Comenius Project School Factory of Initiatives-equal citizenship

1. Stefan Żeromski High School Żyrardów Comenius Project School Factory of Initiatives-equal citizenship

2. The most importantgoalsof the GENDER Campaign • Raising the awarenessof the need to respect the idea of ​​genderequality. • Dissemination of knowledge about human rights, with particular emphasis on the rights of women / girls in Poland. • Enhancing criticalattitude towardspressure of gender role stereotypesin different areas of life andalsoraisingawareness against violence and all forms of discrimination.

3. Strategies of the GENDERCampaign • Theoffer to participate is directed to all thestudents interested in the topic. • Itisundertakenin collaboration with several organizations whosupport education for anti-discrimination attitudes – an example of a modern way of enrichingtheschool resources. • It aims to acquire knowledge on gender and to develop skills related to the use of this perspective. • Itis to discourage promotion of participation of women / girls in social, economic and political life.

4. GenderCampaignTasks • Preparing a school magazine; • Participationinlessons on genderissues (biologyclasses and weekly form periods); • Poster campaign; • Interviewing NGOs activistsdealing with anti-discriminationeducation; • Publishing articles on the school websiteandin the local press; • Carrying out surveys onthelevel ofinterestingenderissuesand thelevel of understanding of the impact of gender on the lives of people in different areas; • Taking part in a lecture by AgnieszkaSznajder on equal opportunities for women and men in the labour market • Taking part in workshopsconducted by AgnieszkaSznajderentitledSocio-culturalgender and itsimpact on life choices.

5. Interviews on the role of gender in society • With EwaRutkowska- a graduate fromtheUW(in philosophy) andfrom the School of Social Sciences (PolishAcademy of Sciences), a co-author of a guide for teachers ’’Equal school - education free from discrimination’’ and of reports on violence against women and on Gender MainstreaminginPolisheducation, preparedfor the FeminotekaFoundation and H.BoellFoundation; • With AgnieszkaSznajder– aneducatorfromtheAnti-discriminationEducation Society; • With a coach Marta Siciarek– an anti-discriminationinstructor, a graduatefromWilla Decjusza

6. The objectives and content of AgnieszkaSznajder’s lecture Objective: Explaining the principle of equalopportunities for men and women. Content of thelecture: • Myths and facts relating to the principle of equal opportunities. • Gender stereotypes: the stereotype of femininity and masculinity. • Discrimination in the labour market. • Gender Mainstreaming andthe EU policy in the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities for women and men.

7. Anti-discrimination workshops on October 30th, 2012 Objective: A reflection on the socio-cultural gender and its impact on career choices and education of young people The content of the workshops: • Biological sex and socio - cultural gender • Gender and the labour market; • Responding to discriminationresultingfromgenderstereotypes.

8. Activitiesduringthe workshops

9. One of the groupsatwork

10. MEN - obstacles created by the stereotypes in education and work

11. WOMEN - obstacles created by the stereotypes in suchareas as household and politics

12. "The ideal man" How do theprocess of educationand other factors formthestereotype of masculinity?

13. „The ideal woman" How do theprocess of educationand other factors formthestereotype of femininity?

14. How to plan your future without stereotypes? Follow yourinterests! Includeimportantvaluesaboutwhichyoucare! Don’t let stereotypesaboutoccupations, whichare only for men or women, influence yourchoices!

15. A survey Students participating in the workshops were asked to complete a questionnaire Questions and results: Do the stereotypes put pressure on peoplechoosing a certaintype of educationor profession? Give an example and explain briefly why? Bothmale and femalestudentsgave an example of a woman driver whohas a problem finding a joboris not associated withprofessionalisminthisoccupation. Theyalsoused an example of a manpursuing a job of a hairdresser, a dressmakeror a nurseryworker. According to theopinion of bothmale and femalestudentsthesocietyoftenlabelssuchman as homosexuals, becausetheydon’tacceptthefactthat“real” men could do suchjobs. Respondentsacknowledgedthatgenderstereotypesoften influence thechoice of thediscipline of studymade ​​by girls and boys. Theygaveexamplesprovingthatwomenoftenchoosehumanities, while men dominateintechnicaldisciplines. 2. Do you think that all occupations can be held by both women and men? The respondents unanimouslygave an affirmative answer, provided that the strengthrequirementsare not beyondwomen’scapabilities. 3. Didyou followanygender stereotypeswhilechoosing a course in your high school? Again, all the respondentsgavethe same answer, which was No. Everybody was guided by their interests and by theoffer of learning in a classwiththeprogrammethatwouldgivethembetteropportunities to prepare to enter theuniversitytheydreamabout.

16. A survey Students participating in the workshops were asked to complete a questionnaire Questions and results: 4. Did the activities help you to understand what Gender Mainstreamingis? Thewhole group declaredtheyunderstoodthephenomenon and agreedthereis a need to recognizetheimpact of gender on theposition of men and womenin a variety of importantareas of life. 5. Do you think it was worth taking part in theworkshops? The respondents said that taking part in the workshop was a good decision if you wanted to deepen your knowledge of stereotyping and discrimination. 6. Would you like to participate in similar workshops? All the answerswere: YES.

