The practice "Girl Dean/Manager for a Day" in an educational institution in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, as a strategy for achieving gender equality and empowering all girls
Description
Although the Statute of the Child and Adolescent (ECA - Law 8.069/1990) provides that all children are equal and deserve respect regardless of gender, in practice 37% of Brazilian girls think that girls and boys do not have the same rights. Researchindicates that, from the age of six years, the girl introjeta gender inequality The State Institute of Education, Science and Technology of the Maranhão in seeking to encourage the empowerment of their pupils, institutionalized, since 2017, the action "Girl Dean or manager for a Day". The action celebrates the International Day of the Girl Child, day 11 October.
Remove barriers that prevent girls leadership and that their voices are heard;<br />
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Encourage the empowerment of young participants and of all other students in Full units of the iema, in the social, political and psychological, promoting personal safety and the individual consciousness of strength;<br />
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Encourage the young women to occupy a prominent place and have a chance to lead the school in that study, attending the school organization and decision-making;<br />
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Promote the equitable representation of girls in decision-making structures, both formal and informal, and also their right to voice in the formulation of policies that affect the society in which they are inserted;<br />
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Perform massive projects and activities and actions of effective prevention raising awareness of violence against girls, in the family, in the community, in schools and in society as a whole;<br />
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Link to image of girls in the image of leadership, spreading a stereotyped image of women;<br />
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Promote respect for diversity, including the addition of gender, religion, culture and breeds.
The action takes place punctually on 11 October, the day on which is celebrated the International Day of the girl, who was institutionalized by the nonprofit Organization Plan International, since 2012. Although this day is celebrated with various actions around the world around the empowerment of girls, the State Institute of Education, Science and Technology of the Maranhão- IEMA FRAS, throughout the year, to stimulate the development of projects to boost the potential of girls and ensure the full exercise of their rights.
The IEMA, in opposition to the majority of schools in which even today there are no discussions of gender and who are indifferent in relation to the marginalisation of minorities and the reproduction of prejudices. In these schools, many times, note that the teachers are hands tied because the institution itself, in accordance with its political project pedagogical, gives no space for discussion of gender, either for fear of coping with religious or ideological families.
However, we are in a worrying scenario. Recent researches with 1700 girls in all regions of Brazil reveal information that denounce a context of blatant gender inequalities, which hinders the full development of girls and their skills for life. The IEMA recognizes the urgent need, especially in the public school, to reinvent itself and having to see the discussions on gender and sexuality as a cross-cutting and necessary. In this sense, the IEMA aims to broaden their discussions outside of the classroom, aiming to stimulate their students to occupy places of leadership and fulfilling, by now, a small gap in the lives of students
In this way, the initiative "Dean/Manager for a Day" aims to select students, in all units of the iema, to occupy the leadership of their schools for one day. The mobilisation around the action begins in the classroom, where they are launched discussions and surveys of issues around the principles and main obstacles to gender equality in society. After consecutive these discussions, the girls of the IEMA are to motivate to write essays. The essays are corrected blindly and from the best essays are chosen students who will be managers and the Dean of the IEMA. In 2017, when the practice began, the wording had as its theme "Why do I want to be managing the IEMA?". ii 2018, the theme of "Women in Science" was chosen as a form of recognition of the role of women in science and as a way to elicit the identification of students with these scientists and try to reduce the significant deficit of female participation in science.
Much more than symbolically occupy a position of leadership, these girls participate and are directed to develop all the routine that the Office proposes. The girls are empossadas in their positions, ship documents and attend meetings.
In the process of research on the impacts of the practice "Girl Dean/Manager for a Day", were made interviews and questionnaires with the young participants. The questions aimed to discover knowledge, impressions and preexisting concepts regarding gender equality. The subjective questions sought to know the opinion about the impacts of the practice of "Girl Dean/Manager for a day in the life of the interviewees, activities performed on female empowerment held from practice, and even about the change that occurred in their lives after having joined in the IEMA.
All the girls who knew concept gender and all replied that they were interested in issues related to gender equality. When asked if they thought that there was a difference between men and women in the most diverse sectors of society, 54% of the students interviewed said that "yes" and 27% said that "no" thought that there was a difference between men and women in society. In the course of the questionnaire the girls were questioned about professions and if they thought they had professions typical of men, the majority, 73% responded that they had professions that only men could exercise.
