Mission: Gender Equality | P1

"If all girls and boys learn about gender equality, we can
expect a more gender-sensitized world which will reduce
crimes against women and girls and help grow respect for
every human alive. And then, we can have that truly Freida Pinto
Actress & Plan International
prosperous world that we dream of having.” "Because I am a Girl"
Ambassador

Mission: Gender Equality

Subject • Prepare to show the Plan International Total Time:
Geography, Science, Language Video “Because I am a Girl: I’ll take it from
here” (note – without access to the internet
60
comprehension
or capacity to watch video simply remove
this element of the lesson.) The lesson does mins
Learning Outcome:
not depend on it.
•
equality • Print out the “Empowerment Star” in
Age Range:
appendix 1 to distribute as additional or
• To explore some of the causes and
consequences of gender inequality homework activity.

• To understand how to promote gender

equality
Note: Before teaching this lesson you should
think about whether any of your students
11-14
year olds
might have been, or are now affected by,
Preparation: gender inequality in their lives. Be sensitive
to this and try to make sure your classroom is
• Write up the definition of discrimination on
a safe environment for all your students.
a board or flipchart.
Make it clear that students can choose
• Prepare flipcharts or paper for groups to to speak or not speak about their own
draw on and a flipchart or board to write experience as they wish.
on.
World’s Largest Lesson is a collaborative education project to support the announcement
of the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development. The project is living proof of
the importance of Global Goal 17 “Partnerships for the Goals” and would not have been possible
without the help of all of our partners working with us and with each other.

Thanks to our Founding Team:

Powered By: Distributed By: Translated By:

And special thanks to those who have worked with us across the world:

Lesson plans created in collaboration with Think Global www.think-global.org.uk. Promoting learning for a just
and sustainable world.
Mission: Gender Equality | P2

Learning Activity 10
mins

Start the lesson with a discussion question. Ask students: “Think of a time when you felt like you were part
of a group. Why did you feel included? How did it make you feel to be included?” (be mindful of the
experiences of your students).

Give students a minute or two to think about their answers. Let a few students share their experiences and
feelings.

Then ask: “How do you think it would feel to be outside or excluded from a group?” “How would someone
feel if they were excluded?”

Again, give students a minute or two to think about their answers and let a few students share their
feelings, if appropriate.

Differentiation and Alternatives

Instead of giving responses out loud, have students write their feelings in a journal or on a sheet of
paper and only share them if they wish. Make sure all children who want to share something have the
opportunity to. Another alternative is to share with a partner instead of the whole class.

Learning Activity 10
mins
Display or have students read the definition of discrimination: “Discrimination is when a certain person or
a group of people is treated unfairly. Sometimes the reason they are being treated unfairly is because of
their age, gender, religion, or race.”

In order to remember the specific terms of this definition ask students to develop an action for each term
within the definition and the group can then “act” out the definition. For example: “certain person” could be
pointing at one or two people, “group of people” could be arms making a circle.

This will help memorize the definition and check for understanding of all the words. Ask students to work in
pairs to identify 3 possible consequences of discrimination and share these back with the group.

Differentiation and aAlternatives

Consider consequences from the perspective of an individual, their community and their country.

Learning Activity 15
mins

Introduce the topic of gender discrimination and how it can lead to gender inequality.
Divide students into five or six small groups and ask each group to draw a boy and a girl on two separate
flipcharts.

Ask the groups to brainstorm what it means to be a boy or a girl in our society.

If students are confused, tell them instead to ‘List the things that seem most important about being a boy
or a girl.'
Mission: Gender Equality | P3

Tell the groups to come up with as many characteristics as they can and list them next to the appropriate
picture.

After several minutes, ask a few groups to briefly present their drawing and the differences that they have
highlighted between the boy and the girl.

To generate a discussion, ask participants to identify five characteristics that were listed next to the girl by
all groups. For each contribution, ask if it’s something that girls were born with, or was it learned. Repeat
the same questions for boys.

Use a flipchart to list the common traits that refer to sex and a separate flipchart to list the traits that refer
to gender. When participants are done listing traits, write ‘SEX’ and ‘GENDER’ in big letters across the top
of the lists.

