Promising Approaches in Gender Transformative Education

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Gaps between girls & boys in education are narrowing

Yet gender gaps later in life are still pronounced

Gender gaps in education may no longer be linked to gender gaps in income

Source: United Nations Development Programme, 2023 Gender Social Norms Index Report

Gender Transformative Education (GTE) can help

Gender Transformative Education challenges and overturns harmful gender norms and inequalities. A gender-transformative approach activates all parts of an education system to ensure that learners have access to inclusive, gender equal, and safe schools, while transforming harmful gendered stereotypes, attitudes, norms and practices. It addresses the root causes of inequality and the systems of oppression that hold back learners in all their diversity, in particular girls, minorities and the most vulnerable.

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Source: United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI). Definition based on Gender transformative education: reimagining education for a more just and inclusive world, Plan International, UNGEI, UNICEF, Transform Education

Promoting positive gender norms and preventing violence against children in schools in Uganda: Lessons from practice

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Devin Faris, Violence Against Children Prevention Director

Promoting positive gender norms & preventing violence against children in schools in Uganda: Lessons from practice

Intervention: The Good School Toolkit, a whole school intervention to prevent violence against children and adolescents (GST-S) - Uganda

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Purpose: Reduce student chances of experiencing violence at school, promote healthy relationships, improve student voice/leadership. �

Data & Methods (post GST RCT): GST-S systematic adaptation: formative study (4 schools); Pilot RCT (8 schools); practice-based insights from scale

1. Measure 1: GST-S Adaptation Formative Study
• 4 FGDs + cross-sectional survey, 560 secondary students
2. Measure 2: GST-S Pilot trial (8 schools) - cross-sectional BL/EL surveys
• Baseline: 386 students, 85 staff; Endline: 837 students, 98 staff

3. Measure 3: Practice-based learning/L&A (RRP study forthcoming)

• 1,121 teachers (96 schools) baseline; 1,218 (95 schools) endline

Uganda

Promoting positive gender norms & preventing violence against children in schools in Uganda: Lessons from practice

Key Findings (Adaptation Process):

• GST RCT: 42% reduction teacher physical violence, 50% reduced acceptance, 20% reduction peer violence, 20% reduced severe
• GST-S formative: 60% girls, 68% boys report physical punishment; 52% girls rep. peer violence (20% sexual); of 50% girls report ever being in a dating relationship, 51% report IPV, 20% sexual (9% boys)� → New content on power, peer/sexual/life-skills
• Pilot trial: first evidence of feasibility for whole- school intervention addressing multiple forms of violence against adolescents from multiple perpetrators. Delivered with fidelity, content highly acceptable/understandable to students and staff

Emerging Lessons from Practice:

• 71% of school staff agreed that teachers no longer need physical punishment
• Strong reception, girls-leadership of content on power (language to diverse exp)
• Equal leadership, 33% schools see more girls on committees than boys
• Language is critical: challenging gender norms → “gender fairness”
• Still some resistance to content on dating violence, romantic partnerships
• School size: challenge for imp. at scale
• Promising: promoting girls’ leadership, voice, connectedness, safety and agency

What works to end gender stereotypes through schools? Emerging evidence from global majority countries

Antara Ganguli, UN Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) Director

“The thought of equality is there at our home, but it has to go outside the home. This is what this programme has triggered for our school and community (parent from India).”

"As a girl, I heard I did not need to focus on studying; marriage and household chores were my path. This project showed me girls can be independent and have equal rights. I've learned to pursue my dreams and goals." (grade 8 student from Bangladesh)

Intervention: i) demonstrate how play, reflection and activity-based curricula on gender stereotypes shifts students’ and teachers’ attitudes and beliefs around restrictive gender norms in Bangladesh, India and Niger; ii) build evidence and momentum to institutionalize such curricula and pedagogy; iii) drive research and learning agenda through a coalition of partners.

Purpose: To drive momentum around ending gender stereotypes in schools, ultimately contributing to gender equality in and through education.

Data & Methods: Comparative baseline and endline surveys applied over ca. 6 months:

•9714 students (45% girls) of grade 3 to 10 from 60 schools in India, Bangladesh and Niger; and

•423 trained teachers (36% women) on play/reflection-based curricula reached.

