Awareness raising is a process which helps to facilitate the exchange of ideas, improve mutual understanding and develop competencies and skills necessary for societal change.
What is gender awareness raising?
Gender awareness raising aims at increasing general sensitivity, understanding and knowledge about gender (in)equality.
Awareness raising is a process which helps to facilitate the exchange of ideas, improve mutual understanding and develop competencies and skills necessary for societal change [1]. Gender awareness raising means providing reliable and accessible information to build a better understanding of gender equality as a core value of democratic societies. As a gender-mainstreaming method, gender awareness raising is crucial for integrating a gender perspective into policies, programmes, projects and services that respond to the different needs of women and men.
Definition and purpose
Gender awareness raising aims to promote and encourage a general understanding of gender-related challenges, for instance, violence against women and the gender pay gap. It also aims to show how values and norms influence our reality, reinforce stereotypes and support the structures that produce inequalities [2].
Gender awareness raising plays an important role in informing women and men about gender equality, the benefits of a more gender-equal society and the consequences of gender inequality. For example, raising awareness about the proven economic benefits of advancing gender equality, such as the strong, positive impact on gross domestic product (GDP) and higher levels of employment [3], and about the profound negative impact of gender inequalities, for instance, the fact that women are at a higher risk of poverty because of lower employment prospects [4].
Gender awareness raising intends to change attitudes, behaviours and beliefs that reinforce inequalities between women and men. It is therefore crucial to develop awareness-raising methods that generate a favourable space for debate, promote political interest and encourage mobilisation [5]. In this way, they contribute to gaining broad support and political will for implementing gender mainstreaming and gender equality policies.
Gender awareness raising goes hand in hand with gender equality training as a way to transmit the necessary information and knowledge to take action. This is especially true for the actors involved in policy processes, as it enables them to create interventions that address women’s and men’s priorities and needs [6] (Read more on EIGE’s Gender Equality Training toolkit).
The purpose of gender awareness raising is threefold:
- to provide basic facts, evidence and arguments on various topics relating to gender equality to increase awareness and knowledge about gender (in)equality;
- to foster communication and information exchange so as to improve mutual understanding and learning about gender (in)equality;
- to mobilise communities and society as a whole to bring about the necessary changes in attitudes, behaviours and beliefs about gender equality.
Providing information and raising awareness about gender equality does not, however, automatically lead to social change [9]. Gender awareness-raising initiatives may be met with obstacles and resistance that need to be carefully considered and overcome.
When dealing with resistance, it must be borne in mind that resistance is part of any change process. Resistance can be used to promote change, and there are ways of dealing with it. Sometimes signs of resistance are not necessarily a reaction to the specific topic of gender equality or gender mainstreaming but they can be a reaction to change in general.
In order to overcome resistance, it is important to deal with it by inviting actors to an open dialogue and giving them an opportunity to articulate their concerns and objections. In such a dialogue, it is vital to focus on a common goal as well as on the benefits for everyone. Highlighting facts and figures and using scientific studies to back up arguments can also help to prevent the use of unsubstantiated arguments in debates.
EIGE’s toolkit on institutional transformation provides comprehensive resources, strategies and examples of how to deal with resistance to gender equality at individual, organisational and discursive levels.
How does gender awareness raising work?
Gender awareness raising can be a part of internal awareness-raising processes in an organisation or institution and/ or it can be a part of planned external activities directed to the general public or a targeted group.
As a gender-mainstreaming method, raising awareness of gender equality can be considered to be a specific activity to be implemented within policies, programmes or projects. To be effective, the process of awareness raising must identify and meet the needs and interests of the actors involved [10]. This can be achieved by paying attention to the following key issues [11].
Who is the target group?
Before starting any gender awareness-raising initiatives, the socio-demographic characteristics (e.g. sex, age, ethnicity, level of education and any other relevant characteristics) of the target group should be considered in order to develop tailored awareness-raising initiatives. In addition, opinion leaders can also be selected as a sub-segment of the target audience because, as influential members of a group, they can promote societal change.
What is the content of the message?
