Amman, Sep. 14 (Petra) – A regional technical workshop titled "Developing School Curricula from a Gender Equality Perspective" commenced Sunday in Amman under the patronage of the Chairperson of the Supreme Council of the National Center for Curriculum Development, Muhyiddine Touq, with participation from representatives of several Arab countries.
Organized by the Arab Women Organization in cooperation with the Jordanian National Commission for Women and the National Center for Curriculum Development, the two-day workshop provides a platform for dialogue and cooperation among Arab education ministries and national mechanisms responsible for women’s issues. It seeks to exchange expertise and identify practical ways to integrate gender equality into school curricula.
Participants include curriculum-development representatives from ministries of education and women’s mechanisms in Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Oman, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen.
Touq said gender equality is central to the National Center’s vision. He explained that the Center’s work rests on two main tracks: first, revising existing content to be more gender-responsive in examples, imagery, and language, and to eliminate stereotypes about women; and second, embedding gender equality concepts directly within core subjects.
He highlighted that human rights, particularly women’s rights, are prioritized in the general curriculum framework issued by the National Center and reinforced across specific subject frameworks, ensuring that these principles are reflected in educational content presented to students.
Touq also detailed the Center’s measures to operationalize its vision, including developing a cross-subject matrix of common issues such as humanitarian themes, which encompasses gender equality. The Center tailors the level of integration by subject, embedding these concepts more deeply where relevant. He underlined that the Center has made tangible progress but remains committed to advancing this approach, given the pivotal role of textbooks in shaping students’ knowledge, values, and cultural identity.
For her part, Maha Ali, Secretary-General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women, underscored the importance of the workshop in enabling Arab countries to share experiences on integrating gender perspectives into curricula. She said curricula serve not only as educational tools but also as strategic instruments for instilling values of justice and equality, preventing violence, and combating bullying, consistent with Jordan’s Constitution, national values, and social heritage.
Ali added that developing curricula through a gender lens aligns with Jordan’s National Strategy for Women and the Second National Plan to Implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, which aim to promote women’s active participation in sustainable development and eliminate violence and discrimination.
She praised the National Center for Curriculum Development and the Ministry of Education for advancing gender-responsive budgeting and noted the Ministry’s receipt of the 2024 Institutional Excellence Award from the Arab Women Organization for gender equality in the Educational Institutions Index.
Arab Women Organization Director-General Fadia Kiwan said education is pivotal in transforming social mindsets and behaviors regarding gender equality. She emphasized that the organization’s focus on education, culture, and media reflects its belief in the power of these sectors to drive change.
The workshop’s sessions will present and discuss participating countries’ experiences in revising and developing curricula from a gender equality perspective, share best practices, and review the Arab Women Organization’s education program. Participants will also work to build regional consensus on priorities and future steps to ensure more inclusive and equitable education systems.
This initiative falls under the Arab Women Organization’s Education, Culture, and Media Program, one of its core programs designed to influence societal culture and instill values of justice, equality, and acceptance of others, with a focus on shaping the character of children and adolescents.
//Petra// AJ
