SESSION GUIDE

SESSION TITLE: A move Towards Gender Sensitivity: Nurturing Children through Gender Equality

DURATION: 25 minutes

I. OBJECTIVES: The 25-minutes session should enable the participants to explain nurturing children through gender equality
• Develop awareness in gender equality
• Promote strategies and reconcile ideas on gender equality in child care.
• Share insights/tips on how to nurture children in terms of gender equality.

EXPECTED OUTPUT (IF ANY): Participants are expected to develop awareness in gender equality, promote strategies on gender equality in child care
and ideas for challenging gender play pattern.

II. KEY UNDERSTANDING/CONTENT

 Development of Knowledge on Gender Equality
 Strategies in Promoting Gender Equality on Child Care.
 Practical Ideas for Promoting Gender Equality.

III. REFERENCES
Promoting gender equality through UNICEF – supported Programming in Child Protection
UNICEF’s 2010 Gender Policy

IV. SESSION GUIDE

OBJECTIVE: KEY LEARNING POINTS METHODOLOGY/ACTIVITIY MATERIALS/ TIME/

SLIDE NO. DURATION
Set the tone for Introduce Introduction: Raise the consciousness that the session pertains to the Slide Deck no. 3minutes
learning and gender equality.
provide the “Train a child in the way he
direction for should go and when is old, He DO: Greet the participants and ensure that they are ready for the
the session on will not depart from it”. Cite session.
the Gender sample experiences on how we
equality nurture our children in our SAY: How are our School Heads and School GAD Coordinators feeling?
school with gender sensitivity. How are you doing so far?
In respective school we have
varied strategies and ways in Were you able to share about promoting strategies on gender equality in
promoting gender equality in child care that you do in your district? How do we nurture our learners in
our respective schools. school with gender sensitivity School Heads and School GAD
Coordinators?

This time, we will take another step forward and discover some more as
we talk about the following matters or session objectives.

DO: Show the objectives as well as the topical coverage of the session

SAY: Your learning here will be of use to the next session as you do a
comparative review of what are the actual works that you have been
doing and what really are in the mandates.

Understand School GAD Coordinators ACTIVITY: 5 minutes

gender and School Heads may
equality. fully understand the DO: Divide the participants into 2 groups.
gender equality
Explain the mechanics of the game called ‘Ups and Downs!’

SAY:.
 Each group will be given a “Thumbs up” and “Thumbs down” sign, As the
facilitator flash the picture the participants going to raise the thumbs up
sign if the picture show gender equality and thumbs down sign it it’s not.

Presentation will follow.

Generate ideas Answers will differ. Points ANALYSIS: 5 minutes

on the to be highlighted are the
participants’ considerations they have DO: Ask the participants the following questions:
reasons for made for their decisions 1. Based on the activity, what made you decide whether to thumbs
choosing their and the importance of up or to thumbs down?
answers knowing roles and 2. Did you decide at once after seeing the picture?
responsibilities. 3. What is your basis for raising in that sign?
SAY:
1. Now let’s proceed to our presentation of strategies in promoting
gender equality in child care; and practical ideas for promoting
gender equality in the program.

