Lesson video

Hello, I'm Ms. Kumar, and I'm so pleased that you've chosen to learn with me today.

Today's lesson is called "Identifying Gender Stereotypes" and it's taken from our unit "Communities: How can we ensure fairness and respect for women and girls?" I would really like you to do this lesson with a trusted adult as there might be some parts of the lesson that you find tricky to understand or maybe a little bit worrying.

If at any point during the lesson you are worried or upset, please pause the video and speak to your trusted adult.

The outcome for today's lesson is, "I can describe examples of gender stereotypes and explain ways to challenge them." Before we begin our learning, let's remind ourselves of some important ground rules.

Laura reminds us to listen to others.

It's really important that we take turns to speak and that we don't interrupt each other.

Andeep reminds us to respect privacy.

It is okay to share experiences, but we mustn't really use names so that we give away who it is that we're talking about.

Jacob reminds us no judgment.

This should be a safe space for us to talk and we shouldn't make anyone feel silly for the things that they say.

And Izzy says, "Choose your level of participation." If you don't want to answer a question or take part in a discussion, that's absolutely fine.

Nobody should be made to feel put on the spot.

Throughout today's lesson, you might notice that there are some words in bold black font.

These are keywords.

Let's take a quick look at today's keywords and what they mean.

Stereotype.

A stereotype is an unfair belief about someone based on their characteristics.

Sexism.

Sexism is treating people differently or unfairly based on their gender.

And gender equality.

Gender equality is when people have fair opportunities and rights and are treated equally regardless of their gender.

Today's lesson is split into two parts.

Let's start with part one.

What are common gender stereotypes? Alex and Izzy are playing in class.

Izzy says, "Alex, please, can we swap toys? Can I have the truck and you have the dolls for a bit?" Alex replies, "No, thanks.

I don't wanna play with the dolls.

They're for girls." Why might Alex believe this? You can pause to have a think or a quick chat and then just press play when you're ready to move on.

Ms. Walsh explains, "Alex's suggestion that only girls can play with dolls is an example of a gender stereotype.

He has made a judgment about what Izzy enjoys doing, based purely on her gender." A stereotype is an unfair assumption about a person or group of people based on their identity.

A gender role is the way in which society might expect a person to behave based on their gender.

Traditionally, gender roles have suggested that women should be at home raising a family, which could explain why doles are often marketed towards girls.

Gender roles are outdated and they reinforce harmful stereotypes.

Stereotypes can be harmful and they are not based on facts or evidence.

Ms. Walsh goes on to say, "Stereotypes can put pressure on people to act or behave in a certain way.

This can stop them from being their true selves and it could shape the way that we behave towards others." Time for our first check for understanding.

True or false? A gender stereotype is a fair assumption about a person or group of people based on their gender.

You can pause to have a think and press play when you're ready to move on.

The answer is false, but have a think about why? A gender stereotype is an unfair assumption.

They are harmful and not true.

Izzy says, "I like playing with trucks because I want to be a mechanic when I'm older.

Now, I tend to play with dolls around Alex so that he can have the trucks instead." Izzy is not being her true self and is changing the way that she behaves because of gender stereotypes.

Sam says, "I got teased at school because I have my hair cut really short.

Some people said short hair is for boys and long hair is for girls, so I've been thinking about growing my hair long again." Gender stereotypes have made Sam doubt and change the way that she expresses herself.

Tell your partner two of the impacts gender stereotypes had on Izzy and Sam.

You can pause to have a quick chat and then press play when you're ready to move on.

Your answer could have included any two of the following.

Not being your true self.

This was the impact on Izzy.

Doubting your choices.

This was the impact on Sam.

Changing your actions to match the stereotype.

This was the impact on both Izzy and Sam.

There are gender stereotypes about boys, too.

Alex explains, "I was really upset about something the other day and almost cried, but I stopped myself because I've heard people say boys shouldn't cry." Crying is a healthy response to emotions, but Alex is keeping his feelings bottled up because of gender stereotypes.

Andeep says, "I wanted to try out for cheerleading club, but I'm worried I'll get teased.

Some people say cheerleading is a girls' sport, and that I should play rugby instead." Gender stereotypes in sports can limit opportunities for people like Andeep to do what they truly love or develop new skills.

In which example are gender stereotypes influencing someone's choices? A says, "I love ballet, but I don't think I'll join ballet club as I'd be the only boy there.

My friends say dancing is for girls, so I'm going to go to football instead," Or B, "I'm going to try out for ballet because I've always loved it and I want to keep developing my skills." You can pause to have a think and then just press play when you're ready to move on.

