T-SHIRT -Tools on Supporting the figHt for Issues of gendeR Traditionality and disparities
Acronym: T-SHIRT
T-SHIRT is implemented by 7 partners [Casa do Professor, XENIOS POLIS, CSI, University of Thessaly, INOVA, University of Bucharest, INNOVED] from 5 EU countries [Portugal,
Greece, Cyprus, UK, Romania]. The project includes:
- The T-SHIRT Courses for Teachers
- T-SHIRT Guide and Methodology Package
- T-SHIRT Digital Resources and Tools
- National workshops in the 5 countries, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, UK, Romania; Final Conference in Portugal
- Dissemination Results
T-SHIRT addresses school community members, the teachers at primary education and subsequently, the students at primary education level (7-12).
On the one side of argumentation, gender bias and inequity have remained extensive issues extended to one of the most important facets in our society: the school education sector. On the other side, education system is the context for an effecting change both on an individual and social level and it is a key institution that can minimize the differences between genders. Teachers are key- actors responsible for implementing this basic function of education and, they themselves are raised in societies that are stratified by gender; teachers act as carriers of the values and cultural codes of their societies and therefore their empowerment with pedagogies and tools towards gender issues ‘elimination’ is a necessity, through the provision on the one with effective training on how to tackle with the gender equality in their classrooms (via educational approaches to adopt a strategy combating gender inequality, raise awareness and proper sensitivity) and on the other, with additional materials and extracurricular activities targeting the gender equality sense of their students. In this context, emphasis must be placed on sensitizing key-actors in the education system to the importance of gender issues and on the fact that it is a long and painful process requiring not only learning of new perspectives but also the unlearning of old ones. Teachers need to undergo gender sensitive courses in classroom behavior and interaction
with students, to be empowered on gender bias identification in the system and to be equipped with the proper mechanisms or learning/teaching materials on reacting against these. Additionally, they should empower their students with critical thinking by considering their attitudes, judging school text books, changing negative perceptions or concrete attitudes towards gender roles, all these from multiple perspectives and alternative dimensions.
