Global Boyhood Initiative

STOP PRESS

We are now calling primary schools across England to participate in the implementation of a new PSHE curriculum for Key Stage 2 to promote gender equality and challenge gender stereotypes. This innovative curriculum is called “Beyond Gender Stereotypes”, and is part of the Global Boyhood Initiative (GBI), which seeks to promote healthy boyhood from an early age. In the UK, GBI has been broadened to include all children, offering the opportunity to reflect on how gender affects their lives, and to support each other in creating positive change.

To register your school’s interest in participating in this exciting initiative, click here. OR sign up here to attend our webinars for information on the pilot.

Monday, 25 March, 4-4.30pm

What is the Global Boyhood Initiative?

‘We believe boys can be themselves – their wonderful, complex, healthy, emotional selves – with a little help.’”

Equimundo

GBI aims to create long-term systemic change by engaging with every level of boys’ environment – home, school, the media, and so on.

GBI engages boys aged 4 to 13, and the people and institutions in their lives by offering the resources they need to encourage boys to become men who embrace healthy masculinity and gender equality. 

 GBI supports boys to: 

  • share emotions in healthy ways
  • accept and connect with others 
  • stand up and speak out against bullying and inequality 
  • break free from stereotypes. 
The Global Boyhood Initiative is about guiding boys to:
- Share emotions in healthy ways
- Stand up & speak out against bullying & inequality
- Accept & connect with others
- Break free from stereotypes

Founded by Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice  and the Kering Foundation in 2020, GBI is coordinated by Equimundo with advisory support from a Partners’ Council, of which Lifting Limits is a member, alongside national and international civil society organisations.,  

Lifting Limits is proud to be the implementation partner for GBI in the UK, which started in 2022 and is being funded by the Cummins Foundation.  

BEYOND GENDER STEREOTYPES – A New Curriculum 

In partnership with Equimundo, Lifting Limits is developing a new evidence-based curriculum called “Beyond Gender Stereotypes”, which aims to promote gender equality and challenge gender stereotypes for children of all genders aged 7–11 in England. Grounded in community and school-based research, we tested an initial version of Beyond Gender Stereotypes in two South London schools in 2022. We are now enhancing this curriculum to reflect what we learnt in 2022, and align it with PSHE guidelines.  

The revised curriculum will be delivered in 40 primary schools across England during the academic years 2024-25 and 2025-26. The curriculum will offer a scalable, safe, engaging and age-appropriate learning experience across Years 3 to 6. Beyond Gender Stereotypes is designed for delivery as part of Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE).  

Teachers will have access to a self-guided online learning course, and associated guidance, to equip them to implement Beyond Gender Stereotypes effectively. We are also developing guidance for schools to use with parents and carers, to build support for the curriculum and engage them to promote its objectives. 

We will be seeking quality assurance of the final version of Beyond Gender Stereotypes and associated guidance as a quality assured resource from the PSHE Association. At the end of the project, the curriculum, guidance and training materials will be made freely available for use by all primary schools in England.  

We are now recruiting primary schools across England to participate in the pilot. To register your school’s interest in participating in this exciting initiative, click here.  

Photo by Amina Filkins

Get involved

We are running a webinar for you to learn more about the Beyond Gender Stereotypes pilot in English schools. You can find out more about the webinar here and sign up via the link below: 

Monday, 25 March, 4-4.30pm 

If you are interested in finding out more about the project, you can also contact David Bartlett (UK Project Lead) here.  

Why is GBI needed?

We cannot fully achieve gender equality without involving boys.

The behaviour of boys and men makes a big difference to the lives of everyone. But the messages boys often receive about how they should behave can lead them to close off emotionally.

Evidence shows that engaging boys and young men in discussions and activities about healthy masculinities and gender equality is crucial. Firstly, boys’ and men’s own well-being will benefit. But it can also empower children, achieve gender equality, and reduce male violence.

To achieve this, we need to start early – as soon as they are exposed to messaging about how society believes boys and men should behave. This will prevent these messages from being internalised.

We need a generation of boys who are not influenced by restrictive gender stereotypes. We need to raise a generation of boys who can build and sustain healthy, respectful, caring relationships.

For more information about the Global Boyhood Initiative around the world, visit Equimundo’s GBI website

Our Programmes

For more information on our programmes, please follow the links below: