Abstract:

This study aims at exploring gender equality in education as education is one of the areas where women have experienced discrimination making them a minority group that throughout times has suffered from gender inequality. By now, however, much has been made by international organizations, governments, women´s associations, and NGOs to decrease the gender gap in education. Nevertheless, studies show that gender inequality persists which implies that further measures need to be taken. Life-long learning has been seen as one solution to achieve gender equality. As the aim of life-long leaning is to guarantee learning opportunities throughout life for all, it has been assumed that life-long learning would promote gender equality while increasing women´s participation in learning activities during all life-periods. Importantly, though, research shows mixed results. Some find that life-long learning empowers women as it provides increased learning opportunities, whereas others argue that lifelong-learning has not enhanced gender equality in education. To add knowledge and participate in the discussion, this study explores on the basis of the literature in the field whether life-long learning has achieved its objective of providing equal learning opportunities for all throughout life implying improved gender equality. Accordingly, the research questions are as follows:
(1) why does gender equality matter in education?
(2) how does life-long learning enhance women’s learning?
(3) what kind of challenges women meet within the framework of lifelong leaning?
(4) what can be done to achieve gender equality in education?

The research method is qualitative. The research material includes extant research in the field of education and life-long learning, multiple policy documents, and other literature dealing with women´s education and learning. The results show that particularly less developed countries still struggle with wide range of challenges in most areas and levels of education, and that girls and women in such countries still face crucial problems in the area of education, whereas the problems related to gender equality in high-income countries are more specific and very different from those of low-income countries. Given this, there is no general theoretical framework nor common practical tools to eliminate gender inequality in education. This study suggests that innovative learning models and methods, increased benchmarking and sharing of best practices as well as policy instruments and international conventions advocating for equality and life-long leaning are required when aiming at eliminating the persistent discrimination of women in education.

Keywords:

Gender equality, women, life-long learning.