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In February, VVOB and the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) launched a toolkit that empowers preschool teachers to challenge and prevent gender stereotypes in young children. The international support has been overwhelming, from UNESCO’s Teacher Task Force and the Brookings Institution to the UN Girls’ Education Initiative, so much so it reached Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo’s ears. Girls’ empowerment being a central element in his policies, he gladly received a copy of the toolkit, which was largely funded by Belgium.

By using VVOB’s toolkit, we can challenge harmful gender stereotypes right out of the gate and genuinely give girls equal opportunities
Minister for Development Cooperation De Croo

The GRP4ECE toolkit (‘gender-responsive pedagogy for early childhood education’) is a first in the fight for equality, because it tackles gender stereotypes at preschool level already. The toolkit has been shared with 400 policy makers in South-Africa. VVOB and partners will first implement the toolkit in Zambia. After that it will be rolled out on a larger scale in Africa. 

 

More concretely, the toolkit offers practical advice and low-cost tips to teachers on how to tackle gender stereotypical behaviour and ideas, from either the preschoolers or the teachers themselves, in a playful manner. The toolkit was developed in partnership with the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) and was endorsed by the African Union and UNESCO. 

 

You can find the toolkit here.

Katelin Raw (VVOB), Minister Alexander De Croo, Sven Rooms (VVOB)