Catalyzing Gender Transformative Approaches to Early Childhood Development in Africa

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Early childhood is a critical window of opportunity to influence a child’s lifelong learning, health and wellbeing, conception of self, and social interactions. While education systems offer space for challenging mindsets and ensure that what children are learning serve to advance gender equality, they can also reinforce or exacerbate gender norms and negatively impact girls’ learning outcomes and experience in school. At the same time, education systems often do not adequately offer opportunities to caregivers and community members to challenge their own beliefs about gender or provide guidance around how to adopt language and practices that challenge gender stereotypes at home and in their communities.

In this formal panel session, BRAC, Children in Crossfire (CiC), Lively Minds, and Ubongo will share best practices and lessons learned from play-based early childhood development (ECD) programs using a gender transformative approach in East and West Africa. In tune with the theme of the power of protest in education, the discussion will be guided by each organization’s mission to create a more inclusive education system in the communities in which they work, and in particular, rooted in dialogue around gender equality. Gender equality movements permeate different social justice conversations; in the ECD sector, gender transformative ECD programming has immense potential to disrupt gender inequality at the earliest stage of children’s lives, and also engage parents, educators, and community members to be agents of change in creating a more gender equitable future. Each panelist will consider and reflect on how curriculum, pedagogies, and methodologies guide this work around gender transformative ECD and share insights from their programs. This discussion will present an opportunity to share learning and materials with like-minded organizations, educators, and activists who may be interested in rolling out gender transformative curriculum and programs in different contexts. It will also provide a platform to discuss obstacles and areas in which there are opportunities for growth.

Rafiath Rashid Mithila and Dule Mbua from BRAC will share outcomes from its gender transformative approach to revising its play-based learning program in Tanzania and Uganda. BRAC revised its Play Curriculum, parenting curriculum, and staff and facilitator training sessions with goals of applying a gender lens to each component and developing mindfulness around gender inequality. Based on surveys, observations of facilitators after training workshops, and conversations with staff, caregivers, and facilitators, this overhaul of the curricula led to some changes in perceptions on gender among participants, increased male caregiver’s participation in parenting sessions, and encouraged some facilitators to more actively practice gender inclusive behaviors in the Play Labs with their students. There was recognition among facilitators that gender transformative work is a continuous and long term learning process, and will require time and consistent training.

Alison Naftalin from Lively Minds will present findings from how during COVID they transformed their normal parenting programme into a radio programme, and how they are using this to challenge social and gender norms and to adopt nurturing care practices at home.

KanuPriya Jhunjhunwala and Winnie Nyato from Children in Crossfire will discuss how their Watoto Wetu Tunu Yetu (Our Children, Our Treasure) model for pre-primary in state schools engages children and their communities in building and sustaining learning through play for school readiness. Lessons from this model for high quality ECE, will show links with school readiness outcomes, and subsequent learning longevity in grade 2, creating pre-requisites for long term learning resilience that supports the educational continuity and school participation of both girls and boys as they get older.

Iman Lipumba from Ubongo will discuss how its media content (through the research and design process) teaches girls critical life skills, models positive parenting and gender equity in caregiving and other best practices in gender equity that they have learned throughout the years.

Dana Schmidt from Echidna Giving will serve as the discussant and lead panelists to explore the following questions :
1. What differences and nuances do you see in gender transformative approaches to ECD and early education in the different contexts where you work?
2. Engaging parents, particularly male caregivers, as shown in your approaches, is a critical pathway to gender equality in ECD. What has been your organization’s experience working with parents, especially male caregivers, and what approaches do you find most effective?
3. Did you experience any resistance to introducing a gender transformative lens to your interventions from any staff or participants? If so, what did that look like and how did you overcome it? And if not, why do you think that was the case?
4. How do you measure changes in knowledge, attitudes and practices of the ECD facilitators and teachers?
5. In addition to the organizations’ efforts to transform harmful gender norms among program participants, what approaches do your organizations’ use to strengthen program staff in gender equal and equitable approaches?
6. How have you sought to influence and to what extent, change, the system of ECD and early education in your contexts to scale gender transformative approaches?

Sub Unit

• Early Childhood Development SIG

Chair

• Dana Schmidt, Echidna Giving

Individual Presentations

• Building a Gender Transformative Approach to Play Based Learning - Rafiath Rashid, BRAC; Mbua Gabriely Dule, BRAC Maendeleo Tanzania

• Scaling Gender Transformative Approaches in Pre-Primary Education through Government Schools - KanuPriya Jhunjhunwala, Children in Crossfire

• Increasing Self-Efficacy & Life Skills for Girls through Edutainment - Iman Lipumba, Ubongo

Discussant

• Dana Schmidt, Echidna Giving