Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Amrullozoda Farzona Amrullo, a 27-year-old female physics teacher from Tajikistan, was selected as a lead author for the country's new gender-responsive STEM textbooks. Despite initial doubts about being taken seriously as a young female applicant, Farzona described the interview as comfortable and positive, boosting her confidence and belief in her abilities.
For the first time in Tajikistan, the textbook development team was intentionally gender-balanced, comprising six female STEM specialists alongside male colleagues. This diversity helped the team identify and address gender biases in traditional textbooks.
According to a male author, the mixed-gender collaboration made him aware of aspects like emotional tone, inclusiveness, and hidden gender messages that had previously been overlooked. Following gender-sensitive approaches, the authors considered how girls might perceive tasks, whether visuals reflected both girls’ and boys’ experiences, and if content recognized women’s and girls’ contributions to STEM.
These efforts contributed to reshaping the textbooks into equitable resources for all students in Tajikistan’s classrooms.
The project is part of a UNESCO initiative supported by the European Union, contributing to broader education reforms focused on inclusivity and gender equity in learning content.