Gender Equality (Street View Approach) in Primary Education

This project is motivated by the fact that stereotypes, cultural and social norms and mindsets can be addressed through education with the catching-them-young philosophy however this requires:

- content that is apt for primary school minds,

- a cultural diplomacy approach so that concepts are understood and owned by students,

- activities that also reach out to households and persons in the immediate backgrounds of students so that what is nurtured at school is not (or less) immediately frustrated by an inverted message given by the students' living environments where mothers, sisters and other female relatives are subject to gender inequality (and are maybe used to it),

- media content that is used in class also viable as an outward message to the community by a school that sees itself as a cultural ambassador for opportunities for all.

The adoption of cultural diplomacy in gender equality education requires experimentation, testing and sharing of knowhow and expertise in schools and in teacher education and the partnership believes that with the right funding this project can be but the beginning of further development and longer lasting impact. The partnership was crafted to represent schools (present educators and classroom experience), HEIs (future educators and curriculum design) and partners from the cultural diplomacy and media in education backgrounds (cross sectoral synergies) so that they can bring together academic, pedagogical and other disciplines together with one joint mission. This will make the experimentation a calculated positive risk but a valuable investment in social cohesion that also builds on previous joint initiatives between different partners in this consortium.