Research Article 7
Journal of Education & Social Sciences - Volume 12, Issue 1 2024
By Nasima Zainulabidin, Dilshad Ashraf
10.20547/jess1212412105
Keywords: early childhood, gender equity, gender discourses, feminist poststructuralist

Within the framework of Sustainable Development Goals, children are recognized as active change agents in the global development agenda (The Lancet, 2022). Research has established that engaging young children has the potential to promote gender equity and reduce other inequities in society (UN Women 2020). Despite this, limited research has been conducted on gender equity issues in education and early childhood education particularly in Pakistan (Pardhan & Pelletier, 2016). In response to this gap, collaborative action research was conducted to explore the possibilities of creating a gender-equitable learning environment in an early childhood classroom in Karachi Pakistan. This paper presents findings from the initial stage of the study. Data was collected from two early years teachers and 43, 5-6 years old children (23 girls and 22 boys) over three months. Data collection methods included field notes, semi-structured interviews, and discussions, audio taping of children’s talk and actions during free play, and analysis of children’s drawing. This paper explored how young children and their teachers actively participated in producing and reproducing gender-stereotypical discourses in the classroom and beyond.