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Gender equality

1. The centrality of gender equality, womens empowerment and the realization of womens
rights in achieving sustainable development has been increasingly recognized in recent decades.
Gender equality is achieved when women and men enjoy the same rights and opportunities
across all sectors of society, including economic participation and decision-making, and when
different behaviors, aspirations and needs of women and men are equally valued and favored.
Although gender equality is proclaimed in many policy documents, in reality there are still huge
gaps between men and women in many countries.
2. In what contexts and areas of everyday life can one recognize gender inequality?
What do you believe are main causes of these concrete examples of inequality?
Discuss it at the forum!
3. Read the document Global Gender Gap Report and find results for your country.
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GGGR14/GGGR_CompleteReport_2014.pdf
How do you understand these results and what do you think, why your country received that
index? Discuss it at the forum!
3. There are many obstacles on the womens career path, especially those in those professions which have
been primarily reserved for men. Divide into groups of 3 to 4 and prepare one of these two
assignments:
a) Analyze biography (all available documents about her life at the Internet or in the local library) of
one successful woman, preferably a scientist, an engineer or a politician, with a special focus on the
obstacles and barriers she has faced in her career and private life just because she was a woman
b) Interview one successful women, preferably a scientist, an engineer or a politician (at the local or
national level) on her private and professional life, with a special focus on obstacles and barriers she
has faced in her career and private life just because she was a woman.
Three to five pages assignment (including most relevant biographical data, private and professional
experience and struggles) should be presented to other classmates at the forum.
What have you found out are there some similarities between analyzed biographies/ narratives? Are
there some common, typical challenges which women face in their careers? What psychological and
social factors play a role? Discuss it at the forum!
4. There are some typical factors that proved to be related to gender inequality in professional context, i.e.
fewer women in politics, at some leaders positions or in IT. Go through the checklist [ hyperlink to the
file] in previously formed groups and tick those career challenges that your interviewees or women whose
biography you analyzed experienced. Share your impressions with other classmates at the forum! Find out
what are the most common challenges!
5. Watch a TED Talk:
http://www.ted.com/talks/sheryl_sandberg_why_we_have_too_few_women_leaders?language=en#t-836

6. As mentioned in this Talk, many people have stereotypes about women, but they are not aware of them.
Although unconscious and implicit, they affect their behavior. For example, in one study it is proven that
many people (even women) are likely to assess a work biography of a male much favorably than the same
biography with a female name written on it. If you want to check whether you have implicit biases toward
men or women, do this short test:
http://www.understandingprejudice.org/iat/genframe.htm
And, what have you discovered?
As stated, sometimes we are not aware of our biases because we are very used to that way of thinking.
From our childhood we listen to the stories that contain some biases and values promoted by those in
power and we take them for granted. Therefore it is always good to question our beliefs and values to
ask ourselves whether something is natural or just socially construed. One of the best examples is our
belief that women are poor drivers. So, what do you think are women born with poorly developed
abilities for driving or some social factors impact their performance? Share your opinion with the
classmates at the forum!
7. Try to discover what stereotype threat is! Share your findings with your classmates at the forum! Can
you name some other examples of stereotype threat except this dealing with driving?
8. Finally, having in mind all womens experiences you heard and scientific findings, write a slogan/
motto for a campaign that will promote gender equality, which will address one of the previously listed
challenges women face in their careers. Do this in pairs and write your slogan at the forum!

Short Description
(Metadata)
1. Title: Gender equality
2. Author: Nataa Simi, Danijela Petrovi & Danka Puri
3. Subjects: Sociology, Psychology, Civic education
4. Area: Stereotypes and equality in society
5. Specific Topic: Gender equality
6. Aim/Goal: To understand the reasons for gender inequality and actively take part in
promotion of gender equality
7. Target Audience: Students
8. Group Size: Class
9. Venue (Place of Execution): A classroom (and a local community optional)
10. Duration: four classes (activities can be conducted separately, so to reduce duration)
11. Resources: provided (links and additional materials)

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