Learning journey – Gender equality and woman and girls rights in Scotland and overseas
Focus: Social Studies
CfE Level: Fourth
Introduction:
This learning journey looks at the issue of gender inequality. The importance of this issue is highlighted in the fact that gender is one of
protected characteristics in the Equalities Act 2010.
It explores the background to gender inequality in the UK and overseas countries such as Pakistan. Focus is given to Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) numbers 3 and 5, which seek to promote gender equality and empower women by eliminating gender disparity in primary and
secondary education.
Learners will engage in research which should lead them to a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding gender inequality, its causes and
wider impact both in Scotland and around the world.
This learning journey contains the following learning experiences:
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Gender Issues in Scotland
•
Gender and the Millennium Development Goals 3 & 5
•
Challenge gender discrimination
Prior learning:
Interdisciplinary opportunities:
Capabilities:
Learners might have been introduced to issues
surrounding violence against women through
television adverts and films. They might also be
aware of the high profile case of Malala
Yousafzai who was shot in Pakistan for
attending school simply because she was a girl.
To contextualise learners' understanding,
practitioners may wish to consider the role of
women in Scottish society. Reference could be
made to the 2014 Open Championship golf
tournament held at Muirfield, a course which
has a men-only membership policy.
The learning experiences will open
opportunities across all Social Studies
disciplines, in addition to RME, and
Health and Wellbeing, in which it could be
used as a stand-alone unit to consider
global injustices. Interdisciplinary topics
might include:
Successful learners – use literacy and research
skills to gather and evaluate information on the lives
of women in Scotland, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia.
Confident individuals – gain sound knowledge of
the MDGs and their relationship to promoting
humanity.
Responsible citizens – can make decisions to take
action to bring about equality and improve the lives of
women in the developed and under-developed world.
Awareness of Scotland’s commitment to the
eradication of gender inequality will increase their
sense of citizenship.
Effective contributors –exercise freedom to think
and develop strategies and solutions for achieving the
MDGs in gender equality.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk
How can the Millennium Development
Goals meet their targets on gender
equality?
Why is gender equality an important issue
in 21st century for both men and women?
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Learning journey – Gender equality and woman and girls rights in Scotland and overseas
Focus: Social Studies
CfE Level: Fourth
Relevant Experiences and Outcomes:
Social Studies:
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By studying groups in past societies who experienced inequality, I can explain the reasons for the inequality and evaluate how groups or individuals addressed it. SOC 404a
I can describe the main features of conflicting world belief systems in the past and can present informed views on the consequences of such conflict for societies then and
since. SOC 4-04b
I can make reasoned judgements about how the exercise of power affects the rights and responsibilities of citizens by comparing a more democratic and a less democratic
society. SOC 4-04c
Health and wellbeing - Mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing:
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I know that friendship, caring, sharing, fairness, equality and love are important in building positive relationships. As I develop and value relationships, I care and show
respect for myself and others. HWB 4-05a
As I explore the rights to which I and others are entitled, I am able to exercise these rights appropriately and accept the responsibilities that go with them. I show respect for
the rights of others. HWB 4-09a
Through contributing my views, time and talents, I play a part in bringing about positive change in my school and wider community. HWB 4-13a
Literacy and English:
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When I engage with others I can make a relevant contribution, ensure that everyone has an opportunity to contribute and encourage them to take account of others’ points
of view or alternative solutions.
I can respond in ways appropriate to my role, exploring and expanding on contributions to reflect on, clarify or adapt thinking. LIT 4-02a
As I listen or watch, I can make notes and organise these to develop thinking, help retain and recall information, explore issues and create new texts, using my own words
as appropriate. LIT 4-05a
I can communicate in a clear, expressive manner when engaging with others within and beyond my place of learning, and can independently select and organise
appropriate resources as required. LIT 4-10a
To show my understanding across different areas of learning, I can:
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clearly state the purpose, main concerns, concepts or arguments and use supporting detail
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make inferences from key statements and state these accurately in my own words
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compare and contrast different types of text. LIT 4-16a
To help me develop an informed view, I can recognise persuasion and bias, identify some of the techniques used to influence my opinion, and assess the reliability of
information and credibility and value of my sources. LIT 4-18a
As appropriate to my purpose and type of text, I can punctuate and structure different types of sentences with sufficient accuracy, and arrange these to make meaning
clear, showing straightforward relationships between paragraphs. LIT 4-22a
I can justify my choice and use of layout and presentation in terms of the intended impact on my reader. LIT 4-24a
By considering the type of text I am creating, I can independently select ideas and relevant information for different purposes, and organise essential information or ideas
and any supporting detail in a logical order. I can use suitable vocabulary to communicate effectively with my audience. LIT 4-26a
www.educationscotland.gov.uk
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Learning journey – Gender equality and woman and girls rights in Scotland and overseas
Focus: Social Studies
CfE Level: Fourth
C
Learning experience A: Gender issues in Scotland
Introduction:
Possible learning opportunities / tasks
Possible evidence
Gender inequality is a human rights issue
that concerns the position of women in all
societies from suffrage (voting) and
political involvement through to
opportunities in the workplace, at home, in
education, healthcare, freedom of
movement and freedom from violation.
