a) Introduction:

The FAL programme targets both men and women. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a gender balanced programme by integrating in it gender issues. This topic covers:

 

• Gender and reason for the concern.
• Gender inequalities.
• Strategies to promote gender balance in FAL programmes.

b) Objectives:

By the end of this topic the participants should be able to:

 

• explain the meaning of gender and the reason for the concern about gender in literacy programmes.

• identify the causes and consequences of gender inequalities in FAL programmes.

• formulate possible strategies to promote gender balance in FAL programmes.

c) Time: 1 hour 30 minutes.

d) Learning Aids: Hand-outs on statistical figures showing gender inequalities, charts, blackboard, newsprint, markers.

e) Procedure and Learning Points:

1) [10 min.] Write the word “gender” on blackboard or newsprint and:

 

• ask participants to respond to it.
• put down all their responses.
• finally analyse them one by one and then give a definition.
• What did you learn as a boy/girl?

Learning Points:

Gender refers to the socially and culturally determined relationships between men and women. These relationships differ according to different societies. It should be distinguished from sex which is connected with the biological make-up of men and women. Gender differences are not determined by nature but by society, e.g. “women can cook food”, while sex differences (which are biological) are natural, e.g. “only women breast-feed”.

2. [10 min.] Brainstorm the participants on the question, “Why should we be concerned about gender?”.

Learning Points:

 

- Past programmes have left out either men or women, thus leading to imbalance in development.

- Both men and women have a contribution to make.

- Targeting one gender is discriminative and retards the pace of development.

3) [25 min.] Divide the participants into groups of 2 - 3 persons and perform the following tasks:

 

- What are the possible causes and consequences of gender inequalities in a FAL programme?

- Propose possible strategies to promote gender balance in a FAL programme.

Learning Points:

Possible causes:-

 

- Cultural beliefs and practices.
- Religious beliefs and practices.
- Socialisation process which determines one’s roles in a given society.

Possible consequences:-

 

- Discriminatory laws and roles.
- Fewer educated women.
- Fewer women in positions of influence.
- Economic inequalities.

Strategies to promote gender balance in a FAL programme:

 

- Have a gender sensitive syllabus/curriculum and other learning and teaching materials.
- Supervisors and Instructors should be gender-sensitive.
- Sensitise the community on the effects of some socio-cultural/religious practices.
- As much as possible, priority should be given to girls and women; every effort should be made to make all men and women gender-sensitive.

f) [5 min.] Assessment:

Ask 2 or 3 participants to list three causes of gender inequalities at the following different levels and what could be done about them; at the family level and community level.

g) Follow-up:

 

- Read hand-out on gender issues.
- Each participant observe and note the different occasions when gender relations are not proper and think of a possible solution, trying out whatever is possible.