Gender mainstreaming in the education sector: Impacts on social transformation

Socio-cultural norms, especially in developing nations, havean undeniable effect on all aspects of human lives and development, cutting across the social, economic, political, and personal development of individuals and groups of people. The consequences of which have driven unfair representation, participation, and benefitting of programs, policies, and projects aimed at improving the standard of living of citizens. The benefits of education to the growth and development of individuals and the state have been widely addressed in the literature. From helping people with the necessary skills required to gain significant competitive advantage in the growing markets, to increasing the quality manpower needed to build the infrastructures of a society, it cannot be denied that it is an essential human right of every individual. Despite this, not all individuals are given equal rights to pursue education either formal or informal based on their gender. This paper, therefore, engaged in an extensive review of literature in understanding the global fight for equality in education – the Sustainable Development Goal 4, gender mainstreaming as a useful tool to aiding this fight, Nigeria’s efforts in aligning to the global agenda through gender mainstreaming, socio-cultural factors impeding these efforts as well as recommendations for a better gender-sensitive approach to mainstreaming gender in education.