Early intervention ‘a must’ to stamp out gender stereotyping

Campaigners are urging the UK Government for action to help stop gender stereotyping in the early years, in a bid to stamp out gender inequality in future generations. 

Gender equality campaigners The Fawcett Society and Lifting Limits have penned a joint letter to the UK’s Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson MP, calling for early intervention on gender stereotypes. The letter was signed by organisations and individuals working in the fields of gender equality, violence against women and education; who are acutely aware of the violence and harassment that many women and girls face on a daily basis. “The link between gender stereotyping and a range of unequal and unacceptable outcome, including male violence against women and girls, is clear and established,” highlight the campaigners.

Based on a range of compelling evidence, the UK’s equality campaigners believe that educating children about gender equality from an early age is an essential part of the solution. Children grow up surrounded by gender stereotypes – at home, in school and in the wider world; which send them strong messages about how girls and boys, women and men, should look and behave. This happens at a critical stage in children’s learning about the world and their place in it; with gendered attitudes ingrained in children from around the age of 10.  Any strategy that “fails to recognise this link and the need for early intervention is setting itself up for failure”, pointed out the experts.

CHALLENGING OUTDATED STEREOTYPES

In recent months, the spotlight on sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools confirms pre-existing evidence showing these to be prolific. These outcomes are deeply unfair to all children, according to the UK’s equality experts. A full roll out of the new Relationships and Sex Education curriculum in summer 2021 must therefore “be prioritised, with no further delays”, urge the campaigners. However, in order for schools to be part of the systemic response, all bodies with responsibility for the content, quality and delivery of children’s education have a role to play. 

“By challenging gender stereotypes, we can reduce the harms caused by violence against women and girls; which causes such a vast human cost, as well as the £66bn domestic abuse alone is estimated to cost society each year,” the letter stated. “We can also improve a range of other outcomes, including closing the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths fields; improving boys’ reading; bringing down male suicide rates; and increasing children’s wellbeing.” 

Equality campaigners in the UK are therefore calling on the Government to implement the following as a matter of urgency:

• Make actively challenging gender stereotypes integral to 0-11s education practice.
• To work constructively with experts, specialist women’s support sector, the education profession and organisations in the field of gender equality in education; to ensure that the necessary resources and training are made available to schools.

LETTER SIGNATORIES

The letter was signed by:

• Felicia Willow, CEO, The Fawcett Society
• Caren Gestetner, Chief Executive, Lifting Limits
• Professor Dame Alison Peacock
• Chartered College of Teaching
• Hannah Wilson, Co-founder and Director, Diverse Educators
• Gender Action
• James Humphries, Head Teacher, Kentish Town Church of England Primary School
• John Hayes, Headteacher, Gospel Oak Primary and Nursery School
• Helen Bruckdorfer, Headteacher, Torriano Primary School
• Laurel Robin, Headteacher, Brookfield Primary School
• National Literacy Trust
• Girlguiding
• Plan International UK
• IC Change
• Institute of Physics
• Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director, UK Women’s Budget Group
• Abi Shapiro, Interim Chief Executive, Young Women’s Trust
• Professor Becky Francis, UCL
• Deniz Uğur, Deputy Director, End Violence Against Women Coalition
• White Ribbon UK
• Bilkis Miah, CEO and Co-Founder, You Be You
• Camden Learning
• Our Streets Now
• Beyond Equality
• National Education Union
• Professor Wendy Sigle, Professor of Gender and Family Studies, Department of Gender Studies, London School of Economics & Political Science
• Elliott Rae, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, MusicFootballFatherhood

Click here to read the full letter. A recent survey revealed that men worldwide are ‘unsure’ about how to address gender inequality. See article below to find out more.