Description
Polish education system still perpetuates harmful gender stereotypes. The project objective is to promote human rights by counteracting gender discrimination through 1) INFORMING on gender stereotypes as a developmental barrier for women and men, and one of the sources of the hate speech towards women and girls; 2) EDUCATING people responsible for the content and the quality of education for boys, men, girls, and women on the consequences of stereotypes; 3) COUNTERACTING stereotypes through organising workshops, building a network of men, and developing methods of work with boys. The project will be implemented in Warsaw, Poznań and other parts of Poland. The project will lead to enhancing the knowledge and awareness on gender stereotypes among handbook writers, people working in education, women and men, girls and boys. The project is implemented in partnership with a Norwegian organisation and two informal groups from Poland. The project will be implemented in Warsaw and throughout Poland.
Summary of project results
"Research shows that gender-related stereotypes limit individual experience, may be hurtful, and become the reason for discriminative behaviour and a variety of forms of violence (“Gender in Education"", ed. M. Chomczyńska-Rubacha, 2004). Gender stereotypes boys encounter at early stages of socialisation (also as part of the education system) are also a contributing factor to the belief that men are superior to women, as displayed i.a. in hate speech towards women, treating girls with contempt, and violating their private space. The project purpose was to prevent gender-based discrimination by taking action targeting the educated and the educators alike: teachers, girls and boys, and the entire society. Violence prevention workshops and a gender stereotype-related debate were organised for young people and teaching staff. A report on how masculinity and femininity role models are presented in school textbooks was published. An Anti-Violence Male Network was set up. A qualitative study of boys was held in the field of sexism mechanisms. The following events were organised, participant numbers listed: 3 workshops for teachers and pedagogues on stereotype consequences (44), 9 WenDo workshops - self-defence and assertiveness for girls (112), 8 equality debates for young people (159), and 5 anti-violence workshops for boys (57). Five debates on gender-related stereotypes and their impact on violence, and the role of the education system in overcoming them were held (a total of 310 persons). A report analysing Polish textbooks and curriculum foundations in terms of the femininity and masculinity role models was printed (250 copies). Study results and recommendations were presented during an expert conference (150 persons). Three Anti-Violence Male Network meetings were held (16 persons), including one in trainer workshop format. A textbook for persons working with men and boys was produced, class scripts included (300 copies). Project beneficiaries included 388 workshop attendants and 460 conference and debate participants. The Voices Against Violence informal group was responsible for the Male Network, workshops for boys, equality debates, and textbook drafting. The Gender in Textbooks team analysed schoolbooks. Oslo Krisesenter/Bokollektivet organised the study visit and consultations on preventing and combating stereotypes."
Summary of bilateral results
"The study visit, held from 9-11 11. 2014, was arranged by OSLO Krisesenter, the Norwegian partner of the project. The schedule of the visit covered the following events: 1) Meeting with z Barbro Stapnes and Tonje A Loff, who have been conducting classes for boys from ethnic minorities since year 2012 (Gutteprosjektet). 2) Meeting with Inger-Lise Walmsness Larsen, head of the OSLO Krisesenter centre, 3) Meeting with Tone Eng held in the Science Department. Tone Eng’s area of interest and action is the equality issues in education. 4) Meeting with Toril Halvorsen and Kristin Berntsen, trainers and helpers working in the Crisis Centre for male survivors of assault in intimate relationships , 5) Meeting with Ole K Hjemdal, who carries out research on violence, works with survivors and researches the scale of violence in intimate relationships, 6) Meeting at the office of the Commissioner for Equal Treatment with Rachel Paul and Mona Larsen 7) Meeting with Lone A Johansen, representative of the Crisis Centers Office, 8) Meeting with representatives of the ""Reform” Resource Centre for Men. The meeting with Tone Eng from the Science Department was especially important, given that it made the Reaserch team Gender in handbooks aware of the need to repeat the investigation regarding the contents of school books from the point of view of gender equality. This measure should be taken in order to investigate if and to what extent the recommendations of experts were put into practice both on the ministerial level as well as in the books and the schools’ curriculum For the Voices Against Violence group it was especially important to meet the representatives of the ""Reform"" Resource Centre for Men. It gave them the opportunity to learn about the difficulties and positive effects of working with boys and men in Norway in order to prevent violence and promote gender equality. For the Feminoteka Foundation the most important meeting was the visit to Krisesenter and the conversation about helping immigrant women. Feminoteka has been trying to introduce this kind of help to their actions, however the Foundation is still learning and searching for new methods on how to help immigrant women. The Norwegian partner’s vast experience in the area in question turned out to be very helpful. "