Sometimes the cosmos seems to align and point to a course of action in a way that is rather difficult to ignore, and I suppose it is due to one such alignment that I ended up reading for the Diploma in Social Studies (Gender and Development) at the University of Malta.

Up to 2013, gender was something I only ever consciously thought about when filling forms, at which point I simply ticked ‘female’ and moved on. However, that year I interviewed two women who had embarked on new careers after taking an extended break from the workforce. Both had read for the diploma and credited it with opening new doors for them.

I filed this information under my mental “interesting, something to look into” file but never gave it a second thought until Christmas of that year when a friend mentioned it again as something I should consider doing if I ever had the time to spare.

And so, when the advert for the next intake popped up on my Facebook page one night, I decided to take the bull by the horns and submitted my application there and then.

They say that education broadens the mind and this diploma certainly does this. It changes one’s perspectives and challenges the very understanding of one of the most basic status quos: gender. Never again will anyone who has read for this diploma take gender to be a simple matter of ticking a box on forms.

As a class, we worked our way through understanding how the gender stereotypes we live daily came to exist. We came to realise that the word ‘gender’ is a loaded term that impacts us all, although we rarely stop to think about the huge ramifications of being born a boy or a girl.

The patriarchal systems that have shaped our world are actually detrimental to men as well as women

Twenty students graduated with this diploma last month – 20 people with very diverse characters, upbringings and careers who sat in a lecture room two years ago as complete strangers and have since forged firm friendships during passionate debates about everything that is gender related. We argued about education, psychology, division of labour, gender roles, LGBTQI, adoption, child rearing, health issues, marriage, separation, abortion, politics, economics, the role of the media as well as law and crime.

We have had firm beliefs challenged by our lecturers and fellow students and have accepted the diploma as a group of friends and classmates who now hold some very different views to those we held at that introductory session.

One cannot learn without being challenged; and we were definitely challenged – with assignments, group presentations and examinations. We often despaired at the workload but banded together, helped each other through it and would not forego this experience for anything.

From the start, we all believed men and women should be treated equally and have equal rights and opportunities. Nevertheless, many of us disagreed on how this equality should be achieved. Few, if any, realised that the patriarchal systems that have shaped our world are actually detrimental to men as well as women.

Few knew the extent to which women have historically been overlooked while medics researched medication and vaccination, the extent to which women were intentionally oppressed as laws and ‘social norms’ were laid down. Hardly anyone was aware that men have also been left to deal with the adverse effects of this inequality as they struggle to adhere to a set of ‘rules’ that determine their masculinity.

Two years have flown by too quickly but in that short span of time, I have come to view life from a different perspective. I am more critical and far more aware of the boxes into which society tries to constrain us all.

On the other hand, I am far more accepting of people who do not conform to society’s rigid norms and expectations. While my friend in 2013 suggested I read for this diploma ‘if I found the time’, I suggest that we could all benefit from ‘making the time’ to embark on this exciting learning experience.

Further information on the programme of studies of this new course can be found at www.um.edu.mt/cls or www.um.edu.mt/ courses.

One may also call the Centre for Labour Studies on 2340 3766 or e-mail cls@um.edu.mt.

Sandy Calleja is a graduate, Diploma in Social Studies (Gender and Development).

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