Adolescents’ development of gender equity attitudes in India

• Main Authors: Megan Landry, Amita Vyas, Gayatri Malhotra, Nitasha Nagaraj
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2020-12-01
• Series: International Journal of Adolescence and Youth
• Subjects: gender; gender equality; gender attitudes; gender norms; adolescent development
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1590852

Gender-equitable attitudes are often constructed during adolescence making this a critical time to alter gender perceptions. However, there is little research on gender attitudes and gender equity in early adolescence, especially in India. This study is a cross-sectional sample of 1,691 participants 8–18 years from three Northern India states. Surveys were collected on mobile tablets and assessed gender perceptions and attitudes. Gender-equitable scores were categorized into low, medium and high. Gender-equitable attitudes and gender vary by grade (p < .001). Gender-equitable attitudes improved with grade, but boys were 46% less likely to be in the moderate category compared to the low category as grade increased (p < .01). Compared to girls, boys were 56% less likely to be in the high category compared to the low category as grade increased (p < .001). Early adolescence is a unique opportunity to address gender attitudes before they become more solidified.