The message communicated and the content of awareness-raising activities should be designed and framed around the specific gender equality topics under consideration. The way the message is conveyed and framed can influence how it is perceived and the overall effect it has. Framing factors include the choice of words and imagery, using emotions or facts and rational arguments, and presenting the consequences of (in)action as losses or gains. Importantly, the content of the message should be credible. It should communicate information that is accurate and is perceived as accurate, based on data with an acknowledgement of the source.
Gender inequalities are the result of a complex web of socially constructed roles and norms that are culturally and historically entrenched in societies. Attitudes towards gender equality, the roles of women and men and gender stereotypes involve feelings, beliefs and behaviours that are formed, nurtured and perpetuated by society, family, institutions, education and religion, among other factors. These attitudes are strongly influenced by social norms that form the basis of the perception of what is right or wrong and the way men and women relate to each other at home and in society [7].
Positive changes in attitudes towards gender equality require multidimensional and interlinked interventions. Hence, gender awareness-raising initiatives should be as targeted and as tailored as possible. As an illustration, raising awareness of the different forms of violence against women and how unequal gender relations perpetuate gender-based violence is an important element for prevention [8]. To see examples of successful, specifically targeted and tailored campaigns aimed at raising awareness to end violence against women, visit the European Women’s Lobby website.
Which gender awareness-raising measures should be used?
The type of awareness-raising measures selected will depend on the context and the identified aims in terms of policy, programme or project. An integrated communication programme, which combines different channels, is advisable to reinforce the message. This may include [12]:
- communication initiatives that aim to widely disseminate key messages, involving large-scale media such as television, newspapers, radio and websites;
- public events (e.g. concerts, information booths at festivals, etc.) to convey the message to a specific target group, such as young people;
- social media and social networks, which offer the possibility of interactivity and the potential for the viral dissemination of the message online;
- community-based initiatives in a local context to mobilise communities, empower women and promote community dialogue on gender equality, for example, through: public meetings, presentations, workshops, informal social events using interpersonal and participatory approaches;
- static and travelling exhibitions and displays;
- printed materials — for example brochures, billboards, cartoons, comics, pamphlets, posters, resource books and audio-visual resources;
- political advocacy and lobbying.
EIGE’s collection of good practices includes an example of an integrated communication programme which aimed to challenge traditional stereotypes, reduce the care gap and promote men’s active role in the family.
It is also important to develop specific initiatives targeting men and boys in recognition of the need to understand their role in achieving gender equality and to involve them in gender-equality efforts.
An example of a gender awareness-raising initiative targeting men and boys is the White Ribbon Campaign — a global movement of men and boys formed in 1991 working to end male violence against women and girls. Active in over 60 countries, the campaign aims to raise awareness about the prevalence of male violence against women and promote new values on masculinity and relationships between men and women [13].
Another example of awareness-raising measures specifically addressing men is a national awareness-raising campaign launched in Poland in 2012, Etat Tata. Lubię to! (Full-time dad — I like it!). The main theme was to encourage fatherhood and active fathering through a campaign aimed at encouraging men to participate in childcare. The campaign was evaluated by researchers at the University of Warsaw and showed some changes in attitudes among respondents with regard to fathers’ and mothers’ roles in childcare and child raising, and the division of housework and childcare between parents.
The importance of using gender-sensitive language
Language plays an important role in how women’s and men’s positions in society are perceived and interpreted, which in turn influences the attitudes towards women and men. Certain words or use of the masculine form as the generic one (common in most languages) can overshadow women in the law, contribute to stereotypes (for instance, in professions), and make women’s roles and needs invisible, among other things. In this way, language contributes to, produces and reproduces sexist and biased thoughts, attitudes and behaviours [14].
While gender-neutral language is not gender-specific and makes no reference to women and men, gender-sensitive language is gender equality made manifest through language. In practice, using gender-sensitive language means:
- avoiding exclusionary terms and nouns that appear to refer only to men, for instance, ‘chairman’, ‘mankind’, ‘businessman’, etc.;
- avoiding gender-specific pronouns to refer to people who may be either female or male (use ‘he/she’, ‘him/ her’ or ‘they/them’ instead of ‘he/his’) [15];
- avoiding stereotypes, gendered adjectives, patronising and sexist terms and expressions (for instance, referring to women as ‘bossy’, or ‘the weaker sex’) and references to women’s marital status and titles.