The answer is A.

Even though this person loves ballet, they're going to go to football instead because they're worried about being the only boy at ballet club or what their friends might say.

Sadly, this person has allowed gender stereotypes to influence their choice.

That brings us to the first task for today's lesson, Task A.

Complete the paragraph with the missing words.

The word bank at the bottom of the screen shows the following: harmful, helpful, doubt, assumption, stereotype, pressure, limit, identity, facts, and behave.

Now, you might not need all of these words.

The paragraph says the following.

A gender blank is an unfair blank about a person or group of people based on their gender.

These can be blank and are not based on blank.

Stereotypes can put blank on people to act in a certain way, which can stop them being their true selves and may make them blank their choices.

Stereotypes can blank the opportunities people have and shape the way that we blank towards others.

You can pause the video to do this task and when you're ready to see the answers, just press play.

Let's check the answers together.

Your completed paragraph should look like this.

A gender stereotype is an unfair assumption about a person or group of people based on their gender.

These can be harmful and are not based on facts.

Stereotypes can put pressure on people to act in a certain way, which can stop them being their true selves and may make them doubt their choices.

Stereotypes can limit the opportunities people have and shape the way that we behave towards others.

So the missing words were stereotype, assumption, harmful fact, pressure, doubt, limit, and behave.

The words identity and helpful did not fit.

Well done if you got most or all of those correct.

That brings us to the second part of today's lesson.

How can we challenge gender stereotypes? Before we think about challenging gender stereotypes, we need to understand the difference between fundamental difference versus average difference.

Sometimes people confuse these two very different ideas.

They wrongly think that average difference and fundamental difference are the same.

Understanding the difference between these can help us to spot stereotypes and safely challenge them.

So what is an average difference? An average difference means that on average or typically, one group might be different to another group.

However, it does not mean that it's true for everyone.

For example, scientifically, on average, adult men tend to be taller than adult women.

This is an average difference.

You might have done averages in maths.

If we look at the group on the left, if you added up all of the individual men's heights and then divided it by the number of men in that group, you would probably find that the average height of men is taller than the average height of the women's group on the right.

However, this doesn't mean that all men are always taller than all women.

There are many women who are taller than many men.

So what is fundamental difference? Well, fundamental means something that is basic, essential, and always true.

So a fundamental difference means something that is true for all people in a group with no exceptions.

For example, all humans need water to survive.

This is something that is true or fundamentally true for everyone.

When people confuse average difference with fundamental difference, they create stereotypes.

They start believing something that's only true on average, so usually true or true most of the time, must be true for everyone or fundamental.

Examples of stereotypes that could be created from this confusion include the following.

All men are taller than women.

Women are always shorter than men.

Remember, just because something is true on average, it doesn't mean it's true for all people.

When it comes to what people enjoy, what jobs they can do or what they're good at, these things depend on the individual person, not their gender.

This is why gender stereotypes are unfair and untrue.

True or false? On average, men are taller than women means that all men are taller than all women.

You can pause to have a quick think and then just press play when you're ready to see the answer.

The answer is false, but can you remember why? On average means usually or most of the time.

This example is an average difference.

Some women are taller than some men, so it's not true for everyone.

In other words, it's not a fundamental difference.

Gender stereotypes often come from misunderstanding average differences as fundamental differences.

Reinforcing or believing these stereotypes can lead to sexism.

Ms. Walsh explains, "Sexism is discrimination, that's unfair treatment, or prejudice, that's unfair negative beliefs, against another person based purely on their sex or gender.

This results in harmful attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors." This person says, "I'm a female construction worker in a predominantly, that means mainly male industry.

I often get sexist comments like, 'You won't be able to lift that or mind you don't break a fingernail.

'" This person says, "I'm a male nurse.

When I meet patients for the first time, they often say, 'I thought nurses were women.

' Gender roles traditionally see women as caregivers, but this idea is outdated." Sexism is a result of.

A, disagreeing with gender stereotypes? B, believing gender stereotypes? Or C, discriminating against someone based on their sex or gender? You can pause to have a quick think and press play when you're ready to see the answers.

The answers are B and C.

Sexism is a result of believing gender stereotypes and discriminating against someone based on their sex or gender.

Sexism can have a negative impact on people.

It can lead to a lack of belonging or acceptance.

It can lead to high levels of stress, which can impact a person's physical health.

It can lead to poor mental health, such as anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem.

It can also cause limited opportunities, for example, shying away from roles that you want to do because they go against what people might expect.

