ABSTRACT
This study aimed to assess the level of awareness knowledge of teachers before and after the implementation and dissemination of the material (brochure) GAD-Knows: A Handy Guide Towards Improved Awareness of Teachers in Gender and Development. This also deals with the issues and challenges encountered in raising the awareness of teachers in Gender and Development. Mixed method research design was utilized in this study employing survey and interview as data gathering method. The participants of this study were all teachers and a Principal in Prenza Elementary School. The result reveals that in terms of level of awareness, that the respondents were somewhat aware before the implementation of GAD-knows brochure guide while they attained a extremely aware level after. Significant difference between the scores signified the effectiveness of the material. Lack of traning and and resources are the most common issues and challenges in raising their awareness about Gender and Development which was met and solved by the dissemination of the material.
Keywords: GAD, awareness, guide, time, resources, time
CONTEXT AND RATIONALE
Raising awareness about Gender and Development is essential for promoting gender equality and fostering sustainable development. While progress has been made in some areas, concerted efforts are still required to overcome cultural barriers and institutional resistance.
Although we are aware that educational institutions and government agencies have a key role in promoting GAD by integrating gender perspectives into curricula and policies, allocating resources for gender-sensitive programs and ensuring that policies are enforced have always been a challenge.
Resource limitations are a significant challenge in raising GAD awareness. Moser (1993) identifies inadequate funding as a primary obstacle for many GAD initiatives. Programs aimed at raising gender awareness often require substantial financial resources for outreach, education, and capacity-building efforts. However, GAD programs are frequently underfunded, particularly in low-income countries where governments prioritize economic development over gender equality. Furthermore, UNESCO (2014) emphasizes the role of education in promoting gender awareness but notes that many educational institutions lack the resources to implement gender-sensitive curricula. This results in missed opportunities to influence young people's attitudes toward gender at an early age, further entrenching traditional gender norms.
Prenza Elementary School, also faces the same challenge of lacking enough resources and funds to conduct programs and trainings in raising their awareness about Gender and Development. Schools can be powerful sites for promoting GAD awareness and advancing gender equality (Leach et al.,2010) therefore it is deemed appropriate for the teachers to raise their awareness about Gender and Development and in turn can contribute to foster more inclusive attitudes among learners as well.
In respect to this, the researcher found it necessary to embark on the study to identify level of awareness of teachers in Prenza Elementary School about GAD. In the end, the study proposed a material that helped them increase their knowledge and awareness about Gender and Development.
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