Goals
Brief description of the issue
A strong endorsement of gender stereotypes is associated with higher school dropout rates, for boys as well as for girls. Gender stereotypes not only tells us what activities and careers we should be interested in, but also who we should love and how we should behave in a relationship with others. We learn those stereotypes from a very young age, therefore they have to be broken down even at the elementary level if we want to give students all the chances they need to succeed in school. To do this, concrete activities aiming at deconstructing gender stereotypes can be very helpful and spark interesting discussion with your group.
Gender stereotypes affect the way we see ourselves in relationship with others, especially when we look at sexuality and intimate relationships. Gender stereotypes participate in the construction and reproduction of rape culture, a problem that is still rampant in our society. Sexuality education must therefore start early with teachings such as consent, gender identity notions and respect for oneself and others.
As stated on their website, Les 3 sex* is a non-profit organization and charity that tackles issues related to sexual health by mobilizing the Canadian community on sexual issues. The mandate of Les 3 sex* is to fight for the improvement of sexual health and sexual rights. To achieve this mandate, they gather various tools on their website that students and/or teachers can use. Have a look at their Stereotypes and Gender Roles category of tools.