In line with these guidelines, in 2009 the European Parliament adopted a series of recommendations on gender-neutral language to be used in parliamentary documents, which are intended to reflect two particular features of the European Parliament’s work: its multilingual working environment and its role as a European Union legislator [16].
With the aim of fostering a common understanding of gender equality terms across the EU and promoting gender-fair and inclusive language to improve equality between women and men, EIGE has developed a Gender Equality Glossary and Thesaurus, a specialised terminology tool focusing on the area of gender equality.
In 2019, EIGE will also release a toolkit on gender-sensitive language.
Pictures, graphics, video and audio materials are also powerful communication tools to influence perceptions, attitudes and social change. The principles of gender-sensitive language for written and oral communications must also be applied to audio and visual materials, i.e. videos, photographs and infographics [17].
These are key principles for gender-sensitive communication [18]:
- Ensuring that women and men are represented. Both women and men should be visible and treated equally in media products and messages. It is important to ensure that the voices of both women and men are included in press releases, news stories, broadcasts and other communications that are used by the media to inform the public and raise awareness. When preparing communication materials it is important to plan how women’s and men’s voices can be captured and ensure that women are also visually presented as equals in all areas of life.
- Challenging gender stereotypes. Gender-sensitive communications can contribute to challenging gender stereotypes through language and images. It is important to avoid using words and expressions that reinforce gender stereotypes as well as images that portray them and/or exert violence. It is important to choose images that portray a balanced representation of both genders and to ensure that they do not discriminate against or demean a person.
Further information
Download this page as a PDF publication
Sayers, R., Principles of awareness-raising for information literacy, a case study, Unesco, Bangkok, 2006.
Council of Europe, Gender mainstreaming — Conceptual framework, methodology and presentation of good practices — Final report of activities of the Group of Specialists on Mainstreaming(EG-S-MS), Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law, Strasbourg, 2004.
European Institute for Gender Equality, Economic benefits of gender equality in the EU, 2017.
European Institute for Gender Equality, Poverty, gender and intersecting inequalities in the EU — Review of the implementation of area A: women and poverty of the Beijing Platform for Action, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2016.
Council of Europe, Gender mainstreaming — Conceptual framework, methodology and presentation of good practices — Final report of activities of the Group of Specialists on Mainstreaming(EG-S-MS), Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law, Strasbourg, 2004.
Ibid.
World Bank, Executive education program for professional parliamentary staff, Unit 8: Changing attitudes for gender equality.
Council of Europe, Raising awareness of violence against women: Article 13 of the Istanbul convention — A collection of papers on the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, 2014.
Sayers, R., Principles of awareness-raising for information literacy, a case study, Unesco, Bangkok, 2006.
Ibid.
Tufte, T. and Mefalopulos, P., Participatory communication — A practical guide, Working Paper No 170, The World Bank, Washington DC, 2009.
Ibid. and Sayers, R., Principles of awareness-raising for information literacy, a case study, Unesco, Bangkok, 2006.
White Ribbon Campaign website.
Menegatti, M. and Rubini, M., ‘Gender bias and sexism in language’, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication.
European Commission, Interinstitutional style guide, Section 10.6 ‘Gender-neutral language’.
European Parliament, Gender-neutral language in the European Parliament, 2009.
United Nations Development Programme, Principles of gender-sensitive communication, UNDP Gender Equality Seal Initiative, n.d.
Ibid.
European Institute for Gender Equality, Institutional transformation — Gender mainstreaming toolkit.
Haider, H., Changing attitudes and behaviours in relation to gender equality, GSDRC Publications, 2012.
Sibbons, M., ‘Approaches to gender-awareness raising: experiences in a government education project in Nepal’, Gender and Development, Vol. 6, No 2 (Education and Training), July 1998, pp. 35-43.
Unesco, Gender sensitivity — A training manual, 2002.
