The Front Page

Author: Trajectory@ NGO
Ljubov Lissina • ljubov@trajectorya.ee

Issues addressed	Discrimination, Inequality, Prejudice, Role of media
Complexity	3
Group size	15-30
Estimated duration	150 minutes +
Objectives	To share the situation on gender equality in context of participants; To explore the relationship between the cultures and gender roles in the context if participants; To identify the challenges to gender equality; To see the differences and similarities in participants’ contexts related to gender equality.
Related thematic chapters

Preparations

Participants may be asked in advance to prepare themselves on recent events/news related to gender equality situation in their community/context/country. They may bring with them the articles, but it is not necessary.

Instructions

Step 1 — 15 minutes

Introduce the task to the participants. They should discuss the challenges to gender equality in their context: what are the "good" and "bad" news about it; what are the main problems in their community around gender, main stereotypes and prjudices. They should rather focus on the context they know and not to generalise and invent the stories they do not really face - speak about their own experience. The groups should be formed by the nationality or regions, or by cultural or geographical closeness; (minimum 2 people in the group and not more than 5). Tell them that the work will be in these groups and they can work in whatever language it is comfortable for them. The task will be to create a front page of the newspaper. Ask if participants know how is the front page? Let them explain. (The necessary elements should include the title, 1-2 main news, 3-4 secondary news with the reference inside (so – they are summaries or teasers n the first page only), some images related. The full article cannot be put on the front page, just summary or shortcut. The main content they will complete when doing the presentations. Tell, that presentations will last 5 minutes and then they will have 2-3 questions from the group for clarifications and challenges. Tell participants focus on the content, rather than presentation. Provide the materials they need.

Step 2 — 45-60 minutes

Working groups: first they should talk discuss and decide in subgroups, which news they select and then, pick materials and prepare their presentation. The poster should look like the front-page, with some image and not detailed, but general, description of the news.

Step 3 — 40-60 minutes

Sharing the presentations. Set up the order of the presentations and time. The good time is 5 minutes for the groups to speak. Allocate some time for the questions after each presentation for clarifications and comments (2-3 questions, if there are). All Front Page posters can be nicely put on the wall.

Step 4 — 40-60 minutes

Debriefing.

Debriefing

How did you like the activity? How was the work in sub-groups: was it easy/ difficult to define the news? Why? Were you surprised with anything said in presentations? Why? What are the similarities and differences, you noticed during the presentations in the contexts of participants? What have you learnt about the other’s context related to gender? Are there more good or bad news? What is the role of media (in gender equality mainstreaming)?

Tested outcomes

This method is used for many year at Trajetory@’s practice, being adapted for many educational themes. It is called the same as one of the methods of Compass, but it is not the same. It was tested at the 4 training courses on gender mainstreaming by AHEAD and Trajectory@ in years 2014 and 2015 in Catalonia and Estonia, which were the first ones, leading to this KA2 Project.

Tips for facilitation

Usually the activity is better to do in the beginning of the training, because it gives elements of intercultural learning and getting-to-know better each other. It as well combines with the Intercultural evenings to be continued at the same day. It might take more than half a day, sometimes, depending on the number of presentations; so, you should do energisers between and breaks. The presentations themselves as well as preparation for them (the groups) may be doe outdoors. Sometimes the time gets extended, because participants have many questions after presentations. The issued raised during this activity might be relevant for all the training programme, so, taking notes is very useful. At the preparation stage, make sure participants do not get straight to stick the pictures and draw (and read old magazines) - make sure they take some time to have a group discussion (the materials may be delivered a bit later, for instance). Be strict to timing during the presentations! It is a part of presentations competences for the participants to be able to be precise, concrete and timely.

Potential follow-up

Intercultural Evening / European Gender Evening / like event;
Write an article/blog post about similarities with challenges around gender equality in different contexts of participants;
Work on stereotypes;
Work on culture and gender roles;
Work of activism and gender mainstreaming;
Role of MEDIA on construction of the gender roles and forming gender identity;
Project planning (to meet the challenges raised).

Needed resources

Flip-charts, markers, glue, scissors, colours, colour paper, old magazines and newspapers; place for the sub-groups to work and prepare their presentations. You may prepare the timer, to control the time of the presentations.

Sources

Theory about gender, gender stereotyping and gender roles, for instance in “Gender Matters” http://www.eycb.coe.int/gendermatters/
The activity is called as the one from Compass (The Manual on Human Rights Education with young people, but it is not the same);