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Description
The project responds to the problem of sexism in history education. The problem lies in the ignoring, depreciating and stereotyping of women in the historical narrative in Polish school. Our aim is to change awareness and social practices in respecting women''s rights. We use herstory education and memory work on women''s achievements and mechanisms of discrimination. We train primary and secondary school teachers, as well as other educators. We conduct workshops, lectures and online and offline tutoring, prepare publications and educational materials. We are implementing a public awareness campaign and a research project entitled. "Challenges and needs of herstorical educators". We believe that knowledge about the origins and history of discrimination against women and how to oppose violations of human and women''s rights are crucial to stop the discrimination process. Herstorical education plays a special role in conveying knowledge about the consequences of discrimination, promoting women''s empowerment, demonstrating the potential of women in history and the present, and providing insight into inspiring stories. The project is implemented with partners: Julia Woykowska Foundation, Wikimedia Polska and the Women''s History Museum.
Summary of project results
The project concerns the problem of sexism in historical education and, therefore, Poland''s failure to implement binding international conventions imposing the obligation to eliminate stereotypical concepts of gender roles from education and to promote the principle of equality (Article 10(c) of the 1979 UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and Art. 14 of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence of 2011). The answer to the problem is to increase knowledge about herstory in the teaching environment, with an emphasis on women''s human rights, and to provide tools and competences to work on this topic with young people as part of systemic formal education.
After the inauguration of the project, expert workshops were conducted for people involved in the creation and implementation of the project. In addition, meetings of the 8-person team implementing the project were held periodically to carry out all intended tasks as best as possible and respond to challenges on an ongoing basis. The workshops were conducted for all participants - divided into teams of approximately 15 people (due to workshop work). Each expert conducted 3 workshops, they took place from autumn to January 2, 2024). The educational game was created over several months. First, a list of Polish heroines was created, then biographies, illustrations and power cards. The aim of the game is also to familiarize players with the inclusive language, i.e. feminists. 120 hours of tutoring were used for consultations and conversations with people who presented their projects during the summary conference. During recruitment and the project, scientific research was conducted in parallel with evaluation studies in the action research model. The main aim of the research was to gain knowledge about the everyday practices, challenges and needs of teachers and people conducting or planning to conduct school education in the field of women''s history. The "Applied History" guide for teachers and educators has been made available under a free license on the project website and printed. In addition to expert chapters, the guide also includes action plans of people participating in the project, as a basis for good practices and inspiration. Conference summarizing the project "What do you know about them?" took place on March 8, 2024.
Product Summary:
40 participants who completed the course in full 1 textbook, sent/distributed in 100 copies in paper and 1854 downloaded online,
1 game, 100 copies distributed and 532 downloads online,
1 study "Challenges and needs of people conducting herstorical education in the context of women''s human rights in the education system in Poland" and its report, 148 downloads of the pdf version of the research report from our website.
On the Polish Wikipedia page, a page was created dedicated to the course and its results - newly created or edited biographies of women on Wikipedia: https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Co_Wy_o_nich_wiecie%3F_2023
Summary of results:
40 people who completed our course prepared full-fledged projects of herstorical activities, and some of them have already started to implement them, e.g. our student - Danuta Kaczmarowska - successfully changed the patron of her school - the Complex of Educational Institutions in Tuczno - to a woman, Julie Wichlińska . On May 25, 2024, the ceremony of giving the school a new name took place.
The recommendations resulting from the research and the report were published in the magazine (semi-annual) devoted to history teaching, "Wiadomości Historyczne", and will be published in the next issue. They were also sent to the Ministry of National Education as part of public consultations and a round of submitting comments on the new history curriculum.
The results of the course - a textbook, a game and a report - are permanently posted on the website dziennikkobiet.org and will remain available for download there even after the project is completed.
12/11/2024 The Women''s History Museum Foundation received 2 HeroOn awards in the non-profit organization category, a golden HeroOn of the audience and a silver Heroon of the chapter.