Gender Education of Pre-service Teachers through Dialogue (GEPTD) is a project funded by Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) and implemented by Sahapaadi in collaboration with SSK and the State Council of Education, Research and Training (SCERT), Kerala. The vision of the project is to develop a model of critical gender education to be integrated into the curriculum and pedagogy of pre-service teacher education in Kerala. 

This initiative aligns with broader reforms by the Kerala state government to transform educational spaces, processes, and materials, aiming to cultivate schools as gender-conscious spaces that foster values of gender equality. This movement gained momentum in response to the alarming rise in violence against women and individuals from gender and sexual minority groups post the COVID-19 lockdown. According to the Kerala State Police Department (2021), crimes against women peaked at 16,199, the highest in five years. Instances of violence against queer and transgender individuals also saw a concerning rise, though many incidents remained under-reported.

The project involved conducting a two-semester course on gender through a dialogic pedagogy approach as part of the Diploma in Elementary Education (D. El. Ed.) program and studying the impact of this approach on pre-service teachers' understanding and practices.

The project is in its final phase, focusing on synthesizing findings, refining the model, and preparing recommendations to be submitted to SSK and SCERT, Kerala. GEPTD marks a significant step in advancing gender equality in Kerala's educational spaces. By equipping future teachers with a commitment to social justice and the capacity for critical reflection, the project aspires to contribute to a more inclusive and gender-just society.