International Day of the Girl 2021
Step outside the gender box:
Learning free from stereotypes
Step outside the gender box: a new campaign launching on International Day of the Girl 2021
Gender stereotypes have no borders, and globally they are embedded in our classrooms. From a young age, children and youth are denied a safe, quality education because of prevailing gender stereotypes and expectations that dictate what they can or cannot do. Gender stereotypes perpetuate inequities in education and limit learners' future life pathways.
The theme for International Day of the Girl 2021 is “Digital generation. Our generation”. Whether online or in classrooms, we must transform education to end gender stereotypes, so all children can be themselves and be safe no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation.
On Monday 11 October, join UNGEI in launching a global digital campaign calling for the removal of gender stereotypes from textbooks and classrooms to advance gender equality in education. Young people around the world are ready to step outside the gender box. We need teachers, learners, parents, school leaders, ministries and civil society to step forward with them!
Join our community
Press release: Step outside the gender box
On International Day of the Girl (IDG) 2021, the UN Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) is launching a new digital campaign, calling for education that is free from gender stereotypes. At 10:00 EST on 11 October, youth activists, teachers, gender and education experts, ministry personnel and feminist artists and creatives will come together for a virtual launch event to say NO to gender stereotypes in classrooms.
Campaign trailblazers
Afrie, Artist/Musician and #AfricaEducatesHer Champion
(she/her/hers)
Sonita Alizadeh, Afghan rapper and activist
(she/her/hers)
Schuyler Bailar, Author, Activist, Life Coach and the 1st trans athlete on an NCAA D1 men's team
(he/him/his)
Thembe Mahlaba, content creator and girls' education advocate
(she/her/hers)
Emna Trabelsi, Tunisian DJ and activist
(she/her/hers)
Maya C Popa, Poet
(she/her/hers)
Jayathma Wickramanayake, United Nations Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth
(she/her/hers)
Tony Porter, CEO, A Call To Men
(he/him/his)
Dr. Heike Kuhn, Head of Division, Education, Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany
(she/her/hers)
Join the campaign: say NO to gender stereotypes in schools!
From 11 October 2021 (International Day of the Girl) to 8 March 2022 (International Women's Day) join UNGEI in saying NO to gender stereotypes in schools.
Through advocacy, music, poetry, video and other creative content, this campaign aims to:
- Make the case for shifting gender stereotypes in education plans, policies, budgets and textbooks and curricula.
- Provide a digital platform for stakeholders to share their experiences of gender norms and stereotypes in education, and practical ways in which they can be addressed.
- Leverage the power of artists, creatives, and diverse mediums to send a bold message and call to action for education free from gender stereotypes.
- Launch a digital campaign (using social media, music, poetry and video content) which makes gender stereotypes in the education context relevant and relatable for a wide range of audiences.
Watch back on the launch event!
On Monday 11 October 2021, UNGEI and partners launched the global digital campaign calling for the removal of gender stereotypes from textbooks and classrooms to advance gender equality in education. This campaign makes the case for shifting gender stereotypes in education plans, policies, textbooks and curricula, in order to reduce inequalities in education and achieve gender justice more broadly.
This virtual launch event provided a safe and empowering space for stakeholders (including ministry personnel, musicians, poets, activists, researchers, and teachers) to share their experiences of gender norms and stereotypes in education, and practical ways in which they can be addressed.
🏋🏾♀️No more “which strong boy can help me move these chairs?”
🚫No more “what time will your mum pick you up from school?”
⛹🏻♀️No more football for boys & other sports for girls.
It’s ⏰ to step outside the gender box for learning free from stereotypes.
@UNGEI #EndGenderStereotypes
