Gender Equity Movement in Schools (GEMS) Session
Project: Urgent Support to Women and Girls in Noakhali District and Bhasan Char (Island): Sexual and Reproductive Health and GBV Prevention and Response Service
Supported by: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
The Gender Equity Movement in Schools (GEMS) is aimed at creating gender-equitable attitudes, increasing knowledge on puberty, and developing life skills among adolescents aged 12-14 years. This session is relevant to present times and includes fundamental information on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) to ensure adolescents have access to accurate, age-appropriate information through their schools.
Concerned Women for Family Development (CWFD) has been implementing the project in 30 secondary educational institutions in Noakhali Sadar upazila, including 25 schools and 5 madrasahs. Based on district education office information and collaboration, a total of 90 assistant teachers from these institutions were trained by CWFD to conduct GEMS sessions. In 2023, GEMS teachers completed 720 sessions from Module-01 with 6th and 7th-grade students. Currently, with training on Module-02, teachers are on track to complete another 720 sessions by September 2024. In the second quarter of 2024 (April-June), all 90 teachers completed 294 sessions with 7th and 8th-grade students.
Session Objectives
- Help adolescents (12-14) see past traditional ideas about gender roles.
- Expand their understanding of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
- Improve communication, decision-making, and consent awareness among young people.
- Teach students how to make informed choices about their health and self-care.
- Foster a comfortable environment where students can ask questions and share experiences.
Session Activities
A total of 13 sessions of Gender Module 2nd year have been scheduled. These sessions will be phased out by September 2024. Schools have included them in the gaps between regular classes.
Module – 1: Gender
- Session 1: Gender Review
- Session 2: Opportunities and Limitations
- Session 3: Status and Power of Men and Women
Module – 2: Drug Addiction and HIV/AIDS
- Session 1: Drug Addiction and Strategies to Stay Drug-Free
- Session 2: HIV/AIDS, Other Infections and Their Prevention
Module – 3: Relationships
- Session 1: Relationships
- Session 2: Expectations and Responsibilities in Relationships
- Session 3: Conflict Management
Module – 4: Child Marriage
- Session 1: Causes and Consequences of Child Marriage
- Session 2: Role of Adolescents in Preventing Child Marriage
Module – 5: Persuasive Communication
- Session 1: Concepts of Effective Communication
- Session 2: Unambiguous Communication
- Session 3: Peer Pressure and Ways to Cope
Session Summary of Q2 (April-June 2024)
| SL# | Name of School/Madrasha | Sessions in Grade 7 | Sessions in Grade 8 | Total Sessions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Islamganj Janata High School | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 2 | Noyannoi Union High School | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 3 | Maijdi Balika Bidda Niketan | 12 | 13 | 25 |
| 4 | Goiripur Girls High School | 4 | 5 | 9 |
Target Audience
This year’s GEMS sessions target students who were in grades 6 and 7 last year. Now in grades 7 and 8, they will continue their learning with 13 additional sessions in GEMS Module 2.
Progress Update: GEMS Sessions in Q2 (April-June 2024)
- Completed: Out of the 30 participating schools, 4 completed their 13-session curriculum for grades 7 and 8 in quarter 2.
- Running: The remaining schools are actively progressing and will finish their sessions by September 2024.
Participants
- Single Count: 4,497 students participated in the 294 GEMS sessions, including 1,716 boys and 2,781 girls.
- Multiple Count: 18,776 total participants, with 6,305 boys and 12,471 girls.
Key Learnings
- Improved teacher-student relationships.
- Students are learning to interact harmoniously.
- Increased comfort in discussing adolescent issues.
Challenges
- Difficulty in conducting sessions due to school activities.
- Inconsistencies in recording session data in the registers.
- Some schools struggle with recording boys’ and girls’ sessions separately.
- Reluctance among some principals to allocate time for non-academic activities.
Overall Observation
The GEMS sessions have fostered improved teacher-student interactions, helping students understand the physical and emotional changes during puberty and whom to seek support from when needed.
