Project GEM - Gender Equality Matters, funded by the European Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme, has published a MOOC (massive open online course). This is one of the first results produced by the partnership to help professionals and their families to improve the education of their children.
The course includes four modules:
- Rights and Equality
- Stereotypes
- Bullying and Gender Violence
- Contrasting Bullying and Gender Violence
"Project GEM has provided a concrete answer to the needs of the school community that needs to reflect critically on the behaviour and expectations influenced by gender stereotypes,” explains project manager Annaleda Mazzucato [@AnnaledaM], who coordinated the project in Italy.
"Teachers are looking for information and tools. They are interested in providing answers to the questions asked by students and orient them in their life choices, without any conditioning or stereotypes.”
Starting with the exchange of practices at the European level and partnerships between academic partners, third sector and schools, the partnership has developed strategies and tools for all contexts: practical classroom courses, didactic support manuals, activities to understand and discover gender identity, all of which are profoundly aware of the conditioning hidden by stereotypes. Research work turned into practice in our educational centres and was then transformed into tools for the development of courses to promote change in both school and family contexts.
“The sensation is that there is a new awareness in school, a greater recognition of the need to gain the right knowledge and tools, to speak about issues and face gender identity, to break stereotypes and perceive oneself and others without any form of conditioning or discrimination,” continues the project manager. “Project GEM has created courses and guided parents, teachers and students to develop the necessary fundamental skills to understand them. We have many ideas and a consolidated network. Initiatives are spreading throughout schools, countries, organisations and student groups.”
