International Conference: language education for sustainable development

Promoting gender equality in English language education has become a global priority. Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls and ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all are the vital aspects of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030. Therefore, ensuring gender equality is crucial for creating a thriving environment because sustainable development cannot be attained without the equal participation of all genders. This mixed methods research aims to explore gender representation in Sri Lankan English language textbooks used at the secondary level. In Sri Lanka, textbooks used in secondary schools play a pivotal role in shaping students’ knowledge, competencies, attitudes mindsets, and dominant values. Hence, examining the representation of gender in these textbooks is vital to comprehend their impact on fostering gender equality and sustainable development.

Thulasivanthana Udhayashankar is a lecturer at Swamy Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies, Eastern University, Sri Lanka. She holds an MA degree in Linguistics. Thulasivanthana is ardently interested in using performing arts, especially visual arts, for teaching and assessing tertiary-level students.