Important outcome measured between the girls participants to practice "Girl Dean/Manager for a Day" was the fact that 100% of the girls had the boys "no" have more ease in matters of calculation in relation to girls. This shows that these girls understand your space and that there is no limit to their learning. Thus, it is salutary the engagement for the planning and execution of actions not sexist and that encourage the participation of girls and women in the quest for full enjoyment of their rights becomes a priority
The greatest impact of practice "Girl Dean/Manager for a Day" was on the unanimity of positive responses to women's empowerment methodology proposed. All students interviewed said they had understood more about gender equality and the importance of the woman in the most diverse sectors of society. And all said that in the IEMA, students generally understand the purpose of the practice "Girl Dean/Manager for a day". All the girls interviewed said they have been chosen to represent a leadership, as is proposed in the practice has changed in some way their future prospects and all the girls responded that they have been "girls reitoras/managers for a day" contributes to their empowerment.
About the IEMA, all the girls responded that the institution deals with the theme "gender equality" in their activities and that colleagues have aroused more and more interest in the theme. These activities have been shown to be of the utmost importance to encourage school success of girls.
In this way, we have legal restrictions regarding the spaces and ways in which this discussion can happen which made the IEMA, as an institution of education, use creativity. As seen, the education that proposes to rethink stereotypes, identifies this need. However, the official documents even if the platforming school context, since it is recurrent, both on the part of teachers, as well as on the part of students exclusionary practices, as the differentiation of the ability of girls and boys, sexual division of tasks, among many other examples.
However, the practice of "Girl Dean/Manager for a Day" is an action in which the establishment of these new objectives collaborates to put the issue of girls in the public agenda national and world and to fill gaps in the regulations on children and adolescents.
All educational contexts can be considered potential constituents of girls/women or boys/men. Thus, it is salutary the engagement for the planning and execution of actions not sexist and that encourage the participation of girls and women in the quest for full enjoyment of their rights becomes a priority.
The IEMA seeks to encourage all students to act as protagonists of their life, causing everyone to explore skills and seek autonomy. In this way, it is possible to obtain success in proposed projects. It is intended that this practice "Girl Dean/Manager for a Day" will serve as an example of good practice to plan other interventions This is because it is perceived as it is urgent the development of strategies and methods that integrate gender issues and childhood/adolescence being a challenge for a performance with larger and better results to promote gender equality at the national level.
It is expected, as well, to help organizations and institutions to bring new ideas to the debate on this issue, from concrete situations has already experienced and evaluated
The practice "Girl Dean/Manager for a Day" at the State Institute of Education, Science and Technology of the Maranhão-IEMA obtained positive results in its two years of editing. The results showed that the practice was able to change the perception about the theme of both girls chosen as the school community<br />
Through this and other practices around the female empowerment, the IEMA recognizes the urgency of the school to reinvent itself and having to see the discussions on gender and sexuality as a cross-cutting and necessary. In this sense we succeed in expanding the discussions outside of the classroom, fulfilling, by now, a small gap in the lives of students that we have managed to achieve
Also on the subjective issues that responded, the girls were interviewed gave important reports about their desires. All reported yearn to join a college. All were impacted by have been chosen to be managers/dean for one day. The girls says that the experience brought the perception that women can make dreams and achievements your goals and others began to have greater involvement in the school.
Some girls might look more deeply the necessity of addressing the issue in your family and community, took advantage of the experience and developed other activities around the empowerment of girls and gender equality as lectures.
Here are some reports of girls interviewed about the impact they have been chosen to represent the "Girl Dean/Manager for a day".
"It was very impressive, I think. Until today I am recognized by this merit that managed with much effort and dedication". (Student T.R.G.S. 16 years)
"Had a very important impact. I had the pleasure to follow closely everything that governs the educational process. Take the knowledge of this experience throughout life. I am very grateful for the opportunity." (Student F.D.L. 16 years)
"It was very important to show my colleagues the importance of women in science, that we are able to do many things in any area" (Student J. E.S.C. 16 years)
References
MADEIRA, F. R (Org.). Women who gave birth? Studies on poor children and teenagers in Brazil. Rio de Janeiro: Record/Rosa of the Times, 1997.
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ANNA PAULA PEREIRA, MASTER