Objectives

With this tool, students are expected to: 

• Gain a general understanding of what is gender inequality
• Come across examples of gender inequality and discuss them
• Be able to make a link between gender inequality and 21st century skills
• Have an understanding of what should be done to make things change and move towards gender equality

Activity details

Material: Whiteboard, projector, laptop, speakers, candy/ stickers, True/ False statements handout, Gender enrolment in school handout, pieces of paper, Malala Yousafzai handout, lightbulb-shaped paper, ‘Who said this?’ handout, ‘From Where I stand’ Survey handout, ‘From Where I stand’ Poster

Duration:

2x40 minute lessons

Group size:

10-15 students (aged 12-15 years)

(40 mins)

Activity 1: candy/ stickers distribution (5 mins)

1. Give students candy/ stickers (or anything else you see fit) but distribute them unevenly randomly. Give yourself the largest portion and say you got the most because you are the oldest. Ask if they think this is fair. Ask students to justify their opinion.

2. Divide students into two groups (girls/ boys) and distribute candy again, giving the girl group less than the boy group. Ask if they think this is fair and to justify their opinion. Ask if they think this is actually happening in the world. 

3. Introduce inequality/ gender equality as the topic of the lesson.

Activity 2: To me inequality means…/ Gender Lightbulb (10 mins)

1. Hand out lightbulb-shaped pieces of paper (Annex) and ask students to write down what inequality means to them or give an example of when they felt they were discriminated because of their gender (they can do both if they like).
   

   Note: we use lightbulbs as we wish to throw some ‘light’ to this matter and situations that should stop occurring.

2. The teacher or a student to read some of the notes out loud.

3. Give the actual definition of inequality (Annex). Ask if it is close to what they have written down. Discuss.

Note: the lightbulbs can be hung in the classroom/ school so they can be seen.

Activity 3: True or False? (10 mins)

Note: for this activity students can either work by themselves or as groups.

1. Give students some statements regarding gender equality all around the world (i.e. statistics, numbers, real-life stories) (Annex). Make sure they understand the vocabulary. 

2. Ask students to say which statements they think are true and which they think are false. Ask them to justify their answers.

3. Give them the right answers (Annex) and discuss.

Activity 4: School and gender equality (5 mins)

1. Give students rates of gender enrolment in school (Annex).

2. Let them observe them for a while and then discuss. Do they think this is fair? Can we talk about gender equality if the amount of boys and girls going to school is not the same? What problems can this cause? 

3. Ask students what they think gender equality means and what the world would be like if it was established. They can give definitions, words, or phrases.

4. Give the definition of gender equality (Annex) and discuss.

Activity 5: “From Where I Stand” introduction (10 mins)

1. Explain that people are trying to establish gender equality globally and that there is a global project aiming to gather as much data as possible regarding the matter in order to bring change to the world. Explain that they are going to take part in this wonderful initiative.

2. Show students the short call-to-action video from Emma Watson https://vimeo.com/174213067 .

3. Give students the survey form (Annex) and ask them to complete it at home as homework.

4. Explain that in the next lesson we are going to gather the data and make a poster with it which will then be uploaded on the project’s global platform.

 (40 mins)

Note: before the lesson starts, gather all the completed survey forms brought in by the students. Explain that you are going to use them towards the end of the lesson.

Activity 1: What’s a man and what’s a woman? (5 mins)

1. Hand out pieces of paper and ask students to describe what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman (i.e. they can either write the three first words that come to mind for each or they can draw a picture for each).

2. Mix the pieces of paper up and have students read out loud the paper they have in their hands.

3. Find differences and similarities in sayings/ drawings. Ask why they think there are certain similarities/ differences in what they have produced. Ask if they think there is such a thing as ‘boy things’ or ‘girl things’. If yes, ask them to give examples. Ask what burdens may rise the fact that we ‘label’ things as ‘boy/girl things’.

Activity 2: Malala’s story (10 mins)

1. Give the story handout to students (Annex). Either the teacher or the students read the story out loud. Ask students to try to work out if they know who the story is about.

2. While reading, pause between each paragraph and ask a question (Annex) for students to discuss for 30 seconds between each paragraph.

3. When you finish the story, you can reveal that this girl is Malala Yousafzai and this happened between 2008 and 2012. In 2014 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and is now a leading global advocate championing the equal right to education for all, especially for girls.  

4. Discuss/ Ask follow-up questions (Annex).

Activity 3: Who said this? (10 mins)

Notes: students can either word by themselves, in pairs, or in groups.

1. Hand out a paper with statements spoken by real people (Annex) and ask students to decide whether they think each statement is most likely to have been spoken by a male or female person and where they think that person comes from (i.e. continent, country).

2. Give the right answers (Annex) and discuss.

3. Ask students how they felt when they were given the answers, what problems these people face, what are the causes of the problems, and what are the solutions.