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Bangladesh

Niger

Key Findings:

• India: 73 and 71 pp increase among G and B respectively who associated the word ‘gentle’ with both girls and boys; 81 and 78 pp increase among G and B who associated the word ‘cooking’ with both men and women; Over half of teachers strongly agreed men should take same amount of responsibility as women in caring for home and children in the baseline, rising to 82.4% for women and 71.4% for men at endline.
• Bangladesh: 62 and 61 pp increase among G and B who knew how to recognize and identify gender stereotypes; 49.6 and 62 pp increase among G and B who believed gender stereotypes are harmful; 37 and 71.5 pp increase among girls and boys who said gender norms can be altered.
• Niger: Endline survey ongoing.

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Integrating gender transformative approaches into comprehensive sexuality education in the US: Preliminary findings from an RCT in Washington D.C.

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Rachel Katz, Program Associate

Intervention: Sex ed curriculum (16-hours), all genders, 15-19 years, English and Spanish, grounded in critical thinking, gender role deconstruction, and interpersonal power dynamics; digital component

Topics: gender and identity, emotions, power and relationships, sexuality in the media, STI prevention, contraception, and accessing health services

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Purpose: Increase positive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) behaviors and gender equitable relationships, avoiding fear, shame, and stigma

Outcomes: consistent use of condoms and contraceptives; use of SRH services; sexual agency (communication and consent)

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Data & Methods: RCT; 700 youth; control job readiness curriculum; in Latin American Youth Center, charter & public schools

• 3 surveys: baseline, endline, 9-month follow-up

Integrating GTE into comprehensive sexuality education in the US: Preliminary findings from an RCT in Washington DC

Washington, DC, USA

• Increased condom use
• Increased HIV testing and use of SRH services
• Improved attitudes towards contraceptives
• Increased communication with partners
• Increased gender equitable attitudes
• Reduced STI symptoms
• Reduced IPV

Integrating GTE into comprehensive sexuality education in the US: Preliminary findings from an RCT in Washington DC

Program H Key Findings:

Many Ways of Being Preliminary Findings:

159 youth

• Increased knowledge of contraceptives, STIs
• Increased knowledge of where to access SRH services
• Increased ability to identify sexual consent

“We would use posters…for what people expect from men and women. And also for nonbinary people…Like on the men’s side, a stereotype would be how they’re not supposed to show their feelings and they’re supposed to be powerful and dominant in public. And this could be hurtful…or lead to depression.” - MWB participant

Gender Transformative Education Systems: Pathway to a gender-equitable world

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Sunita Menon, Senior Director

Intervention:

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ØDirect implementation of gender transformative education system in 2 states of Punjab & Odisha

Ø Capacities of 66,000 teachers; state and district officials built to bring gender equitable behaviour in the classroom

Ø Impact 4 million adolescents from class VI to X with a gender equity curriculum by 2028.

ØBuild an environment where girls can thrive across 35,000 schools through parental engagement and School Management Committees

ØAdvocate for a gender transformative education system nationwide

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Gender Transformative Education Systems: Pathway to a gender-equitable world

Purpose:

• 1.6 million adolescents demonstrate positive gender equitable attitudes.
• 7% point increase in secondary school retention in Punjab.
• 4% point increase in secondary school retention in Odisha.

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Data & Methods:

• Evaluation Baseline/ Endline Pre & Post Survey with Teachers, Students and other stakeholders

by JPAL & BT

• Impact of the GTES program on gender attitudes and behaviours and reduction in drop out.
• Process Monitoring and Learning by JPAL
• To get a deeper insight into the program execution and output
• Monitoring by program team and process monitoring by implementing partners.
• To get a deeper insight into the program execution and input provided. To design further program
• IDI and interviews with teachers and students
• To design teacher nudges program in 1 district of Odisha by Busara/BT
• RCT in one district to assess impact of teacher nudges program By JPAL
• Action Research on additional gender and education intersectional components
• 10 state Gender and Education Report –data collection

Agenda set Gender and Education with central and state govt and larger civil society.

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Gender Transformative Education Systems: Pathway to a gender-equitable world

What are the promises of GTE?

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in the short-term? In the long-term? In regards to evidence?

What are the potential pitfalls / risks of GTE to guard against?

Where do we go from here — how do we further the GTE agenda?