Promoting the involvement of women in non-traditional trainingAn introduction to Gender considerations in curriculum development

Gina Bennett for COTR International

Why involve women?

Add brainstorming ideas here

Gina Bennett for COTR International

Brainstorming session: What factors limit women’s participation in training?

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Gina Bennett for COTR International

Equality vs. Equity

What’s the difference in these 2 terms?

Gina Bennett for COTR International

Designing curriculum to better involve women

Gina Bennett for COTR International

ContentLearner

Audience

Learning Environment

Accommodation for children

Questions to be answered during the Learner Analysis:● how is childcare organized? Will women watch each

other’s children? Will an older child be left behind? ● Can children come to training sessions? How is

childcare managed in such situations?● Is breastfeeding acceptable in public? In mixed gender

meetings?

Gina Bennett for COTR International

Brainstorming session!

How can training sessions be made more ‘family friendly’?

Gina Bennett for COTR International

Training and women’s timetables

● how will women travel to training? Can they travel alone? Is it safe?

● what other responsibilities constrain women’s timetables? Chores? Sending children off to school? Carrying for others?

● what if the woman must miss a session (sick child, etc.)?

Gina Bennett for COTR International

Training and domestic power structures

● Who decides whether or not the woman will participate in a training event?

● What constrains whether or not the woman can implement what she has learned in the home?

● If study or homework is required will the woman be given time to do this?

● Even if the tuition is free, there may be other costs involved in training. If so, how will she pay?

Gina Bennett for COTR International

Literacy and schooling

● What is the participation rate of women in primary schooling? In secondary schooling?

● Do women have ample opportunities to maintain literacy and numeracy after they leave school?

● Are women’s academic achievements respected?

Gina Bennett for COTR International

Brainstorming session: Ethical issues

What cultural factors affect training?To what extent should cultural factors be respected?When should cultural limitations be ‘stretched’?Should women (or men) be trained for vocations which adversely affect their health?

Gina Bennett for COTR International

Selecting appropriate trainers

What topics (if any) are not appropriate for a man to teach a woman?What topics (if any) are not appropriate for a woman to teach a man?Are some topics ‘forbidden’ in mixed-gender classes?

Gina Bennett for COTR International

Mixed gender classes

‘Couples training’ has many benefits:● household members can learn from one

another and support each other’s learning (“synergistic” effect)

● couples can work collaboratively in technical activities and engage in joint decision- making.

Gina Bennett for COTR International

Adapting content for gender inclusion

• Check pronoun usage. Is the student always referred to as “he” or as “she”?

• Check the images used in the content. Do images include both sexes when portraying learning events or workers?

• When women are included in illustrations, are they always shown as the “worker”, never the “supervisor” or “expert”?

Gina Bennett for COTR International

Content and delivery

• Does the content or the classroom delivery favour male-oriented language?

• Does the instructor or trainer have preconceived ideas about what a woman should do or can learn?

• Does the training assume a lot of unstated background knowledge (e.g. mechanical information that many women won’t know)?

Gina Bennett for COTR International

What about men?

Can you think of examples in which men’s educational needs are not adequately met, in curriculum designed primarily for women?

Gina Bennett for COTR International

This is only the beginning!

Comprehensive Gender Planning for program change involves 5 steps:1. Gender awareness2. Gender analysis3. Gender strategy development4. Targetted gender activities5. Monitoring the gender-related project

Gina Bennett for COTR International