Delivering gender equality through education
By Heather Smith
Heather Smith is the Head of UK Programmes at Plan International UK, leading the strategic development and delivery of Plan International UK’s domestic work. Ensuring the excellent delivery of existing programmes and working with the team to develop new programmes and relationships, with a focus on the long-term sustainability of the charity’s work through fundraising.… Read more
By Danielle Valder
Danielle Valdar is Assistant Headteacher and responsible for curriculum delivery at The Children’s Hospital School at Great Ormond Street Hospital. To celebrate the 72nd birthday of the NHS this week, Danielle has written about her experiences of being part of the Lifting Limits programme.… Read more
Much has been written about how the pandemic has exposed and exacerbated existing inequalities, not least along gender lines. With reduced work time and disproportionate job loses for mothers, women under-represented in decision making roles and over-represented in high risk caring roles, and with domestic violence escalating, the outlook has in many respects looked bleak for gender equality. … Read more
With media attention on violence against women and girls over the last few months, it is crucial to recognise that the conditions which feed such violence fester from childhood. The link between the gender stereotyping which surrounds young children and a range of unequal and unacceptable outcomes, including male violence against women and girls, is clear and established. Compelling… Read more
What next? Is a question that I and many others ruminated on throughout this past year. The pandemic and various lockdowns had given me more time to think and consider than any other time in my adult life. Despite sometimes feeling busier than ever, my ‘what next?’… Read more
Gender stereotypes are a root cause of gender-based violence against women(1) and must be tackled in order to redress the appalling injustice that almost 1 in 3 women in the UK experience domestic violence, and 1 in 5 sexual assault, in their lifetime.… Read more
Caren wrote a blog for the RSA arguing for a whole school approach to challenging gender stereotypes
‘Stereotyping continues to feed the gender unequal outcomes still seen across society. In order to stop it in its tracks, our education system needs both to banish stereotyping from the school environment and to equip the next generation to call it out wherever it appears.’
We are delighted that Lifting Limits has been shortlisted in the National Diversity Awards 2020 for the Community Organisation Award for Gender.
The National Diversity Awards celebrates the excellent achievements of grass-root communities that tackle the issues in today’s society, giving them recognition for their dedication and hard work.… Read more
Caren discussed Lifting Limits’ work in primary schools at a Women in Banking and Finance event and her talk was recorded to watch online. She was joined by Denise Cole, EMEA Head of Inclusion & Diversity at Citi, who spoke about Citi’s innovative and internally designed tools to raise awareness of unconscious bias.… Read more
For all of us, the school closures and subsequent ‘lockdown’ in late March have meant a huge change. Lifting Limits exists to challenge gender stereotypes in schools, and the week of the closures we were due to run workshops for parents and carers in four schools.… Read more