Activity 4: “From Where I Stand” poster (15 mins) 

1. The students handed in at the beginning of the lesson, give them instructions(Annex) and guide them to calculate their gender ratio and complete the poster(Annex) coloring each side of the image, proportional to the ratio.
2. how and tell - have the students share and compare their posters. As a class, can they reach some kind of conclusion or average for their findings and results?
3. Have the students discuss what the outcome means to their community in the context of gender equality. How far away are they from the goal of 50:50?
4. Discuss the outcome of the survey. Do their findings reflect the stories we have seen? Did anything surprise them?
5. Ask the students to think or write down the top three things they might personally be able to do to make sure the gender ratio is closer to a 50:50 ratio of leaders when they are older.

Tips for the teacher

Make sure your students are familiar with the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development (and explain that Gender Equality is Goal #5 to be reached by 2030). You can use this video to familiarize them with the topic:

https://vimeo.com/138852758  

Be aware and act with caution regarding students who may face discrimination or conditions very similar to the ones discussed in the lesson.

Make your classroom a safe place for all your students through making sure that all students can speak their minds or remain silent if they want to. They should all feel comfortable at all times.

Debriefing

Ask students what they thought of the whole process and what they think they have gained from it. What have these lessons taught them that they didn’t know before?

Ask them to write down the top three things they think people should do to make sure the gender equality is established. It can be something minor (i.e. done by a person) or of a larger scale (i.e. done by a government, country).

Their notes can be put up in the classroom/ school for everyone to see and remember.

Follow-up/Inspiration for the future

Students can present their product to their classmates (organize a presentation at school so other students can attend).

Students to act as ambassadors to raise awareness on the matter to their peers (lesson shout-outs, video to raise awareness etc.)

Students to keep a calendar on the actions they take (either as individuals or groups) towards gender equality establishment.

References/Further reading

- Anderson, M., Sedghi, A. (2015). “International Women's Day: Number of female lawmakers doubles in 20 years”.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/datablog/2015/mar/08/international-womens-day-number-of-female-lawmakers-doubles-in-20-years 

- Arnold-Foster, A. (2015). “How I teach students about equality: only Smarties have the answer”. 

https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/jan/28/teach-students-equality-smarties 

- “Cambridge English Dictionary”.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/inequality 

- “Equal rights – what gets in the way?” (2016).

https://www.womankind.org.uk/docs/default-source/Fundraise-/lesson-plan.pdf 

- “From Where I Stand” (2016).

http://cdn.worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/2016/07/Final-Gender-Equality-Lesson-Plan-1.pdf 

- Murimirwa, A. (2016). “Everybody Wins When Girls Can Stay In School”. 

http://cdn.worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/2016/06/19-Everybody-Wins-When-Girls-Can-Stay-in-School.pdf  

- “The World Is Not Equal. Is That Fair?” (2016). 

http://cdn.worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/2016/05/The-World-Is-Not-Equal.-Is-That-Fair.pdf 

INTRODUCTORY:

UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development video

https://vimeo.com/138852758

Sustainable Development Goals

THE UN GLOBAL GOALS
For Sustainable Development

LESSON 1:
Activity 2: To me inequality means…/ Gender Lightbulb

Lightbulb

Definition of Inequality

Inequality can be described as:

1. the unfair situation in society when some people have more opportunities, money, etc. than other people.

2. a situation in which money or opportunities are not shared equally between different groups in society.

“Cambridge English Dictionary”  https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/inequality

Activity 3: True or False?

True or False? statements – Students’ Copy

1. Globally, women occupy less than a 25% of all seats in parliament.

2. In the UK twice as many women as men rely on state benefits.

3. In the UK two thirds of pensioners living in poverty are women.

4. Educated girls in sub-Saharan Africa will earn up to 25% more, start businesses, and reinvest 90% in their families.

5. Uneducated girls in sub-Saharan Africa are three times likely to become HIV positive than educated ones.

6. Girls that get to go to school in sub-Saharan Africa have more, less healthy children, who are 40% less likely to live past the age of five.

7. Educated girls tend to be less vulnerable to violence and exploitation.

8. Become role models for the next generation of children, driving change from the local to the global level.

9. As many girls as boys finish secondary school.

10. Girls who finish school are more likely to live a healthy life.

    
    

    
    Teachers Edition
    Activity 3.pdf
    

Activity 4: School and gender equality

Rates of Gender enrolment at school

Definition of Gender Equality

Gender equality: Equality is when everybody is treated in the same way and has the same rights and opportunities, regardless of who they are, what they do, or where they are born and live. ‘Gender equality’ is when everyone has the same rights and opportunities regardless of their gender, and girls and boys are valued equally by everyone.

Murimirwa, A. (2016). “Everybody Wins When Girls Can Stay In School”.

http://cdn.worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/2016/06/19-Everybody-Wins-When-Girls-Can-Stay-in-School.pdf

Activity 5: “From Where I stand” survey form

Short call-to-action video from Emma Watson 

https://vimeo.com/174213067

“From Where I stand” survey form

Activity 2: Malala’s story

A Powerful Story – Students’ copy

Once upon a time, there was a young girl who loved going to school. However, she lived in an area where some political leaders didn’t want her to go to school. They used to attack the schools and try to stop girls going to school. 

So one day this young girl, who was only eleven years old at the time, started to make speeches and write blogs saying that girls should be allowed to go to school as well. 

