Gender-Sensitive Curriculum - 16% of Regressive Attitudes Converted

Strategy researched

Discussion-based, facilitated classroom sessions to create awareness of gender-based discrimination, change dominant gendered perceptions, promote gender-equitable attitudes, raise girls' aspirations, and provide tools to participants to translate attitude change and greater aspirations into behaviour change

Impact achieved

Students in treatment schools have a 0.18 standard deviation higher attitude index than those in control schools (p < 0.01), or, equivalently, converted 16% of regressive attitudes. Behaviour became more aligned with gender-progressive norms by 0.20 standard deviations (p < 0.01). For example, the study found that the intervention generated more interaction with the opposite sex for both boys and girls. It also increased boys' participation in household chores - a shift in the direction of a more gender-equal division - and their support for their female relatives' ambitions.

Country of study

India

Research methodology

RCT with 14,809 students at baseline (across 149 treatment schools and 164 control schools)

Journal

American Economic Review; 2022

Journal paper title and link

Reshaping Adolescents' Gender Attitudes: Evidence from a School-Based Experiment in India

Excerpt from Abstract

"This paper evaluates an intervention in India that engaged adolescent girls and boys in classroom discussions about gender equality for two years, aiming to reduce their support for societal norms that restrict women's and girls' opportunities. Using a randomized controlled trial, we find that the program made attitudes more supportive of gender equality by 0.18 standard deviations, or, equivalently, converted 16 percent of regressive attitudes....[T]wo years after the intervention had ended, the effects had persisted. The program also led to more gender-equal self-reported behavior..."

Summary at this link