The idea that gender equality in education has been achieved is now a
staple of public debate. As a result, educational policies and practices
often do not deal explicitly with gender issues, such as sexual abuse,
harassment or violence. Exaggeration of neoliberalism's successes in
creating individual opportunity in education conceals ongoing problems
and ignores the continuing need for a fair and equal education for all,
regardless of gender or sexuality.
In this manifesto for education, Miriam David rejects the notion that
gender equality has been achieved in our age of neoliberalism. She puts
the focus back onto issues such as changing patterns of women's and
girls' participation in education across the globe, feminist strategies
for policy and legal interventions around human rights, and violence
against women and children. She discusses waves of feminism linked to
school-teaching and pedagogies in higher education as well as an
illuminating case study of an international educational programme to
challenge gender-related violence.
Revealing neoliberal education to be 'misogyny masquerading as metrics',
Miriam David argues for changes in the patriarchal rules of the game,
including questioning 'gender norms' and stereotypical binaries, and for
making personal, social, health and sexuality education mainstream.
