Volume VI Special Issue V June 2026

Name of Author : Syeda Hafeeza Sultana

Title of the paper : Decolonizing Gender in Education: A Critical Analysis of South Asian

Abstract: South Asian educational textbooks have long perpetuated colonial and patriarchal gender norms, fundamentally shaping students understanding of identity, roles, and power relations. This paper critically examines how gender is constructed and represented in school curricula across South Asia particularly in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh through a decolonial feminist lens. Drawing on critical discourse analysis of state-mandated textbooks, the study identifies recurring patterns of gender stereotyping, erasure of marginalized voices, and the privileging of Eurocentric and androcentric knowledge systems. The paper argues that such representations actively reproduce colonial hierarchies and significantly limit inclusive, equitable learning environments for all students. It further explores how decolonial methodologies can be strategically applied to reimagine curricula that center local epistemologies, diverse gender identities, and intersectional perspectives rooted in lived experience. The findings highlight an urgent and collective need for curriculum reform that challenges dominant narratives and fosters transformative, context sensitive gender education across the Global South.

Keywords : Decolonial feminism, Gender representation, South Asian textbooks, Curriculum reform, Critical discourse analysis.

DOI :

Page Number : 96-104