United Nations, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Gender stereotypes and stereotyping and women’s rights, 2014.
Image copyright: GlynnisJones/Shutterstock.com
FAQs
What is raising awareness for gender equality? ›
Gender awareness raising aims at increasing general sensitivity, understanding and knowl- edge about gender (in)equality. Awareness raising is a process which helps to facilitate the exchange of ideas, improve mutual understanding and develop competencies and skills necessary for societal change [1].
Which NGO promotes gender equality? ›Global Fund for Women
Global Fund for Women is one of the world's leading organizations for gender equality, and human rights of girls and women. The organization was created with a mission to amplify the courageous work of women who are building social movements and challenging the status quo.
Gender awareness is the knowledge and understanding of differences in roles and relations between women and men. A gender awareness training sets out to: Table of contents.
What is the mission statement of EIGE? ›We contribute to making the European Union become a Union of Equality, where women and men, girls and boys in all their diversity are free to pursue their chosen path in life, have equal opportunities to thrive, and can equally participate in and lead our societies.
What are the three purposes of gender awareness? ›to foster communication and information exchange so as to improve mutual understanding and learning about gender (in)equality; to mobilise communities and society as a whole to bring about the necessary changes in attitudes, behaviours and beliefs about gender equality.
What are three reasons to promote gender equality? ›- Gender equality prevents violence against women and girls. Gender inequality is a root cause of violence against women. ...
- Gender equality is good for the economy. ...
- Gender equality is a human right. ...
- Gender equality makes our communities safer and healthier.
In its gender action plan, UNICEF specifies a policy of zero tolerance for discrimination, sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment, including against LGBTQI+ staff within the organization, with partners and across all its programs. Learn more.
What is the biggest feminist NGO? ›The National Organization for Women is the largest organization of feminist grassroots activists in the United States.
What is Canada gender action plan? ›The Federal Budget 2021 committed $601.3 million over five years to advancing towards a new national action plan to end gender-based violence, and Budget 2022 proposed an investment of $539.3 million over five years, starting in 2022–23, to support provinces and territories in their efforts to implement the National ...
What is the lack of awareness in gender inequality? ›One of the major causes of gender inequality is the lack of awareness among women about their rights and their ability to achieve equality. This lack of awareness is often due to the prevailing cultural and social norms, which dictate that women should be subservient to men.
What is an example of gender equality? ›
Gender equality in the workforce means being paid the same salary for equal work, regardless of gender. It also means that if a woman takes time off from work to take maternity leave, for example, she will not be punished when she returns to work.
How do you explain gender inequality? ›What is gender inequality? Gender inequality is discrimination on the basis of sex or gender causing one sex or gender to be routinely privileged or prioritized over another. Gender equality is a fundamental human right and that right is violated by gender-based discrimination.
What is Magna5 mission statement? ›From IT Managed Services, to Cloud Services and Cybersecurity, we strive to be the industry's most trusted IT partner, enabling businesses to succeed with confidence. Magna5 provides comprehensive support and protection for crucial IT operations.
What is Carmel's mission statement? ›upholds Gospel values of justice, love, peace, reconciliation and concern for the disadvantaged.
What are the 5 important elements of gender? ›The concept of gender includes five important elements: relational, hierarchical, historical, contextual and institutional.
What are the three principles of gender equality? ›Principle 1: Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality. Principle 2: Treat all women and men fairly at work – respect and support human rights and nondiscrimination. Principle 3: Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers.
How to raise awareness for feminism? ›- Raise your voice. ...
- Volunteer. ...
- Start a fundraiser. ...
- Attend marches and protests. ...
- Donate to women's movements and organisations. ...
- Shop smartly. ...
- Challenge events.
1. End violence against women and girls. Sexual and gender-based violence remains one of the most pervasive and egregious violations of women's rights. According to UN Women, violence against women, “knows no social, economic or national boundaries.
How to prevent gender inequality? ›- Educate yourself on the root causes of violence. ...
- Interrupt sexist and discriminatory language. ...
- Be critical and question. ...
- Interrupt abuse. ...
