Gender Issues in Education — Quiz

Q1. Which of the following is a biological (sex) marker — not a gender marker?

• A. Presence of a uterus in females and a prostate gland in males.
• B. Wearing of sarees by women and trousers by men.
• C. Boys taking up outdoor jobs and girls taking up household work.
• D. Use of pink for girls and blue for boys in baby clothes.

Q2. "Society determines the roles of male and female." This statement articulates

• A. gender as an inherent construct
• B. gender as a hereditary endowment
• C. gender as an intuitive construct
• D. gender as a social construct

Q3. A Class 7 textbook says 'boys should be brave and earn for the family; girls should be gentle and look after the home.' This passage best illustrates

• A. the biological difference between males and females
• B. an act of indirect gender sensitivity
• C. gender attributes that society expects of boys and girls
• D. a balanced description of equity between the sexes

Q4. The United Nations describes 'discrimination' essentially as

• A. any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference made on the basis of certain grounds that has the effect of nullifying equal enjoyment of rights
• B. any biological variation between male and female bodies
• C. the natural difference in talent across individuals
• D. the personal choice to follow one's own religious beliefs

Q5. A school in Rampur writes a rule: 'Only persons who can lift 40 kg of furniture will be hired as Group D staff.' No woman is appointed. This is an example of

• A. direct gender discrimination
• B. indirect gender discrimination
• C. gender sensitivity in recruitment
• D. gender equity in workplace

Q6. A Class 6 boy, Aman, falls in the playground and starts to cry. His PT teacher says, 'Boys don't cry — get up!' This remark

• A. is gender-sensitive teaching
• B. is an example of gender discrimination against boys based on stereotype
• C. is correct behaviour-management for boys
• D. shows the teacher's gender equity in action

Q7. A Class 8 PT teacher in a rural Bihar school keeps the cricket bats and footballs locked, saying 'these are for the boys' period.' This practice should be classified as

• A. gender sensitivity, since it protects girls from rough play
• B. indirect gender equity, since it gives boys a turn
• C. no discrimination, since teachers may schedule equipment freely
• D. gender discrimination — denying girls access to outdoor play materials

Q8. 'patriarchy' is described as

• A. a social system in which men hold primary power and dominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority and control of property
• B. a biological system of inheritance through chromosomes
• C. a teaching method which encourages girls to lead the classroom
• D. a constitutional provision guaranteeing equal pay for women

Q9. Recently there have been conscious efforts to include stories in curriculum which depict women involved in outdoor adventure and mothers doing scientific work. This move is important because

• A. it aims to strengthen gender bias.
• B. it aims to eliminate gender stereotyping.
• C. it aims to encourage gender constancy.
• D. it aims to increase gender discrimination.

Q10. An upper-primary teacher notes that her Class 7 students copy 'mother in the kitchen, father at the office'. This most directly reflects which cause of gender discrimination?

• A. biological inheritance through XX and XY chromosomes
• B. the Right to Education Act 2009 provisions
• C. parental upbringing and role-modelling at home
• D. the constitutional guarantee of equality

Q11. According to the 2011 Census, the child sex ratio (age group 0–6 years) for India is

• A. 1000
• B. 940
• C. 914
• D. 850

Q12. In the year 2000 the female literacy rate in India was about 46.4 percent. The corresponding male literacy rate was approximately

• A. 46.4 percent
• B. 69 percent
• C. 85 percent
• D. 94 percent

Q13. A teacher in rural Madhya Pradesh learns that her 14-year-old Class 8 student is being married off. The parents are violating which minimum legal age of marriage for girls?

• A. 16 years
• B. 17 years
• C. 18 years
• D. 21 years

Q14. Which statement best captures the distinction between gender equality and gender equity?

• A. Equality is the end-goal of identical rights and opportunities; equity is the process of corrective measures that compensate for historical disadvantage.
• B. Equality and equity mean exactly the same thing in education policy.
• C. Equality means giving more to boys; equity means giving more to girls.
• D. Equality is a biological concept; equity is a religious concept.

Q15. An effective classroom strategy to reduce gender stereotyping and broaden developmental possibilities for all sexes is

• A. to reinforce biological differences among the sexes.
• B. to reinforce gender roles as portrayed in the society.
• C. forming same-sex ability groupings.
• D. forming mixed-sex activity groups and promoting discussion.