Goals
Brief description of the issue
Due to gendered socialization and the continued strong adherence to gender stereotypes in our communities, girls and boys studying at college level have both a gendered relationship with learning and an educational experience that is also differentiated by gender, despite the sincere desire of educational staff to provide an egalitarian education for all. These differences have an impact on student retention, particularly among female students enrolled in traditionally male-dominated programmes.
In 2016, the Table de concertation féministe · Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine (TCFGIM) led a project that aimed to take stock of knowledge related to school retention among girls and boys and to propose the implementation of planning tools, intervention practices and actions that take gender equality into account in the school context. Subsequently, the TCFGIM sought to enhance the approach undertaken to enable practitioners to truly integrate these findings into their educational practices and thus develop intervention strategies adapted to the realities of different educational settings, from early childhood to college.
A guide containing the main theoretical elements related to gender equality in CEGEPs, as well as the main recommendations to be implemented, was created as part of the Strategies for Gender Equality in School Retention project. It was updated in 2025 and is available for download in the documents below.