Pupils could:
• Reflect on current issues relating to Gender inequality particularly in relation to sport. For example the 2013
Gold Open event at Muirfiled. See:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/23343727
• Research various aspects of gender inequality. This could
include looking at the history of gender inequality,
legislation surrounding equality and specific organisations
that focus on gender inequality.
• Carry out a Media study looking at the latest research on
pay & working conditions. Consider the distribution of
power and representation of women in Scottish Society–
for example, in the Scottish Parliament.
• Areas of study may include: Research legislation for
Equal Pay, Sex Discrimination, Right to Abortion;
Violence Against Women; Maternity & Paternity Rights.
Learners can:
Write - Produce evidence and list the events and
campaigns which changed laws for women in Scotland
and the UK.
Make - Display their knowledge of gender issues
pictorially and in files of information gathered from their
own research.
Say - Learners are able to discuss a specific gender
issue and its wider problems for society.
Stimulus:
Learners could be asked:
What is gender?
What is the difference between words such
as male/female and masculine/feminine?
Why are they different?
What is the gender policy of your school?
How does your school actively promote
equality and inclusion?
What is feminism?
Key learning
Learners:
• understand what is meant by the term
‘gender inequality’
• can successfully access gender
equality legislation
• can name specific organisations and
their work to promote gender equality
• can explain the struggle for women to
achieve the vote**
• are aware of the inequalities which
continue to face women in Scotland
and globally
www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Useful resources
www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Equality/18500/GenderB
ackground
www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/cedaw.htm
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk
www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/plat1.htm
www.zerotolerance.org.uk
www.womanaid.org.uk
www.womankind.org.uk
www.amnesty.org.uk/issues/Scotland
Reflecting on learning:
Questions for learners:
• What are the differences in women’s status since the
early 1900’s in comparison to the present day?
• What are women’s prospects in the workplace today,
are there elements that can have an effect on it, e.g.
fair pay, part-time work, promotional opportunity?
• Modern society often promotes a certain view of
women through popular culture. What effect do you
think music videos / celebrity culture have had on
gender inequality?
Taking it further
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Involvement in the gender politics in school in relation
to subject choice and availability.
Becoming involved in organisations such as
womankind or the Fawcett Society, Amnesty and
learning more about the work they do.
Researching the 2014 Commonwealth Games,
looking at the proportion of men to women taking part
and the sports in which they compete.
Learning journey – Gender equality and woman and girls rights in Scotland and overseas
Focus: Social Studies
CfE Level: Fourth
Learning experience B: Gender and the Millennium Development Goal 3 & 5
Introduction:
Possible learning opportunities/tasks
Possible evidence
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were
agreed by world leaders at the UN Headquarters in
New York in September 2000. They committed
nations to a new global partnership to reduce
extreme poverty, setting out a series of time-bound
targets with a deadline of 2015.
This learning experience can be approached by
considering Malala Yousafzai’s speech to the
United Nations in 2013, looking at the educational
rights for women.
Learners could:
• Use Malala’s speech to the UN about MDG 3 as a source of
discussion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rNhZu3ttIU
• Malala’s speech can be used as a catalyst to explore the aspects of
gender inequality further Pakistan and other commonwealth
countries such as Bangladesh, where inequality is prevalent in the
areas of education, health and employment.
Learners can:
Write - note-take effectively on the
information given in the film extracts
watched
Say - discuss, after reflection, their own
feelings about the GSD conference
highlights
Do - research and present information
and gain detailed knowledge and
understanding of Pakistan and MDG 3
Stimulus:
Ask learners:Who knows what the Millennium Development
Goals are?
How many MDGs do learners think there are? What
is so important about these goals?
Why do women in less developed parts of the world
need help in challenging gender stereotypes?
