Gender and the Right to Learning

Sor Juana lived in a world that denied women formal education, religious ordination, and public intellectual participation. Yet she relentlessly pursued knowledge, became a scholar and writer, and challenged the assumption that female minds were incapable of complex thought. Her life is a testament to how gendered barriers to learning harm not only girls but society itself. For children's rights, this means recognizing how gender shapes educational access and opportunity, often limiting girls' possibilities while also constraining boys into narrow expressions of masculinity. Quality children's rights frameworks must examine who is encouraged toward STEM, who is expected to be caregivers, whose intellectual contributions are valued. Sor Juana's example demands that we actively work to dismantle gender-based educational disparities, create inclusive curriculum, protect girls' education in all contexts, and allow all children to explore their intellectual interests regardless of gender expectations.