This person adds, "Sexism at work has made me doubt whether I'm in the right job.

My self-esteem is low, and I'm not sure if construction is the career for me anymore." And this person adds, "Recently, I've been stressed and worried about work.

I want to go for a promotion to be the head of my department, but I'm not sure whether people will take me seriously as a male nurse." Tell your partner three potential impacts of sexism on a person.

You can pause to have a think, press play when you're ready to move on.

Your might include three of the following: a lack of belonging or acceptance, high levels of stress, poor mental health, and limited opportunities.

Sadly, research shows that women and girls are more likely to experience sexism.

Ms. Walsh explains, "Gender stereotypes and sexism can contribute to the mistreatment of women and girls in society.

By identifying and safely challenging stereotypes, we can make sure that everyone is treated fairly and without discrimination.

So what does it mean to treat everyone fairly? This is where gender equality comes in." Gender equality is the belief that everyone should have the same rights, opportunities, and respect regardless of their gender.

Ms. Walsh continues.

"Gender equality is not about trying to make one gender better than another.

It's about making them equal.

Everyone should be treated fairly and have the same opportunities no matter their gender.

We all have a role to play in creating gender equality.

Sometimes this means safely standing up against stereotypes and sexism when we see it happening." So how can we challenge gender stereotypes safely? If you see or hear something that seems unfair or makes you feel uncomfortable, tell a trusted adult like a teacher, parent, or carer.

The trusted adult can help you decide the best way to respond.

If you feel safe and you want to say something, you can be an ally and support others; challenge respectfully and focus on the issue, not the person; and use phrases like, "That comment is based on a stereotype or those jokes are hurtful and unfair." Everyone has the right to be treated with respect.

Let's think back to Izzy and Alex, when Alex said he didn't want to swap toys with Izzy as he thought dolls were for girls.

This is how Izzy could have safely challenged the stereotype.

"Actually, there is no such thing as boys' toys or girls' toys.

We should all be able to play with whatever we enjoy.

I like playing with trucks because I want to be a mechanic." Alex might have responded, "I'm sorry, Izzy.

You're right.

Toys are for everyone.

I shouldn't have said dolls are only for girls.

Actually, can I try playing with them? They might be fun." Ms. Walsh reminds us.

"Remember, you should never feel like you have to challenge someone on your own, especially if it's an adult or if you feel unsafe always talk to a trusted adult first if you're unsure.

We're here to help you." Time for our final check for understanding.

True or false? Gender equality is not about making one gender better than another.

It's about making sure everyone is treated fairly and equally.

The answer is true.

That brings us to the second and final task for today's lesson, Task B.

With a partner, discuss the following questions.

Question one, what is sexism? Give an example in your answer.

Question two, what is gender equality? And question three, how can we challenge gender stereotypes safely? You can pause to have this discussion and when you're ready to see some possible answers, just press play.

Let's take a look at some possible answers together.

Your answers might include the following.

For question one, what is sexism? Sexism is discrimination or prejudice against another person based purely on their sex or gender.

This can result in harmful attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors.

For example, saying that men can't be nurses or that women can't be mechanics.

Question two, what is gender equality? Gender equality is the belief that everyone should have the same rights, opportunities, and respect regardless of their gender.

Question three, how can we challenge gender stereotypes safely? We can challenge gender stereotypes by telling a trusted adult if we see or hear something unfair.

If we feel safe, we can speak up respectfully and focus on the issue, not the person.

It's important to challenge stereotypes because they can lead to sexism and unfair treatment.

Everyone deserves to be treated fairly no matter their gender.

Well done if your answers were along these lines.

You've reached the end of today's lesson.

Before we finish, let's take a quick look at today's lesson summary.

A gender stereotype is an unfair assumption about a person based on their gender.

They are harmful and untrue.

Average difference and fundamental difference are not the same.

Just because something is true on average, it doesn't mean it's true for everyone.

Reinforcing or believing gender stereotypes can result in sexism.

Research shows that women and girls are more likely to experience sexism, which can lead to their mistreatment in society.

Gender equality is the belief that everyone should have the same rights, opportunities, and respect regardless of their gender.

We can safely challenge sexism and stereotypes by telling a trusted adult and using respectful language, which focuses on the issue.

Well done on all your hard work in this lesson.

I hope that you now have a better understanding of how we can identify and challenge gender stereotypes.

If you need any support following on from today's lesson, you can visit the website Childline.

This is a website and phone line which is able to offer confidential advice and support.