However, the people in power, who didn’t want girls to go to school, wanted to frighten her to stop her telling people these things. They knew lots of people around the world were listening to what she was saying, so they made it clear that they would harm her if she kept saying these things. 

The young girl did not stop saying her opinions. So one day, when she was fourteen years old, a man came onto the bus when she was on her way back from school and shot her. The bullet hit her head. Luckily, this young girl did not die. 

She was taken to another country and she survived. She went on to finish school and continues to tell the world that girls should be allowed to go to school.

A Powerful Story – Teacher’s copy

Once upon a time, there was a young girl who loved going to school. However, she lived in an area where some political leaders didn’t want her to go to school. They used to attack the schools and try to stop girls going to school. 

Question: What would you do if the people with political power in your area attacked your school and said you (whether you are a boy or a girl) weren’t allowed to go anymore? 

So one day this young girl, who was only eleven years old at the time, started to make speeches and write blogs saying that girls should be allowed to go to school as well. 

Question: How do you think the people with political power, who were against girls in school, might have reacted when she started doing this? 

However, the people in power, who didn’t want girls to go to school, wanted to frighten her to stop her telling people these things. They knew lots of people around the world were listening to what she was saying, so they made it clear that they would harm her if she kept saying these things. 

Question: If someone threatened you for saying your opinion, would you stop or would you carry on anyway? 

The young girl did not stop saying her opinions. So one day, when she was fourteen years old, a man came onto the bus when she was on her way back from school and shot her. The bullet hit her head. Luckily, this young girl did not die. 

Question: If you had been harmed for saying your opinions and survived, would you stop after that? 

She was taken to another country and she survived. She went on to finish school and continues to tell the world that girls should be allowed to go to school. 

Question: What do you think of this girl? Do you think what she did made an impact? Why/ why not?

A Powerful Story – Follow-up questions

1. Is Malala Yousafzai is a role model for you? Why / why not?

2. Women can be as good at being leaders and role models as men.

3. Do you think we need more role models like Malala in the world and our local community?

4. Could you be someone like Malala, passionate about something you believe in, in your local community?

Activity 3: Who said this?

Who said this? – Students’ copy

Read the following statements. Decide whether you think each statement is most likely to have been spoken by a male or female person and where the person comes from.

Who said this? – Teacher’s copy

1. ‘Several times my older brother has beaten me up. He also tells me ’you go ahead and go to school and I’ll throw acid on you.’ 
   Spoken by an 18 year old girl in Afghanistan whose brother wants her to marry to bring in dowry money. Education is compulsory in Afghanistan, but many girls are prevented from going to school 
2. ‘When I complained about not getting paid, he called the police to beat me up.’ 
   Spoken by a 16 year old boy in India, given to be a bonded labourer to pay off a family debt when he was 12. Many children from poor families in Nepal, India and Pakistan are given to be bonded labourers, virtual slaves, to work usually for nothing.
3. ‘Once I arrived I was introduced to a lady. She took my travel documents and my mobile phone. She said she had bought me, she owned me and that I had to pay back the debt.’ 
   A girl who came to England as a tourist to learn English who was forced to take drugs and work as a prostitute. Both men and women are trafficked in the UK. 77% people trafficked worldwide are women.
   
4. ‘I wanted to get an education but my parents were determined to marry me off.'
   Spoken by Himanot, an Ethiopian girl married at 13.Every year millions of girls worldwide marry before they are 18, often in return for money given to their families. Many of them have not yet reached puberty.
5. ‘When my mother died in childbirth I had to give up school to care for my brothers and sisters.’ 
   Girls in developing countries routinely shoulder the greater burden of domestic work, including collecting water. This can mean they do not have time for school
6. ‘When they gave me the job they said they weren’t sure that I’d ‘hack the pace’. So they said they’d pay me less until I’d proved myself.’
   An experienced woman bus driver in the UK. The average pay for women in the UK is 15% less than for men doing similar jobs. Employers sometimes justify lower pay for women by saying that they will not be able to do a job as well as men.
7. ‘In the morning, I fetch water, then I walk to school. One day I arrived late. As punishment my teacher asked me to crawl on my bare knees across the ground from the school gate to the classroom.’
   A schoolgirl from Sierra Leone where violence against women is widespread.

Activity 4: “From Where I Stand” poster

Instructions on completing “From Where I Stand” poster

1. Calculate your gender ratio:

Total the number of crosses in each column and put that number in the bottom row. Add the column totals together. For example if you have answered every question then the sum of all the columns will be 12.

You can find the table and the poster in this learning package:

From where i stand.pdf

Now express your ratio like this % females : % males  e.g.  50 : 50  or 17 : 83 The sum of the two sides of your ratio should equal 100 and remember to put the female figure on the left, the male figure on the right.  

2. Complete your poster:

3. Share your results:

Visit https://worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/FromWhereIStand and input your data onto the world map or take a photo of your poster and post it to us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
Accurately copy and complete this post to make sure we can capture your information.
.@TheWorldsLesson #FromWhereIStand in #[insert your country] my gender ratio is x:y (insert your gender ratio women : men) #GlobalGoals

Get the table and the poster in this learning package:

From where i stand.pdf