Recruiting and Supporting Women Teachers
In many emergency situations, it is easier to recruit male teachers than women, and unless specific measures are taken, this can mean that schools are dominated by male teachers and administrators. Although male teachers may be very supportive of girls’ education, and may pose no specific barrier to girls’ enrollment in some contexts, in others, the dominance of male teachers can create learning environments which meet the learning, social and emotional needs of boys, but are not very supportive for girls. In some communities, especially conservative ones, if there are no female teachers at all, parents are unlikely to send their daughters to school. Reasons for the dearth of female teachers vary from place to place, but often include a lack of sufficiently qualified or educated women in the location and few women able to work in the language of instruction. This guidance document provides promising approaches and issues to consider for recruiting, retaining and supporting women teachers.