Key learning
Learners can:
•
describe the GSD?, what it does and why
•
engage with problems facing Pakistan relation
to MDG 3
•
identify the key aims of the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women,
the UN and the MDGs
•
select information to produce thoughtful pieces
of work which demonstrate an understanding
of gender issues in the Scotland, the UK and
overseas.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk
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Investigate similar examples of gender discrimination. Learners can
focus on both the aspects that lead to sexist attitudes and can also
consider the action required to create change. This can be linked to
Global Citizenship. (relate to MDG3)
Investigate women and sport across the Commonwealth (see BBC
Girls in Sport live debate:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldclass/23959060)
Research the changing picture of gender discrimination across
Commonwealth. Areas to focus on are parliamentary
representation, education, employment, healthcare, the role of
women in the wider sense e.g. culturally, economically.
Research The MDGs and use the findings to present and share
information. E.g. power points/ information leaflets.
Useful resources
www.pk.undp.org/content/pakistan/en/home/countryinfo/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rNhZu3ttIU
whiteribbonalliance.org/?s=pakistan
www.unicef.org/gender/pakistan_57333.html
www.worldbank.org/en/country/pakistan
unnayan.org/index.php/research-unit/social-policy/gender-women-rights
www.un.org/millenniumgoals/gender.shtml
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Reflecting on learning
Questions for learners:
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What are your views regarding the
disparity of maternity care / pay for
women throughout the world?
•
How does effective maternity care /
pay benefit society?
•
What has been your experience of
gender inequality?
•
What difference does gender equality
make to a country’s health and
wellbeing?
•
What can we do in Scotland to make
a difference to women’s lives in
countries like Pakistan?
•
How much does the 'culture' of a
country contribute to how women are
treated?
Learning journey – Gender equality and woman and girls rights in Scotland and overseas
Focus: Social Studies
CfE Level: Fourth
Learning experience C: Challenging gender discrimination
Introduction:
Possible learning opportunities / tasks
Possible evidence
The core values for the 2014
Commonwealth Games are Humanity,
Equality and Destiny.
This learning experience looks at 12th
section of the Commonwealth Charter:
Gender Equality,
http://thecommonwealth.org/commonwealt
h-charter-section/gender-equality
Learners could:
• Research a number of other countries, including Scotland, in relation
to gender equality and the MDGs to create a comparison. This could
be done in relation to the relevant countries wealth, government, and
religious or cultural differences.
• When looking at the cultural aspect of gender equality, learners could
discuss how women are perceived in their society. This could be done
as a media study looking at the sexualisation of woman.
• Reflect upon their own rights in relation to those of other young people
and young women overseas.
• Explore ways in which they could promote equality by looking at their
responsibility as members of organistions/clubs E.g. Create their own
charter for change, develop their own campaign, letter writing etc.
• Learners could be introduced to the idea of campaigning with
examples that are already positive e.g. Glasgow Girls and Girl Rising
Learners can:
Say - debate sensitive issues as a class
Make - produce creative pieces of work which
show an understanding of the world and the
problems faced in achieving the MDGs
objectives
Write - produce a wide variety quality research
based on the learning objectives.
Stimulus: For class discussion?
How many girls want to go to university
and have a career?
What if I told you it was up to your father
or brother if you did such a thing?
How many students want to marry
someone they choose?
What if it was up to your parents?
Key learning
Learners can:
Discuss a variety of gender issues
•
across the world.
•
retrieve facts and information about
the countries studied via the internet
and books.
•
select and present well informed and
evaluated accounts of the given task
•
Identify their role as responsible
citizens to tackle gender inequality.
www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Useful resources
www.undp.org
www.equalitynow.org/node/785
www.amnesty.org
www.zerotolerance.org.uk
www.onebillionrising.org
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21595814
www.womenagainstviolence.org
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk
www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/news_and_events/get_involved_in_art
s_events/glasgow_girls
Commonwealth Games 2014
www.heraldscotland.com/news/13075009.display/
www.insidethegames.biz/olympics/summer-olympics/2012
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Reflecting on learning:
Questions for Learners:
• What are the differences in attitude and
ways of life in Scotland and other
countries?
• What are the social and political struggles
which have resulted in better working and
living conditions for women across the
globe?
• How effective are national and international
political organisations, NGOs and
grassroots movements in challenging
gender inequality?
• What can be done about violence against
women in all societies?
Taking it further
Learners can
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join the Young Scot Youth Legacy
programme
•
set up a gender equality group in school
•
embark on a letter writing campaign