Education transforms lives and is central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Agenda. Yet, it remains inequitable, with persistent gender disparities worldwide, including in the Caribbean. Despite progress achieved, the region faces a wide range of challenges such as high rates of school-based gender-based violence, harmful gender norms, and boys’ disengagement from education, particularly at the upper secondary level.
With this reality in mind, the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean organized an in-person workshop in Kingston, Jamaica, from November 14-15, 2024, to address the impact of negative gender norms, including restrictive masculinities, and to challenge such norms, comprehending that teachers must understand how gender does shape identity and behaviors, recognize the effects of unequal norms, and identify and confront stereotypes.
This training aimed to equip teachers with the knowledge and tools to mainstream gender in education, build awareness of key gender concepts, implement gender-transformative practices, and foster innovative approaches to creating equitable, inclusive classrooms. By enhancing institutional capacities, it sought to develop gender-sensitive curricula, eliminate stereotypes, and promote transformative education.
The capacity-building session followed a research study in The Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Guyana, and Jamaica. It had close to two dozen participants, including head teachers, teacher trainers, and curriculum specialists, and was based on the manual on gender transformative education prepared by Dr Dalea Bean, Head of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies.
Dr. Rasheda Moody-Marshall, UNESCO’s Research Consultant, explained the connection between global citizenship education and gender equality, and shared some of the promising initiatives in the Caribbean, while offering her own views on them. The workshop was then facilitated combining traditional and innovative methodologies such as brainstorming sessions, peer-share and group work, case study reviews, and role-playing.
Participants highlighted the need to define biases, understand the links between gender and culture, distinguish gender from sex, recognize differences between gender identity and expression, and grasp equity versus equality. Reflections included plans for systemic change, gender-responsive teaching, and stakeholder involvement, with evaluations rating the workshop’s quality, relevance, and facilitation at the highest levels.
With this reality in mind, the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean organized an in-person workshop in Kingston, Jamaica, from November 14-15, 2024, to address the impact of negative gender norms, including restrictive masculinities, and to challenge such norms, comprehending that teachers must understand how gender does shape identity and behaviors, recognize the effects of unequal norms, and identify and confront stereotypes.
This training aimed to equip teachers with the knowledge and tools to mainstream gender in education, build awareness of key gender concepts, implement gender-transformative practices, and foster innovative approaches to creating equitable, inclusive classrooms. By enhancing institutional capacities, it sought to develop gender-sensitive curricula, eliminate stereotypes, and promote transformative education.
The capacity-building session followed a research study in The Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Guyana, and Jamaica. It had close to two dozen participants, including head teachers, teacher trainers, and curriculum specialists, and was based on the manual on gender transformative education prepared by Dr Dalea Bean, Head of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies.
Dr. Rasheda Moody-Marshall, UNESCO’s Research Consultant, explained the connection between global citizenship education and gender equality, and shared some of the promising initiatives in the Caribbean, while offering her own views on them. The workshop was then facilitated combining traditional and innovative methodologies such as brainstorming sessions, peer-share and group work, case study reviews, and role-playing.
Participants highlighted the need to define biases, understand the links between gender and culture, distinguish gender from sex, recognize differences between gender identity and expression, and grasp equity versus equality. Reflections included plans for systemic change, gender-responsive teaching, and stakeholder involvement, with evaluations rating the workshop’s quality, relevance, and facilitation at the highest levels.