sign in sign up
<<
Home , Jharkhand

Transcending Boundaries

Evidence and Learning from GEMS

Pranita Achyut, Nandita Bhatla, Gurpreet , Hemlata Verma, Shubha Bhattacharya & Ravi Verma | December 6, 2016 Gender Equity Movement in Schools

• A primary violence prevention program

• Aims to foster gender equality, redefine masculinity & negate all forms of violence GEMS Core Principles G E M S u s e s

Multiple strategies and activities Institutional Engagement Pivotal Role of Teachers

Making personal connection with issues

Guide and role model

Gender transformation – a journey that requires support

To create supportive environment, school staff are orientated and sensitized Group Education Activities with girls and boys of grades 6 & 7 in Classroom

• Teacher led • During school hours • Uses participatory methods • 24 sessions of 45 min each over two • Role play academic year • Debates • Domains – Gender, body changes, • Stories/situations Violence, Relationship, emotion and • Encourage discussion, Communication reflection & questioning School Campaign to reinforce messages on gender equality and non-violence

Breaking stereotypes with gender-bender race

Snakes and Ladders

Pledging Community Engagement Taking conversation on gender equality beyond school

Leveraging structures and platforms: • School management committee • Students’ group • Parent-teacher meeting

Taking the discussion Web game home (Jhar & DaNang) (DaNang) Community campaign The GEMS Journey…

• Conceptualized, developed and implemented in 45 govt. schools in during 2008-2011

• Scaled up in ~20000 schools across the state The GEMS Journey… ICRW with govt. and partners State govt. implementing in 40 implementing in schools 140 schools Vietnam PLAN in 30 Piloted in 45 schools in schools in Hanoi & PyD The Philippines Mumbai & scaled in 20 DaNang Govt. planning in up in Pasig ~20000 schools across state UNFPA with govt. implementing in 350 schools Tried in 5 schools; discussion with govt. to scale-up Adaptability and Scalability GEMS has wider appeal

Addresses fundamental constructs of gender and violence

Lends itself to wider issues – e.g quality education in Jharkhand, value of girl child in Maharashtra, to child marriage in Bangladesh

Relevant in wider context - Conflict region (Jharkhand in ) to MIC (Vietnam); Public schools to religious schools Designed within institutional framework

• State and district • Linkage and grounding education authorities within existing policies • Principal and teachers • Child protection, • UN, CSOs and Donors linkage education, policies • Built on existing network related to youth, health,

… Stakeholders

• Ex – in Maharashtra, Policy India and Bangladesh • E.g, in India – Education government and UN are policy; Bangladesh – part of the adaptation Adol. SRHR; Vietnam – process gender policy Contextualize Designed withininstitutional… • • • • • Used formativeresearch platforms sessionsadditional & Contextspecific space view ofrestricted class methodsSelection of in as a classperiod Durationsame ofsessions academic calendar is busy Feweras sessions -

Piloting in routine condition • • • • strategy Bottom youthforums/clubs Used platforms teachers hoursschool ledby governmentduring schools Implemented in resourcesand platforms conditionsavailable using Operateroutine in - up planning – SMCs, Multiple sites Designed withininstitutional… • • • non religiouswith SRHR, & GEMS othersGEMS, only schools rural(mixof some & urban), E.g evaluationdesign Robustmonitoring& conflictto validatelearn and context sites/atPiloting multiple – - religiousschools in Bangladesh – urban, rural,urban, tribal, - 4 districts4

Fund to support • • • communities development Advocacywith innovation under Funding systemoutside within and Fund Few Results Reflecting and questioning GEMS has made teachers and students to reflect and question inequitable practices

Why does Isn’t physical Why do What do we do if child punishment boys rape violence? someone girls? marriage touches us happen ? inappropriately?

Don’t I differentiate in work distribution?

Why violence while playing? Do I share Why do boys and girls household experience different responsibility? body changes? Gender attitude of students More students belief in gender equality and non-violence

70 66 61 64 57 % disagree or strongly disagree 51 46 39 35 38 32 33 3134 28 28 2526 24 21 19 1516

Baseline Endline Baseline Endline Baseline Endline Baseline Endline Baseline Endline Baseline Endline For women, taking Girls are tolerant Violence against For women, taking Girls are tolerant Violence against care of the house than boys by women is care of the house than boys by women is and children is nature* acceptable in some and children is nature* acceptable in some more important situations more important situations* than her career* than her career* Da Nang Jharkhand Control Intervention

*Adj DID significant at p<0.05 Bystander intervention Increase in positive actions and decline in negative actions

NET CHANGE IN THE BYSTANDER INTERVENTION

ADJUSTED DID

11% 10%

+VE ACTION TO STOP -VE ACTION TO STOP +VE ACTION TO STOP ACTION TO PHYSICAL VIOLENCE EMOTIONAL VIOLENCE EMOTIONAL VIOLENCE ENCOURAGE SEXUAL VIOLENCE

BOYS GIRLS

15%

-

21% - Interaction & Communication Program has enhanced confidence and communication between students and teaches, but struggle continues…

Students [I] have learnt to raise voice against violence. We should stop those who are doing that. Then that person will not do it – Girl, Mumbai

Now, I know violence is not appropriate, but its difficult to control anger – Boy, Jharkhand

… [I] have teachers and friends whom I can talk in case of violence – Girl, Jharkhand

Teachers GEMS program made me realize that how women are socialized not to speak out . … After GEMS I started to speak out and ensured that tasks were distributed equally to all – Female teacher, Jharkhand

Data from Mumbai, 2011 Girls are not scared now [of reporting incidents]…they know that it is not their fault. They are also more confident because they think that they can tell the GEMS teachers – Female teacher, Jharkhand be Prepared… explore Opportunities… go with Passion…