Attitudes and Relationships

The fourth theme is Attitudes and Relationships, as these are crucial to the establishment and maintenance of a gender-equal ethos. It includes being aware of sexist language which too often goes unnoticed or unchallenged. It is also about becoming aware of unconscious bias and whether there are gender-based expectations of student behaviour.

Is your school’s staff aware of their gender-sensitive language or of their own gender bias in expectations of student behaviour?

Initial Steps

  • To start with why don’t you devise ways of assessing staff and student awareness of GE?
  • Encourage staff to discuss issues around gender and behaviour and peer socialisation. What issues arise from these discussions?
  • Propose ways for staff and students to discuss issues related to gender-based violence (GBV) and assess the extent to which they recognise GBV and bullying, including support mechanisms and reporting procedures.

Call to action

Have you come across positive examples of gender-sensitive attitudes and relationships in schools?

Why not try to involve teachers to develop a gender inclusive and anti-sexist language guide for your school?

Please share your ideas, findings and/or results.

Submit a Case Study

Curriculum Links

Playing Math with Alice in Wonderland

Attitudes & Relationships, Language & communication

Target age group9-12 years old (primary school)

Gender equality concepts

Discuss gender roles and stereotypes as a social construction in an interdisciplinary framework using the story of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”.

Discuss gender roles and stereotypes as a social construction in an interdisciplinary framework using the story of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”.

Challenging perceptions of gender

Attitudes & Relationships, Language & communication

Target age group8-14

Gender equality concepts

Gender stereotypes

This Lesson Plan looks at how language can reinforce gender stereotypes and examines changing gender roles.

Dismantling the media. A critical analysis of gender in media messages

Attitudes & Relationships, Language & communication

Target age group13-18

Gender equality concepts

sexism, social norms concerning gender, heteronormativity

Gender behaviour

Attitudes & Relationships, Peer socialisation

Target age group12 - 18

Gender equality concepts

Gender behaviour

Gender stereotypes and prejudices

Attitudes & Relationships, Language & communication

Target age group11-18

Gender equality concepts

Gender stereotypes and prejudices

This Lesson Plan looks at the differences between gender and sex and then examines how gender stereotypes and prejudices are generated and can be challenged.

Harassment – Boys Talk

Attitudes & Relationships, Gender-based violence

Target age group13-18

Gender equality concepts

Harassment, peer pressure

This Lesson Plan looks at developing understanding of what is meant by harassment and goes on to look at how sexist language can undermine respect for women.

Love is not violence

Attitudes & Relationships, Gender-based violence

Target age groupstudents from 15 to 25 years

Gender equality concepts

Using authentic testimony over documentary evidence captures the essence of gender-conditional violence, a cycle, consequences and forms of violence and possible solutions.

Often, students are unable to identify toxic and manipulative relationships that can translate into violent relationships. Therefore, they need to identify these threats in time to be able to defend themselves. In these activities, we will introduce basically manipulative patterns, the cycle of violence and its consequences, as well as effective defence.

Similarities and differences

Attitudes & Relationships, Language & communication

Target age groupPrimary school

Gender equality concepts

Understanding others’ preferences, interpersonal social skills

To make people aware of differences and similarities, to expose our own “otherness” and to make students aware of the consequences of hasty judgements.

Why is it good to be a girl or a boy?

Attitudes & Relationships, Peer socialisation

Target age groupPrimary school

Gender equality concepts

Gender awareness, supporting one another, relationships of power, binary concepts gender

Better together

Attitudes & Relationships, Peer socialisation

Target age group6-12 yrs / group size 8+

Gender equality concepts

similarities go beyond gender differences

Attention, traffic light!

Attitudes & Relationships, Gender-based violence

Target age group6-12 yrs / group size 5-15

Gender equality concepts

gender-based violence

New Music

Attitudes & Relationships, Gender-based violence

Target age group14-18

Gender equality concepts

gender stereotypes, non-violent conflict resolution, gender-based violence

This Lesson Plan uses popular music to examine the power-dynamics of unhealthy/abusive relationships and explores ideas for how to develop healthy relationships.

Rethinking Masculinity

Attitudes & Relationships

Target age group11-18

Gender equality concepts

‘Toxic’ masculinity – ‘Tender’ masculinity – ‘Non-tender’ masculinity

This Lesson Plan looks at understanding changing notions of masculinity and the idea that men as well as women may benefit from gender equality.

Robotics and the Gender Problem

Attitudes & Relationships, Communities

Target age group9-12 years old (primary school)

Gender equality concepts

hybrid gender identity, stereotypes, subject choices, mathematics, size and number, infinity, probability

Ideas into Action

Digital platform “500 Queer Scientists”

Attitudes & Relationships, Communities, Curriculum, Leadership, Physical Environment

Target age groupPrimary/Secondary Education

Type of materialWebsite

Gender Based Violence at Schools

Attitudes & Relationships, Gender-based violence

Target age groupHigh school students, partially teachers 

Type of materialVideo, text

UK Primary School Case Study

Attitudes & Relationships, Physical Environment

Target age groupPrimary 3-11

Type of materialText – account of school practice

Language and Gender Equality

Attitudes & Relationships, Language & communication

Target age groupSecondary 11-19

Type of materialText - narrative

A multimedia digital platform “This is not a feminist project”

Attitudes & Relationships, Communities, Curriculum, Leadership

Target age groupPrimary/Secondary Education

Type of materialWebsite

Rainbow Friday

Attitudes & Relationships, Communities

Target age groupThe school community (students, teachers, school management)

Type of materialEvent

Regular re-shuffling of students’ seats in the classroom

Attitudes & Relationships

Target age groupStudents and teachers

Type of materialPractice

Youth in Action for Equality (Vocational School for Commerce and Trade Bjelovar)

Attitudes & Relationships, CM Development, Content, Curriculum, Extra-curricular, Gender-based violence, Hidden curriculum, Language & communication, Leadership, Peer socialisation, Physical Environment

Type of materialText, video, photo story