Literature and gender equality as national sustainable goals

• Main Author: Hanita Hanim, Ismail
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: L Education (General)
• Online Access: http://eprints.unisza.edu.my/6546/1/FH02-FBK-19-31901.pdf; http://eprints.unisza.edu.my/6546/
• Institution: Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin

Very often, public expresses dissatisfaction over the lack of respect for women. Yet, this poses an important question– what has been done at improving the local situation where women are cheated, their rights are questioned and left behind? Malaysia at present, is ranked six out of ten based on Social Sustainability Index (SSI) 2016, surpassing an alert level. While the government remains consistent in its effort to distribute gender equality, the promotion of social sustainability issues, particularly in the areas of gender equality, can further be improved upon. This study, as such, aims to rationalise the Ministry of Education’s recent effort of bringing back literary appreciation into schools in general in its hopes to achieve a sustainable living space and developing the nation’s civilizational growth. Besides that, the study also associates a correlation between literature-inclusion in classrooms and encouraging the vocalisation of opportunities and dreams, where the lack of literary appreciation in the recent past shows vulnerability and lack of respect for both genders. Later, it provides a discussion over the roles of literature as an agent of creating awareness for gender equality in classrooms. Without using any particular research design, this study provides a discussion of initiatives at providing the basis of including literature as part of the national language policy and planning. This study on its inclusion in classrooms reiterates past research on encouraging results and high morale among the school teachers and the public as due to its use in classrooms.