, health,
appearance, and child-rearing.
Gender stereotypes are bad for individuals and bad for
society. They perpetuate inequality and reinforce differences.
They make it harder for us to see and treat others as indivi-
duals and equals. Stereotypes put pressure on boys and girls to
conform to certain notions of ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity,’
influencing the activities children engage in, their relationships,
their perceptions of their own skills, and ultimately the roles
they play in society as adults.
BY E. SCOTT OBSBORNE
Gender differences are pervasive:
����Girls as young as seven report feeling they cannot say
or do what they want because of gender stereotyping.1
����Fully 80% of girls report having been on a diet by age ten.2
����By high school, on average, boys are receiving lower
grades; in the US, men receive fewer bachelor’s degrees. 3
����As adults, men tend to die younger, commit suicide
more often, and suffer poorer health than women.4
����Adult women are more likely to be concerned about
climate change and hold pro-environment views.5
����Women still spend twice as much time on housework
and childcare as men.6
Most of us do not realize our roles in either perpetuating
or combatting these stereotypes. Adults subliminally have very
different expectations for girls and boys and transmit these
expectations in myriad ways. Parents overwhelmingly want
their children to explore interests free from limiting gender
stereotypes,7 yet they too, perpetuate these patterns.
Teachers are critically important to eliminating stereo-
typing. Studies have shown that girls taught for more than a
year by teachers with traditional gender values have lower
VOLUME 22 ISSUE 3 • 2020 | WWW.MONTESSORI.ORG/IMC | ©MONTESSORI LEADERSHIP ��
“Ballet is for girls.”
“She’s so bossy.”
“Boys don’t cry.”
“She can’t play, she’s a girl.”
1 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/21/girls-seven-uk-boxed-in-by-gender-stereotyping-equality
2 https://www.commonsensemedia.org/children-teens-body-image-media-infographic. The same report notes that 87% of female TV characters
ages 10 – 17 are below average weight.
3 https://nces.ed.gov/das/epubs/2005169/. https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/11/gender-education-gap/546677/
4 https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/mars-vs-venus-the-gender-gap-in-health
5 https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/gender-differences-in-public-understanding-of-climate-change/
6 https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/03/14/chapter-5-americans-time-at-paid-work-housework-child-care-1965-to-2011/
7 See, for example, No Limitations Guide http://whe.org.au/custom_type/no-limitations-guide/
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