Integrating Gender-Based Violence Prevention in High School Curriculum: A Path to Social Transformation

1. Integratingthepreventionofgender-basedviolence in the curriculum design anddevelopmentwithhighschoolteachers Magalhães, Maria José; Pontedeira, Cátia; Guerreiro, Ana & Ribeiro, Patrícia

2. Background data (1) • Domestic violence, family violence and gender-based violence is a wider problem – FRA: media 28% In Europe; • Portugal: 1/3 women as victims of violence; • Negative effects on their emotional and physical well-being, development and educational attainment; • Schools represent a key site for awareness raising, preventing family and gender violence and supporting children and parents affected by family and gender violence. 2

3. Background data (2) • In dating relationships, in Portugal, the prevalence is 25% (Guerreiro et al. 2014); • The rate offemicidein Portugal is 3 times higherthan for Spain–in 2014 was 4.3 /millionpeople; inSpainis 1.1/million; 3

4. Background data (3) 4

5. The role of Teachers • Teachers’ close contact with children, often on a daily basis, means they are better placed than other professionals; • They serve as significant gatekeepers to referral pathways and welfare services; • Teachers are in a unique position to implement primordial prevention of family and gender violence. 5

6. The role of schools (1) • The balance betweenregulatoryandemancipatory role ofshcools, gender-basedviolencehas to beconsidered; • Schools are also a context for gender-based violence: sexual harassment; symbolic gender violence through silencing, stereotyping, discrimination of girls and non-hegemonic masculinities (Connell 1986). 6

7. The role of schools (2) • Theschool as a site for developvisionsof social transformation (Weiler 1991; Freire 1970); • Ackowledging the conflict of divided consciousness, what AudreLorde calls “the oppressor among us”; • Work together to name and to struggle against oppression. 7

8. Gender-based violence in the curriculum (1) • Challenging gender stereotypes; • Presenting diverse masculinities and femininities; • Address violence as something unacceptable; • Identify gender power dynamics; • Value women and our contribution for social life, either in the present or in an historical perspective; • Value social diversity in class. 8

9. Gender-based violence in the curriculum (2) • Address violence ≠ conflict; • Domestic violence as a healthy issue must be addressed in school, accordingly to the age and educational level of children, adolescents and youngsters; • Address dating violence; Challenging homophobia, racism and xenophobia; Be prepared to act in a pedagogical and ethical way when violence is disclosed: protect victims, send affirmative messages for all; turn perpetrators accountable. 9

10. UMAR – Prevention Programme in schools • UMAR has been developing a gender-based prevention programme in schools since 2004-05; • Significative changes in knowledge about gender violence; • Significative changes in identifying gender based violence behaviours; • Significative changes in aggressive behavioursand indiscipline; • Significative improvement in school achievement. 10

11. ARTWAYS Project • Project fundedwitheuropeanfundsfromIceland, NorwayandLiechtenstein andandmanagedbyCalouste Gulbenkian Foundation • Preventionusingartmethodology– 15 formativesessions • Promissingresultsonthe 1st year • 604 Students from 10 to 18 yearsold • 51% female; 47% male • Changeduringthefirstyear: 63,34% → 74,33%

12. 22,5%

13. Thankyou for listening! • Pleasefeel free to contactus for more information: • artways.umar@gmail.com • mudancascomarte.umar@gmail.com • facebook.com/projetoartways • http://www.umarfeminismos.org/ • http://artways.umarfeminismos.org/