TRAINING MODULES FOR 5-7 YEAR-OLD CHILDREN ON GENDER EQUALITY
These modules and practical activities were designed to support Bulgarian teachers and experts who work with 5-7 year-old children. Classic children's tales, popular among children of this age, and instrumental to shaping their life views and beliefs, were used to introduce the topic of equal opportunities for men and women in preschool and primary school education.
These training modules aim to equip kindergarten teachers with practical tools to expand young children's understanding about building healthy relationships, based on mutual respect and esteem between girls and boys. This would help them communicate meaningfully, without acting with aggression and violence.
The draft modules were tested among children from Group Four at the Fairy Tale Kindergarten in Targovishte. Further, they were adapted to the specifics of the age group and the pedagogical process at kindergartens. The finalized modules were introduced in the training of children from Groups Three and Four at two kindergartens in Targovishte: Fairy Tale and March 8th.
Number of children:
• 25-30
Key messages:
• Women and men (girls and boys) are equally capable, knowledgeable and valuable.
• Women and men (girls and boys) are different, but difference is enriching, not discriminative.
• Girls and boys may have different interests. Yet the interests they share are more than the ones they don't.
• Every person is unique, different and valuable!
• Every child is unique, different and valuable!
• The control, subordination and favouring one gender over the other is not acceptable and results into violence.
• Children, women and men have the right to live without violence and to have equal conditions for their personal development ad expression.
• Violence against children is unacceptable. Adults are responsible for protecting children.
• Power should be used to help others, not to offend and hurt them.
• It is important for women and men to be equally involved in taking care of their home and family and to have equal time for themselves.
• Women and men should be equally paid for doing the same type of
• There are good and bad strangers. The good ones, like policemen and teachers, can be asked for help, and the bad ones should be kept at a distance.
• When girls and boys participate equally in the decision-making, nobody will be at a disadvantage.
• Children and women are more vulnerable groups and are more likely to be abused, so they need special protection and support.
