Women and education: the right to substantive equality

Abstract

This chapter studies the right to substantive equality in education. The right to equality demands much more than parity for girls and boys in education. Simply requiring parity ignores the specifically gendered way in which inequality in education manifests itself. Instead, it is argued that the principle of substantive equality should be the framework for evaluating progress towards equality in education. The meaning of substantive equality remains somewhat contested, with some focusing on dignity, others on equality of opportunity, and still others on equality of results. Instead of reducing substantive equality to a single principle, it should be regarded as having four interconnected dimensions: redressing disadvantage (distributive dimension); addressing stigma, stereotyping, prejudice, and violence (recognition dimension); facilitating participation (participative dimension); and accommodating difference and achieving structural change (transformative dimension).