- Stop sexual harassment. ...
- Develop an action plan. ...
- Stop victim blaming. ...
- Stop rape culture.
Gender inequality is a result of the persistent discrimination of one group of people based upon gender and it manifests itself differently according to race, culture, politics, country, and economic situation.
Which country is closest to gender equality? ›
| Country | GEI 2021 | Education |
|---|---|---|
| Iceland | 89.2% | 99.9% |
| Finland | 86.1% | 100% |
| Norway | 84.9% | 100% |
| New Zealand | 84% | 100% |
With the prevalence of gender discrimination, and social norms and practices, girls become exposed to the possibility of child marriage, teenage pregnancy, child domestic work, poor education and health, sexual abuse, exploitation and violence. Many of these manifestations will not change unless girls are valued more.
Is Angelina Jolie a feminist? ›UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Actress and activist Angelina Jolie says promoting equality for women, combatting injustice, and helping refugees are the most important parts of her life after her six children. “But in many ways, they go hand in hand,” she said in an interview late Friday with The Associated Press.
Which country has most feminism? ›Sweden. Sweden leads the pack in self-identifying feminist with 46% of the women in that country giving the nod to that description. Considered the gold standard of gender parity, Sweden's equal opportunity in employment, health care, and a litany of social safety protections.
Is Oprah a feminist? ›As a young child, these were the women whom Oprah wanted to emulate; she often performed award-winning dramatic readings of their writings and speeches as a teenager. As Oprah became famous, she continued to exhibit feminist tendencies.
What is the difference between gender equality and gender equity? ›Equality means that we treat everyone equally - each person or group of people is given the same resources and opportunities. Equity means that we provide resources and opportunities that fit the specific needs or circumstances of that person or group, and in that way, we can reach an equal outcome.
What is the slogan for gender equality? ›Gender Equity Slogans
Equal means equal. Equal rights for others does not mean less right for you. Fighting for gender equality is not a responsibility for women only. Gender Equity for all.
Most Canadian provinces cover the cost of gender reassignment surgery. However, feminizing surgeries considered cosmetic, such as breast augmentation, voice surgery, Adam's Apple reduction, and facial feminization, are not currently covered by all health insurance programs.
What are the root causes of gender based violence? ›- Poverty. Research from What Works found that when families are pushed into poverty, harmful practices like child marriages increase. ...
- Breakdown of services. ...
- Conflict and war. ...
- Displaced women and refugees.
The CHRA, 1977, states that all Canadians have the right to equality, equal opportunity, fair treatment, and an environment free of discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (added in 2017), marital status and family status, in employment and the provision of goods, services, ...
How important is gender awareness? ›
Gender awareness is necessary because no one is ever completely able to 'step outside' of the social and cultural processes that partly shape our identities, values and perceptions, but we can still develop ways of reflecting and ways of interrogating ourselves, and this is very important for group work and group ...
How to spread awareness about gender equality in workplace? ›- Provide unconscious bias training – education and awareness will help your people understand the biases and how to avoid them.
- Use gender-neutral language – for example, in a job description, company documentation, etc.
Gender equality is when people of all genders have equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities. Everyone is affected by gender inequality - women, men, trans and gender diverse people, children and families. It impacts people of all ages and backgrounds.
What are some topics about gender equality? ›- Gender stereotypes & sexism.
- Violence against women.
- Equal access of women to justice.
- Balanced participation in decision-making.
- Gender mainstreaming.
- Migrant & refugee women & girls.
Across the U.S., women are 35 percent more likely to be poor than men, according to a report from The Women's Legal Defense and Education Fund. That number worsens for single mothers and women of color. Worldwide, the majority of the more than 1 billion people living in poverty are women, according to the U.N.
Is gender equality still an issue today? ›Gender equality remains unfinished business in every country of the world. Women and girls have less access to education and healthcare, too often lack economic autonomy and are under-represented in decision-making at all levels.
What is a real life example of equality? ›For example, equality would be giving everyone the same type of ladder to pick mangoes at the top of a tree. Equity would be realising that not everyone can use the same type of ladder and providing another way for them to reach the mangoes at the top of the tree.
