Gender Awareness among Adolescent Students in Kerala: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

According to Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, the Right to Equality has to be guaranteed
to every individual irrespective of class, caste and gender but the question is whether this
right is practised. Gender issues have become a common issue in society. Violence against
women, sexual harassment of women and children, and transgender issues are increasing
day by day. A possible solution to end these issues is to impart gender education to the
younger generation. Gender education should start with family and schools as the children
spend most of their time with family and in the school environment. Hence, the researcher
intends to understand the gender awareness of adolescent children, especially from 8th
standard students from a co-education school in the Thiruvananthapuram district through
qualitative research. In this study, the researcher explored perceptions and attitudes toward
gender equity among school-going adolescents. The researcher used FGD, participant
observation and case studies as tools for data collection. The study gave insight to the
researcher on the perception of gender how the students understand gender issues, and
their reflections on gender equality. The study provided valuable insights into the importance
of gender-neutral parenting and the significance of early gender education within both family
and school environments.