Strategies in A clarified statement of Lecturette: 10minutes

promoting promoting gender equality
gender equality in child care. Knowing the SAY: The Strategies in promoting gender equality in child care, and
in child care; practical ideas for practical ideas for promoting gender equality in the program.
promoting gender equality
in the program. DO: Presentation of Strategies in promoting gender equality in child
care; and practical ideas for promoting gender equality
Promoting Gender Equality: An Equity-Focused Approach to
Programming (Operational Guidance Overview).
Key issues Gender inequalities reflect, and can increase, vulnerabilities.
There are many variables that affect a child’s protection risks, including
ethnicity, the existence or absence of effective child protection legislation,
war or peace, and access to educational opportunities. Yet one of the
most significant factors is the sex of the child and related gender norms.
Boys and girls, including adolescents, may face different protection risks,
may have different needs and choices, and may possess different skills,
knowledge and coping strategies.
Empowerment is critical to effective child protection. Women, girls and
boys are not powerless victims or passive recipients of assistance, but
rights holders who can play an active role in advocating with duty
bearers and international organizations such as UNICEF, even in
humanitarian settings. Respecting the autonomy, agency and self-
determination of programme beneficiaries can improve the impact of
protective measures and increase empowerment opportunities, and is an
integral part of the human rights-based approach.
Protecting girls and boys from violence is key to the realization of their
human rights. Boys and girls may be at risk of different forms of violence
throughout the life cycle. The protection of girls and boys from violence,
exploitation and abuse is an integral component of protecting their rights
to survival, growth and development. For females, gender-based violence
includes sex-selective abortion, differential access to food and services,
sexual exploitation, abuse and violence, child marriage, female genital
mutilation/cutting, sexual harassment, dowry/bride price abuse, so-called
‘honour killing’ and deprivation of inheritance. For males, gender-based
violence is largely characterized by recruitment to armed groups, sexual
exploitation and abuse; socialization to become violent; and exposure to
harmful gender norms.
Key opportunities across child protection themes In every context, the
specific protection needs of boys and girls and the strategies to address
them are distinct; these strategies should take into account not only
gender, but also differences based on age, wealth, ethnicity and other
variables that increase risk and resilience. Below are several child
protection themes that UNICEF country programmes cover, with a brief
description of key gender considerations in each area as well as potential
solutions for addressing them:
OperatiOnal Guidance in Brief
1’Birth registration: Parents may be less inclined to register girls than
boys. As in parts of Asia, female fetuses may be aborted and baby girls
may be victims of infanticide because of a preference for boys. A gender
analysis of birth registration trends can identify disparities.
•Children in conflict with the law: Ensure that boys and girls are
detained in separate facilities from each other and from adults and that
facilities appropriately meet their needs. A gender analysis can reveal
different patterns and root causes of detention between boys and girls,
which can be used to help inform strategies to keep children out of
prison.
•Children with disabilities: Ensure that assessments ask families
questions about children with disabilities. Explore whether certain types
of disabilities are more frequent among boys or girls. Identify strategies
to assist disabled children in a non-stigmatizing way.
•Children without parental care, and separated and unaccompanied
children: Children without parental care are at high risk of abuse and
exploitation. A gender analysis of the risks posed to girls and boys in
foster and spontaneous care situations is required. Assessments should
identify prevailing reasons why children are without parental care and if
these reasons differ between girls and boys. In the case of
unaccompanied and separated children, identify the causes and risks for
separation among girls and boys, as well as discrete strategies to address
these risks.
•Violence against children: Training of male and female police on gender
sensitivity and the unique child protection needs of both girls and boys,
and recruiting of female police officers and counsellors may encourage
case reporting not just by girls but also by boys.
•Sexual exploitation: Successful programmes dealing with commercial
sexual exploitation include sex-disaggregated data on perpetrators and
survivors and address the gendered nature of institutions that deal with
the sexual exploitation of boys and girls. For schools, a gender analysis
will reveal disparities in terms of the sex ratios of male and female
teachers, as well as their place in the hierarchy. School curricula and
teaching materials provide entry points for countering negative norms
and opportunities to prevent sexual exploitation.
•Harmful practices: Programming focused on female genital
mutilation/cutting must take into account the gender dynamics of
societies. The
most effective strategies for the abandonment of harmful practices are
movements that involve all members of the community, from young girls
to circumcisers to male community and religious leaders. While the
parents of girls may be responsible for the early marriage of their
daughters, they are, in turn, subject to prevailing cultural sentiments
which place value on young brides and contribute to early marriage.
These drivers should be identified in assessments, along with more
specific information about the types of girls who are more likely to marry
early.
•Child labour: Understand what drives boys and girls into labour, as
well as the different types of labour in which they engage, and
programme accordingly. Strategies designed to reduce boys’ engagement
in child labour must not increase the number of girls in child labour.
•Trafficking: Child protection actors must carry out in-depth research
and analysis to identify the different risk factors for trafficking of boys
and girls, why they are different, and strategies to address these risks.
This can include social and economic disincentives to those who sell their
children, those who traffic children, and those who abuse and exploit
children.
•Children associated with armed forces: Demobilization and social
reintegration must consider the variety of roles boys and girls play in
armed groups, particularly those who have been part of armed forces
without carrying arms. It is critical that these programmes include a
gender analysis of the challenges that boys and girls, may have borne as
a result of their recruitment or may face upon return to their
communities.
•HIV and AIDS in emergencies: In emergencies, threats of HIV infection
may be higher and specific outreach may be required to provide services
where existing services have been destroyed. Programming must take
into account stigmatization of those with HIV and AIDS and how this
might affect different groups in accessing services.
•Landmines: Strategies for minimizing the risks and effects of
landmines and explosive remnants of war must consider the different
roles of boys and girls within society and their ability to participate in
mine-risk education activities. Some activities might include clearing
football pitches and play areas, organizing safer water collection points
closer to residences, and ensuring that both boys and girls have access to
mine-risk education.
SAY: As we clarify now varied strategies in promoting gender equality
toward gender sensitivity.
ABSTRACTION:

SAY: Based on the discussion, what are the strategies in promoting

equality in child care? Why is it important in our respective field of
endeavor?
 DO: Be able to recognize other ideas from participants. Write key ideas
of given answers on the board.

Share Being the educators share APPLICATION: 2 minutes

insights/tips on insights, practical ideas
and practical and tips on promoting DO: Ask the participants the following questions for reflection:
ideas for gender equality. Cite some Participants will be able to write their ideas on footprints
promoting ideas regarding with 1. As educators how we can promote gender equality in our
gender equality promoting gender equality respective school?
in our respective schools. 2. Are these ideas relevant to the current trends in nurturing gender
equality?
Say: Try to reflect with this quotation “ We value humanity through
gender equality”.