What are the 3 different types of inequality? ›Related concepts are lifetime Inequality (inequality in incomes for an individual over his or her lifetime), Inequality of Wealth (distribution of wealth across households or individuals at a moment in time), and Inequality of Opportunity (impact on income of circumstances over which individuals have no control, such ...
Why did Mission Carmel close? ›The Mission lands and buildings under the Mexican Government were secularized in 1834 and the Mission Indians and Franciscan Fathers were required to leave. By the start of the American Gold Rush in 1850, California had officially become the thirty-first state of the United States, and the Mission fell into disrepair.
What is Loft's mission statement? ›Our Mission
To help people achieve their optimal health and well-being in the community, LOFT offers unwavering support and hope.
Can you get married at the Carmel Mission? ›
Since we are an active parish, our schedule only allows weddings to occur on most Fridays and Saturdays. For your planning, the Basilica seats 450 people and the chapel seats 70. We schedule wedding rehearsal times on Thursday or Friday evenings.
Why is awareness about gender equality important? ›Gender equality prevents violence against women and girls. It's essential for economic prosperity. Societies that value women and men as equal are safer and healthier. Gender equality is a human right.
What is gender Why is gender awareness important? ›Gender awareness is necessary because no one is ever completely able to 'step outside' of the social and cultural processes that partly shape our identities, values and perceptions, but we can still develop ways of reflecting and ways of interrogating ourselves, and this is very important for group work and group ...
What is raising awareness? ›Awareness raising requires strategies of effective communication to reach the desired outcome. The combination of these communication strategies for a targeted audience for a given period can broadly be described as an 'awareness raising campaign'.
What is equality awareness? ›To live in a fair, just and integrated society, where diversity is valued and all can participate to fulfil their potential. Everyone has an equal chance to live free from fear, discrimination and prejudice. Diversity.
How can we stop gender inequality? ›- ENDING DISCRIMINATION IN LAW AND PRACTICE. ...
- ENVISIONING A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY WITH GENDER EQUALITY AT ITS CORE. ...
- ERADICATING POVERTY THROUGH GENDER-RESPONSIVE SOCIAL PROTECTION AND PUBLIC SERVICES. ...
- CLOSING THE LEADERSHIP GAP AND UNLEASHING THE POWER OF WOMEN'S COLLECTIVE ACTION.
- Women earn 10 to 30 per cent less than men for the same work. Pay inequality persists everywhere. ...
- Find a Goal 5 charity you want to support. ...
- Be aware of gender stereotypes. ...
- Stand up against harassment. ...
- Find female mentors/leaders. ...
- Share the workload at home. ...
- Stay informed.
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.” “If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things.” “A world full of empowered women isn't one where men are marginalized. It's a world where everyone thrives.”
What is the difference between gender awareness and gender sensitivity? ›Gender awareness is the ability to view society from the perspective of gender roles and how this has affected women's needs in comparison to the needs of men. Gender sensitivity is translating this awareness into action in the design of development policies, programs and budgets.
Why is it important to raise awareness? ›Raising Awareness allows youth to think about how they want to communicate their goals, gather community feedback, and discover how their community partners can support them.
What is the importance of awareness? ›
The ability to be attuned to and aware of others is an essential element of the social communication required for healthy development. As your child grows, he becomes more aware of the complexities of others by watching, listening, and forming friendships.
How to raise awareness of equality diversity and inclusion? ›- Be aware of unconscious bias.
- Communicate the importance of managing bias.
- Promote pay equity.
- Develop a strategic training program.
- Acknowledge holidays of all cultures.
- Make it easy for your people to participate in employee resource groups.
- Mix up your teams.
The right to equality is the right of all human beings to be equal in dignity, to be treated with respect and consideration and to participate on an equal basis with others in any area of economic, social, political, cultural or civil life.
Why is it important to promote equality and diversity? ›Good equality and diversity practices make sure that the services provided to people are fair and accessible to everyone. They ensure that people are treated as equals, that people get the dignity and respect they deserve and that their differences are celebrated.