• Explain that a fundamental difference between sex and gender characteristics is whether a person is
born with, or learns, a particular characteristic.
• Has it always been like this for everyone? Explain that sex and gender characteristics also differ
according to whether they change over time and across societies.

Note And Explain Key Learning Point

• Sex and Gender are fundamentally different

• Sexual characteristics are biologically determined and remain the same throughout time and
across societies

• Gender attributes are shaped by social relations, change over time and may be different in
different societies

Learning Activity 15
mins

Watch the video from Plan International “Because I am a Girl: I’ll take it from here “ (3.06)
http://plan-international.org/girls/stories-and-videos/because-i-am-a-girl-ill-take-it-from-here.php

In pairs students discuss or write down the following:

• What was do you think was the main message of the film?
• List three of eight issues faced by the girl in the film?
• How did she think she could overcome these challenges?
Bring the class together to discuss their thoughts. Remind students of the term ‘gender discrimination’
and introduce ‘gender equality’ in the discussion.

• As a class discuss the following:

• The film focused on the way gender discrimination can impact on girls, but do you think boys can
experience gender discrimination too? Is gender equality an issue only for girls and women?
• Is more gender equality good for boys and men too? Why?
• What role can men and boys play in tackling gender inequality?
Mission: Gender Equality | P4

Learning Activity 10
mins
Plenary

Ask Students:
Does society teach us that some characteristics in the ‘gender’ list are more important or valuable than
others? You may need to provide an example such as: “Society teaches us that being sensitive (like girls)
is nice, but that being assertive (like boys) is important and therefore more valuable”.

Can our ideas about gender change? How we can be a part of this change

Differentiation and alternatives

Additional questions if time: Ask participants:

• How have expectations of girls/women changed over the past 10 or 20 years?

• Is what is acceptable for men and women in other countries different?
• Have the biological characteristics that define us as male or female changed over time, or are they
different in other countries?
• Explain that what societies expect from women and men, or from girls and boys, may be different; but
male and female reproductive functions are the same everywhere in the world.

Additional or homework activity: Empowerment Star

Give each student an empowerment star (appendix 1). Ask them to think about the questions under the
star, answering them honestly about how they feel now – not what they aspire or hope their situation to be
like in the future.

Try to think broadly about your life, your community and your interactions with members of the opposite
sex, parents and people with power.

Circle on the star the number that corresponds to each answer given.

Connect the dots. Someone who is completely empowered (all 5s) will make a perfect, full sized octagon.
Someone who is not empowered at all (all 1s) will make a tiny octagon.

Ask a mix of boys and girls who feel comfortable to share their empowerment stars and compare
the differences.

Consider what star shapes might be like to girls and boys in other countries.

Take Action for Gender Equality

As an educator you have the power to channel students’ of the world who are unable to speak out for themselves.
positive energies and help them believe that they are not
helpless, that change is possible, and that they can drive it. Complete the Girls Empowerment Star and School Equality
Scorecard to plan improvements in your school.
Encourage involvement in the Plan International Hear Our
Voices Campaign. http://plan-international.org/hearourvoices/

Help speak out for the thousands of girls from the poorest parts
Mission: Gender Equality | P5 Appendix 1

Empowerment Star
Self-Assessment Tool

5 5

Focus Ambition
4 4

3 3

2 2
5 5 Public
Value 4 4
Speaking
3 1 1 3
2 2
1 1

1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 1 1 5
Influence Confidence
2 2

3 3

4 4
Leadership Knowledge
5 5

Response (circle)
Issue Key Question
Never Seldom Sometimes Often Always

Value Do you feel you are as valuable as your peers of the opposite gender 1 2 3 4 5

Influence Do you feel you have influence over decisions that impact your life? 1 2 3 4 5

Leadership Do you believe you have the ability to lead groups? 1 2 3 4 5

Knowledge Do you have the information you need to make informed arguments? 1 2 3 4 5

Confidence Do you feel you can approach important people with ease? 1 2 3 4 5

Public
Are you comfortable speaking out in a public way? 1 2 3 4 5
speaking

Ambition Do you feel driven to make a change in the world around you? 1 2 3 4 5

Focus Do you have a clear idea of what is important for you to change in the world? 1 2 3 4 5

Ability Do you feel you can change the world if you put your mind to it? 1 2 3 4 5