From the classroom to the hospital ward: Dr Lydia Namatende-Sakwa on gender mainstreaming in Uganda

Abstract

My interest in gender equity was largely shaped by my experience as a young English teacher in a co-educational secondary school in Uganda. I completed both my primary and secondary education in single-sex schools which made me somewhat oblivious to the complex gender relations that exist in co-educational contexts. That is not to understate the complexity that can be found in single-sex schools! But, I felt a sense of discomfort with the distinct gendered performance and participation of children in my classroom; I noticed that boys participated more actively in discussions and generally outperformed girls on tests.