A project about gender sensitive education

  • About the project

The project ruzovyamodrysvet.sk (pinkandblueworld.sk) is aimed at increasing gender sensitivity and gender awareness of teachers and elementary and secondary school pupils.

FINAL REPORT ON THE PROJECT ruzovyamodrysvet.sk (pinkandblueworld.sk)

  • Objectives of the project

· To increase professional competence of teachers
· To foster gender sensitive approach in education
· To eliminate gender stereotypes in the choice of the study field and occupation

Schools in Slovakia are full of gender stereotypes that are invisible because of low gender consciousness of teachers due to the fact that school teachers in Slovakia have very little knowledge of gender issues and are not properly trained in the area of gender sensitive education.

  • Target groups

Teachers, pupils, students of schools of education, scholars and experts, wider public.

  • Duration of the project

March 2005 – October 2008

  • Project activities

Educational activities for various target groups, for example seminars, lectures, workshops, a pilot project in an elementary school, a summer school for teachers, various theatre productions such as stagings, scenic readings on gender topics and other events.

Research on the theory and reality of gender sensitive education in Slovakia to help monitor the situation in gender sensitive education, and observe possible changes over the three years of the duration of the project.

Publications on gender sensitive education. A part of the project is also publication of books and multimedia on gender topics, gender stereotypes, gender sensitive education etc., as tools for future education of teachers and students of schools of education as well as pupils and other target groups.

The second edition of the book Ružový a modrý svet. Rodové stereotypy a ich dôsledky (Pink and Blue World. Gender Stereotypes and Their Consequences) was published in 2005, and its expanded version on a CD-ROM was made in 2006. HERE you can read and download selected chapters from the book in English.

Campaign aimed at increasing public sensitivity towards gender issues, and at desegregation of “female“, and “male“ professions. The campaign facilitates dissemination of the theme to a wider audience.

Our website offers a large number of materials for both study and play:

play
This section features theater stagings from the production of Bábkové divadlo na Rázcestí (Theater on the Crossroads) from Banská Bystrica that look at various themes from the gender perspective and open up broader possibilities of gender sensitization of the wide public of all ages. Within the frame of the project several theater productions for both children and grown-ups were made.

“We deliberately seek out the female forms of the theater language and we think it is different from that offered in commonly known theater plays.“ Iveta Škripková, BDNR, author and director

study
The “study room“ brings information about various educational activities intended mostly for teachers, but not only for them. The English translation of classroom activities from the book Ružový a modrý svet provides ideas on how to approach gender sensitization in the classroom.

The Slovak version of the website features also the translation of the book A Preventive Approach to Equal Opportunities: From School to Employment (a handbook for teachers and students of school of education published by the Canary Islands regional government), and sub-pages: Recommended Readings (mapping out publications and websites on the issue of gender and education), Seminars and Lectures (on topics such as gender and language, violence against women or gender and visual culture), and Pilot Project – carried out in cooperation with teachers at the Elementary School Gorkého 21 in Trnava through seminars, classroom activities and preparation of teaching methods.

“It is necessary to start from small children and young people because they still have some sense of justice. I hope this is the right way.“ Jana Cviková, ASPEKT

read
This section brings information about the book and CD-ROM Ružový a modrý svet, and selected chapters from the book in English translation.

The Slovak version of the website contains the on-line publication Pink and Blue World, excerpts from and information about various books, even whole publications in the electronic format and other texts – from expert papers to newspaper articles.

“Love, motherhood, parenthood, sexuality, violence, beauty, toys and new technologies are themes about which authors speak differently that we have been accustomed to so far. The otherness of their voices can inspire us to thinks about ender stereotypes that impoverish our lives.“ Zuzana Kiczková, Gender Studies Center Comenius University, philosopher
„The book Pink and Blue World intended for teachers as well as parents is a unique publication on the Slovak and Czech market.“ Jana Valdrová, Czech linguist

  • Who is who in the Project

from March 2005 until Oktober 2008 the project was realized by:

* ASPEKT, Bratislava (lead partner) www.aspekt.sk
The first feminist NGO in Slovakia. For more than 15 years it has been carrying out various educational, publication, media, research and other activities aimed at gender sensitization of society. It coordinates the project ruzovyamodrysvet.sk and takes part in all its manifold activities.

* Občan a demokracia, Bratislava www.oad.sk
The NGO woks in the area of human rights advocacy, education and counseling. In the project ruzovyamodrysvet.sk it focuses on gender sensitization of teachers.

* Bábkové divadlo na Rázcestí, Banská Bystrica www.bdnr.sk
Theater on the Crossroads works with the theme of gender sensitivity through theater shows, scenic readings, discussion and other events. In the project ruzovyamodrysvet.sk it realizes theater production and the discussion club Klub EQ, and cooperates with the Faculty of Education and Faculty of Humanities of the Matej Bel University.

* Škola základ života, n.f. pri ZŠ Gorkého 21, Trnava www.zstulipan.sk
The Elementary School in Trnava provides space for the pilot project focusing on gender sensitive pedagogy in both further education of teacher and in their classroom activities.

Transnational Development Partnership WEGA (Women European Gender Actions) contributes a new perspective to the project pinkandblueworld.sk. It provides new experiences of partners from Spain, Austria, Italy and Slovenia, and possibilities of their exchange in the field of gender sensitive education, as well as opportunities to learn new methods and tools such as gender audit, analysis of the gender pay gap, and many others. The activities carried under the umbrella of the WEGA partnership are aimed at achieving the common objective of promoting gender democracy, culture and equal opportunities for women and men in the labor market and social life, to design strategies to fight discrimination and to foster capacity building and the professional life of women in public and private organizations.
Clik HERE to read the whole WEGA Final Report on our website.

ruzovyamodrysvet.sk Gender Sensitization in the Educational Process at Elementary and Secondary Schools as Preparation for Future Job Desegregation is a project carried out within the European EQUAL Community Initiative funded by the European Social Fund.