Consultoría Identificación de sesgos y estereotipos en materiales educativos

Organizational Context

UNESCO is committed to ensuring safe, inclusive, and violence-free learning environments, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 4. In Latin America and the Caribbean, educational violence remains a significant challenge. UNESCO has been actively engaged in addressing this, organizing high-level meetings and developing a Regional Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence in Education (2025-2030). This initiative supports the organization's strategy for health and well-being in education, aiming for secure and integrating learning spaces free from violence, harassment, stigma, and discrimination.

Job Purpose

This consultancy aims to address the critical issue of biases and stereotypes within educational materials in Latin America and the Caribbean. Educational resources are not neutral; they shape values, identities, and social relations, potentially perpetuating violence, exclusion, and discrimination. Recent evidence highlights persistent racial biases in materials concerning indigenous peoples and Afro-descendant populations, as well as the underrepresentation of women and limited portrayals of cultural diversity, impacting student aspirations and self-perception. The consultancy will contribute to the UNESCO Regional Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence in Education (2025-2030) and the organization's strategy on education for health and well-being. The primary goal is to develop a practical, self-applicable rubric for educational actors to identify and address these harmful elements in learning materials, fostering more equitable and inclusive educational systems.

Responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible for developing, piloting, and validating a self-applicable rubric designed to help educational actors identify biases, stereotypes, and symbolic violence in educational materials. This tool will be practical, flexible, and suitable for various stakeholders, including Ministries of Education, teacher training institutions, educators, universities, researchers, and civil society organizations. The rubric must align with UNESCO's conceptual frameworks, include dimensions of analysis and indicators, a progressive scale of achievement, practical examples for texts and images, and a methodological guide for self-application. The consultancy will involve five phases: conceptual review and mapping of experiences, rubric design, piloting, validation, and finalization. The process will be participatory, evidence-based, and focused on strengthening regional educational actors' capacities. This includes analyzing verbal language, visual elements, narratives, examples, and identifying omissions and silences within educational materials.

Work Experience

A minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in the education sector, preferably in Latin America and the Caribbean, is necessary. Demonstrated experience in the critical analysis of educational materials, textbooks, or curricular resources from perspectives of equity, inclusion, gender, or interculturality is essential. Experience in developing methodological tools for analyzing educational content is also required.

Skills

Required skills include a strong understanding of symbolic and structural violence, hidden curriculum, stereotypes, biases, and intersectional approaches. The consultant must possess proven ability in reviewing and synthesizing international evidence and systematizing experiences. Experience in conducting participatory processes and technical validation with diverse stakeholders is crucial. Proficiency in Spanish is mandatory. Knowledge of English is desirable.

Explore related opportunities