Revealing Gender Bias on ELT Textbook: A Critical Discourse Analysis

There would be long efforts done by the government to eliminate gender inequality in education. These efforts emphasize on building positive images on female and male representations, particularly on the textbook. However, this paper examined that in the ELT textbooks are still inculcated with the representation of gender biased. The gender inequality can be portrayed in several ways, including (1) gender stereotyping, (2) quantitative imbalance, and (3) male firstness. This form of gender inequality emerged in the form of visual artifacts. The visual artifacts refer to pictures which illustrate the theme discussed (e.g. a cooking mother, business man). The existence of gender biased and stereotypical representation in the textbook shows the facts that gender inequality really happens. It is suggested then that the government help the textbook developer to promote gender equality through the use of textbooks.