Supporting programming and influencing on Gender Responsive Pedagogy for ECE

• In Event: Advancing gender equality in and through Early Childhood Education: Lessons from FAWE, Plan International and VVOB

Proposal

As an educationist organisation, FAWE invests in education for girls and young women to empower them to effectively participate in the socio-economic and political space in their societies. FAWE works with African Education systems to ensure gender responsive teaching methodologies and education that responds to the current and future needs of girls and women.

Gender Responsive Pedagogy (GRP) reinforces equality and inclusion in education. GRP impacts gender skills for instruction and targets teachers to inspire generations of youth to challenges norms that perpetuate gender stereotypes and limit girls’ active participation in the learning experience. With strengthened capacity in GRP, a teacher can transform a classroom into an effective learning space for girls and boys and increase participation of girls in class. FAWE has implemented GRP in both primary and secondary school levels and has recorded successful outcomes.

In collaboration with VVOB, FAWE developed the GRP4ECE (Gender Responsive Pedagogy for Early Childhood Education) Toolkit, which refers to gender-responsive pedagogy that is tailored specifically to the context of young learners in early childhood education. It considers the specific setting of Early Childhood Education (ECE) schools and classrooms and provides pedagogical guidance which is appropriate to the age and developmental levels of young learners. GPR4ECE provides all children with the opportunity to develop their unique and full potential irrespective of their sex.

GRP4ECE empowers preschool teachers and school leaders to create learning environments where harmful gender stereotypes are challenged and addressed. This lays the foundations for young children to grow up freely and to explore and develop their unique interests, talents, and capabilities. This is further important because ECE teachers are in a unique position to challenge and limit the maturation of these gender stereotypes before they have a lasting harmful impact. This means FAWE is also working to promote uptake of ECE training by male educators, recognizing that ECE has typically been left to the preserve of female teachers. Having more male educators in ECE increases representation and fosters mentorship to the young learners

Based on lessons learnt, experience and evidence to date, FAWE’s contribution to this panel discussion will share how advocacy and implementation of GRP at primary and secondary levels of education has informed their work n GRP4ECE. They will also share learning on how to leverage networks to help champion GRP and increased investment in ECE through Ministries of Education, as well as through academia and civil society organizations. Finally, FAWE will share the importance of engaging parents and caregivers to understand the need for ECE amongst girls, to breakdown negative cultural stereotypes that have given preference to sons over daughters in many contexts.

Author

• Martha Muhwezi, Forum for African Women Educationalists- Africa