This booklet provides guidelines for mainstreaming gender in literacy materials. It is intended for the orientation of literacy managers, writers of teaching and learning materials, policy-makers, curriculum developers, media professionals, teachers of adult literacy centres, adult learners and the general public. The particular objectives of this publication are: (1) To sensitize literacy managers and authors of literacy materials on the need for gender-sensitive literacy materials. (2) To guide writers of literacy materials about the principles for mainstreaming gender in literacy materials and the necessity to represent gender fairly in literacy and other basic education materials. This booklet begins by defining key concepts of basic education, literacy and gender, and then discusses the importance of having a balanced depiction of genders in teaching-learning materials. The results of a review of existing educational materials in Pakistan are then presented. In the following section, guidelines for ensuring gender-neutral teaching and learning materials are described, and a checklist is provided for authors of literacy materials to ensure such materials are gender-neutral.
