By Caren Gestetner, Chief Executive and Co-founder, Lifting Limits.

Gender stereotypes are a root cause of gender-based violence against women(1) and must be tackled in order to redress the appalling injustice that almost 1 in 3 women in the UK experience domestic violence, and 1 in 5 sexual assault, in their lifetime.

Lifting Limits’ mission is to challenge gender stereotyping and promote gender equality, in and through education – because gender stereotyping limits children’s choices, their behaviours and their aspirations, with life-long consequences.

Gender stereotyping surrounds children in every aspect of their lives, with toys, games, clothes, media and books sending children strong messages about how girls and boys, women and men, should look and behave. In schools, stereotyping is reinforced (inadvertently) through curriculum learning, books, teaching materials, language and assumptions. This happens at a critical stage in children’s learning about the world and their place in it and, as gendered attitudes become ingrained in children from the age of 10, we work at primary school level, intervening early to head off the effects of gender stereotyping before they take hold.

Evidence implicates gender stereotyping in a range of unequal outcomes – for children, in gendered subject choices, attainment and aspirations; and for adults, in the workplace, at home, in public life and in health and mental health outcomes. Gender-based violence against women and girls is tragically one of these outcomes.

Even in schools, sexist language, sexual harassment and sexual violence are rife(2). Pressure to participate in boyfriend-girlfriend cultures hinders boy-girl friendships and girls are aware from all too young of how their bodies are judged and valued(3) . With evidence that a stronger belief in gender stereotypes correlates with being both a victim and perpetrator of sexual violence(4) , addressing stereotypes is a prerequisite to combatting such violence.

Lifting Limits uses an evidence-based whole-school approach (encompassing school ethos, curriculum and practices) to challenge gender stereotyping and promote gender equality. We know from independent evaluation of our pilot year that such an approach can have positive impact – changing school practices and increasing awareness and confidence to challenge stereotyping amongst staff, pupils and families.

The Istanbul Convention is an essential tool in holding the government accountable for providing the education that children need to be able to withstand the pervasive pressure they face to conform to gender norms.

Article 14 of the Convention requires countries that have ratified to ensure teaching material on ‘issues such as equality between women and men, non-stereotyped gender roles, mutual respect, non-violent conflict resolution in interpersonal relationships, gender-based violence against women and the right to personal integrity’ in formal curricula and at all levels of education.

Our pilot evaluation shows the benefits such teaching can bring(5). Against a background of competing priorities and budgetary constraints for schools, policy impetus is necessary to incentivise or mandate schools to prioritise this work. Ratification would provide this impetus. The financial resources provisions of the Convention in Article 8 will also help make available the funding for schools and non-governmental organisations to make implementation a reality.

Lifting Limits stands with IC Change in calling on the UK government to ratify the Istanbul Convention. The relationship between gender equality and preventing violence against women is symbiotic – and neither can be fully achieved without the other. Ratification of the Convention is a necessary step towards making both a reality for the next generation.

Take action now:

Sign the petition for the UK to ratify the Istanbul Convention

To find out more about Lifting Limits’ work, including our schools programme, or to offer support, please contact Caren on info@liftinglimits.org.uk. Our pilot evaluation report and resources for families are available on our website.

References:

1. UN Human Rights: How gender stereotyping affects the enjoyment of human rights
2. Women and Equalities Committee (2016): Sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools; NEU and UK Feminista (2017): It’s Just Everywhere
3. Cardiff University, NSPCC and Children’s Commissioner for Wales (2013): Boys and Girls Speak Out.
4. Women and Equalities Committee (2016): Sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools
5. Across a sample of 5 schools, reaching 270 staff members and 1,900 pupils