Archive · 6 Sep 2026
Punjab Textbooks Challenge Gender Bias Through Stories and History
Punjab has changed some school lessons to challenge ideas about what girls and boys should do.
One story shows a girl becoming interested in flying after seeing a woman fighter pilot.
Another story explains that married women can care for their own parents.
A different story shows that women can run successful businesses.
The books also teach that boys and men should help with household work.
History lessons highlight Razia Sultan and Nur Jahan as powerful women who made important decisions.
Teachers receive training so they can discuss these ideas in class.
The goal is to help children choose their futures without being limited by gender stereotypes.
Punjab government schools have added gender-sensitisation lessons to regular classes, especially from Classes 6 to 8.
A Class 7 story, “A Gift for Sidhak,” replaces a hoped-for kitchen set with a miniature fighter jet after a girl watches a woman pilot.
Lessons encourage girls to pursue varied careers and show boys and men sharing household responsibilities.
Stories such as “A Forgotten Wish” and “Smashing the Glass Ceiling” question expectations about marriage, caregiving, education and women’s work.
History chapters present Razia Sultan and Nur Jahan as influential leaders rather than only as relatives or wives of powerful men.
- Who
- Punjab’s Education Department, in collaboration with Breakthrough and The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab South Asia, is revising lessons for government-school students and training teachers.
- What
- The state has integrated gender-sensitisation material into the curriculum to question gender roles and highlight women’s achievements.
- When
- The collaboration began in 2021; the changes are described as visible five years later.
- Where
- Punjab government schools, particularly in the English and social studies curriculum.
- Why
- Officials and project partners say the lessons are intended to counter gender bias, broaden career aspirations and challenge restrictive social norms.
- Curriculum focus
- Gender sensitisation and challenging gender stereotypes
- Main classes affected
- Classes 6 to 8, with some topics also covered in Classes 9 to 12
- Collaboration began
- 2021
- Key partners
- Punjab Education Department, Breakthrough and The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab South Asia
- Featured story
- “A Gift for Sidhak,” a Class 7 lesson about a girl inspired by a woman fighter pilot
- Historical figures highlighted
- Razia Sultan and Nur Jahan
- Teacher preparation
- Teachers have been trained to convey gender-related lessons in classrooms