As part of its efforts to promote gender equality awareness among Israel's
students, the Education Ministry has decided to introduce a new study program that encourages children to revise the lyrics of classic Hebrew songs that contain chauvinistic notions.
The program has already been implemented in several schools and students are allowed to take matriculation exams in gender studies as part of it.
"The students learn to listen to the words and decide for themselves," explained Miriam Schechter, director of gender equality affairs at the Education Ministry. "These are popular songs we all used to sing enthusiastically, and they represent the good old land of Israel.
"But when you read the words carefully you find out they contain hidden messages that work just like existing marketing methods. We are aware of the difficulty to reread the songs, but the situation cannot remain as it is. Well-liked songs contain wrong, sexist conceptions," she added.
Many of the songs included in the program were written decades ago, when mainstream attitudes and approaches were very different. Schechter said that the students would be acquainted with the spirit of the time and the inequality between men and women that prevailed during the period.
Despite the delightful rhythms and tunes, these classics have over the years reiterated the notion that "the little, beautiful and dependent woman belongs in the kitchen, while the strong, wise man's duty is to build her a house," Schechter stated.
The students will not only be exposed to the chauvinistic stereotypes in the songs, but will also be asked to revise them and come up with new, more egalitarian lyrics.
As part of the program they will also read songs that express feminine equality and independence.
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