GENDER JUSTICE AND THE AIMS OF EDUCATION: A FEMINIST PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY

Abstract

This paper critically examines what a just educational system should look like in light of gender inequalities, drawing on philosophical frameworks from feminist theory, justice theory, and educational thought. It argues that gender justice demands more than equal access to education; it requires a fundamental rethinking of the aims, practices, and structures of education itself. By engaging with thinkers such as Iris Marion Young, Nancy Fraser, Martha Nussbaum, and Paulo Freire, the paper contends that a genuinely just education must confront and transform the gendered power relations embedded in social and educational institutions. It identifies the limitations of mainstream liberal theories of justice in addressing gender-based disparities and proposes a reconstructive framework in which education is oriented toward cultivating critical consciousness, relational autonomy, and agency for all learners, especially those historically marginalized by gendered norms. Methodologically, the paper employs philosophical analysis using feminist and critical frameworks to interrogate the normative dimensions of justice and education. The argument is structured in three parts: first, an exposition of key theories of gender justice; second, a critical evaluation of their application to educational contexts; and third, the development of a normative framework for reimagining education toward gender justice. The paper fills a crucial gap in philosophical discourse by offering a normative account of the educational aims that are necessary for achieving gender justice.