17. Interview with EwaRutkowska October 26th, 2012 • In the interview we wereinterestedinfindingsconcerningPolishschoolsindifferentareas of theiroperationinterms of compliancewiththeprinciples of genderequality. • We askedhow to identifythemechanisms of discrimination. • Ourinterlocutorraisedthequestion of the role of textbooksinstrengtheninggenderstereotypes, and alsothe influence of thestereotypes on teacher-studentrelationships and therelationshipsbetweenmale and femalestudents. • The interview drew ourattention to an interestingphenomenon of theso-calledgender-biasedlanguage and encouragedcriticalobservation of theapparentunder-representation of womenin public, social and economic life.The interview resultedinsignificantconclusions on themaintheme of thecampaign, such as: GenderMainstreamingistheawareness of thenegativeimpact of genderstereotypes on theposition of women and men, that we shouldtakeintoaccountwhenmakingdecisioninimportantareas of social and political life. Itisparticularlyimportantinthosesituationswherethestereotypesunreasonablyrestrict health care, the idea of life prospects, relationships and rolesinthefamily, a sense of duty, aspirations, etc. by belonging to thebiological sex. This interview can be found on the website: www.lo.zyrardow.edu.pl

18. Interview with AgnieszkaSznajder October 30th, 2012 • Thisinterlocutorturnedspecialattention to thepressure of genderstereotypes on thechoices of girls and boysconcerningdisciplines of studies, whichisstillpresentinPolisheducation. • According to her, gendermaydiscourage girls from „investing” intheircareers, itmaycreate "inequality" of opportunities to achieveacademicorprofessionalsuccess for boys and girls, evenifthelatter make similareffort. • Takingthegenderperspectiveintheway of lookingatvariousissuesin life intoaccount, allowsyou to make important life choicesmoreconsciously. Theperspectivecanalsoopenyou to thetrueneeds of otherpeople and encourageyou to accepttheirchoices, evendifferentfromthetraditionalones.

19. Interview with Marta Siciarek October 18, 2012 • Thisinterlocutor drew attention to thenewaspects of thesubject and explainedconvincinglythatgenderappearsinallforms of education and socialization. • Its influence beginsalmostfrombirth. • Parentscaring for children and bringingthemupusuallyusedifferentbehaviourmodels for boys and girls, whichresultsfromtradition. • Thisway of upbringingmeansforcingindividualsintowell-known, rigidroles, whicharestronglyapproved of by general public. • A childis under the influence of genderfromkindergarten and throughoutthewholeprocess of education. Itisimportant to understandthenegativemanifestations of thisphenomenon and to counterthemeffectively.

20. A display in our school hall:What is the new Comeniusprojectabout? • The main objective of the display was to familiarise students with the problems of discrimination and to present thequestionsaddressed by thecurrent Comenius project,the principalonesbeing Gender and Gender Mainstreaming. • The displaypresented the main points of our project.

21. WhatisGender? Whatisdiscrimination?

22. Do we know the mechanism of discrimination? What groups are discriminated against?

23. Whatis Wendo?

24. RACISM – a problem thatcanemergeeveryday Anti-discriminationworkshops - How canyoulearn not to be prejudiced?

25. What do we know about the Romaniculture?

26. Do you know who Olimpia de Gougeswas?

27. What are the important skills of a youth social action leader?

28. Get to know your rights!

29. Violence against women in the world!

30. Calendar of human rights- we emphasisethe rights of womenthatprotectthemagainstdiscrimination

31. A survey We carried out a survey among students of grades 1 and 2 to find out thelevel of interest in the display in the school hall. RESULTS: 151 students noticedit 180 students did not evennoticeit 74 studentsclaimedthearticlespresentedinthe display didn’tdrawtheirattention. This can be disturbing ... 46 students were able to name the titles of articles that werepresented in the display

32. Poster Actionas a result of a biology class • The students of class 2bwere asked to carry out a taskaimedatthedissemination of information on equalityorlack of equality, disability, race and sexual preferences. • They created several graphic works that promotedthe attitude of equalityor rejected stereotypes. The posters presented diversity, which is the nature of the living world and the result of its evolution, and as such, it cannot be the reason for differentiation of rights or justification for a different perception and treatment of anyone.

33. Posterspromotingequality Differentappearance, the same rights!

34. Genderequality

35. Homosexuality is a matter of biology, not a choice!

36. DIFFERENT EQUAL

37. An article in the local newspaper „Tydzień Żyrardowa" (edition of 27th November, 2012) • „The theme of the ComeniusprojectundertakeninŻeromski High Schoolis closely associated with theconcept of gender, whichmany of usdon’treallyunderstand. The students who areinvolved in this project, have a chance to become familiar with this concept through participation in workshops, reading informationdisplayedin the school hall and interviewing peoplewhoare involved on a daily basisin the issues of equal opportunities ... "

38. Are we betteroff in terms of equalitythanourmothers and grandmothers?

39. Stefan Żeromski High School 6a J. KacperskiejStreet 96-300 Żyrardów Phone:+48 46 855 31 22 Fax: +48 46 855 31 22 E-mail: lozyrard@lo.zyrardow.edu.pl www.lo.zyrardow.edu.pl Editor: KarolinaRutkowska, IID Technical and stylisticconsultant: Bożena Gąsiorowska Englishlanguageconsultant: Danuta Czyżewska Pictures, texts, materials collectedin the project.