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Abstract: Gender equality is an essential principle of modern civilization and part of the state policy of the leading world powers. Women's equal participation in all key sectors of society is not only fair but also economically justified. A serious counterbalance in our country is traditional dominance of patriarchal social consciousness. The main factor in achieving gender balance is higher education system. This article analyzes the experience of the world and Russian universities in implementation of the principles of gender education; we summarize the current state of the issue in the leading humanitarian and pedagogical universities of Russia. The culture of gender is shown as an integral indicator expressed not only in the implementation of specific educational programs, but also in the intellectual and ethical field of higher education. Gender education includes the following components: education in the field of equal rights and opportunities for men and women; the reduction of gender stereotypes and prejudices; sex education, formation of the reproductive culture; development of culture of behavior and interactions; consideration of psycho-physiological characteristics of men and women in the processes of education and training. Each direction is a separate discussion area in terms of theoretical content and practical implementation. To clarify the conceptual and categorical apparatus the paper emphasizes some theoretical and methodological approaches to understanding the essence of gender education. The possibility of its interpretation in the framework of sociological concepts is clarified: structural and functional analysis, social conflict theory and symbolic interactionism. In conclusion, we provide data on the current status of gender studies in the Ural region and the vectors for their development.