Session Information
23 SES 02 C, Education, Social Inequalities and Gender
Paper Session
Contribution
The issue as to whether gender mainstreaming can be successfully implemented in schools is still open to debate. How can the goal be achieved that everyone involved in schools constantly should bring a gender sensitive awareness to bear on all decisions at all levels, in line with the intentions of the European Council in 1998? What was new about the gender mainstreaming school-projects under examination in Sweden was the inclusive approach, the focus on girls and boys, women and men, teaching staff and other school employees, schools and administrative bodiesas well as local politics. The aim of these early gender mainstreaming school projects was to achieve permanent changes in the gender order in the everyday life of the school. Supportive measures were provided from the outset. The projects being the result of political decision-making, considerable resources were provided. There was a choice of a wide range of proven gender mainstreaming methods.. The most far-reaching project in terms of gender mainstreaming was based on the concept that the process of changing the gender-order was the responsibility of all actors in any particular school. Gender patterns were analysed by students and staff together, for instance mapping exactly in what circumstances a person felt discriminated against, and exactly how the situation was reacted to. Plans for action were then worked out, which included concrete objectives, a time-frame and identification of those responsible. The success of the project was due to the active participation of all persons involved and the inclusion of all non-teaching staff such as caretakers, canteen employees, librarians etc in helping to make gender inequalities visible. The process must be clearly defined by means of a gender analysis of the workplace in question, based on a thorough understanding of relations between the sexes in terms of power structures, and by means of common concrete objectives drawn up within the framework of a set time table and clearly defined areas of responsibility. Finally there must be a thorough evaluation of the whole process.
Head teachers were identified as key persons for the work on gender issues in all projects and as such needed special support. The special success of a new regional project depended on systematically including school leaders together with politicians and members of the school administration in the work on gender issues, encouraging them to acknowledge their responsibility in the process of gender mainstreaming. My study was carried out in Sweden 2003-2006 during a particularly auspicious period of time. Starting in1998 the gender equality board JämO expressed the need for prompt action at all school levels, mainly because of problems with verbal and physical sexualized violence amongst pupils in and out of school. Gender equality institutions at national, regional and local level then increased their efforts to produce in-depth theoretical and practical gender-material for teachers and to put in place pilot-projects aimed at implementing gender mainstreaming processes in schools. Thus it was possible to look for an answer as to what hinders and what furthers implementation of gender mainstreaming.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
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