Youth, Gender and
Public Space Project
2011
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Luciana Guimarães
Melina Risso
SYSTEMATIZATION COORDINATOR, INFORMATION AND REFERENCE
Ligia Rechenberg
260, Luis Murat
05436-040
São Paulo - SP
Tel: +55 11 3812-1333
www.soudapaz.org
[email protected]
COMMUNICATION COORDINATOR
Daniela Caldeirinha
YOUTH, GENDER AND PUBLIC SPACE PROJECT
Coordinator: Gabriel Di Pierro
Assistant: Marília Ortiz
Preparation Guide: Gabriel Di Pierro and Marilia Ortiz
Review: Daniela Caldeirinha, Ligia Rechenberg, Mônica Zagallo and Vania Regina Fontanesi
Translation Volunteers: Keyllen Nieto, Bekah Hunt, Silvana Cabral Mendonça, Wilmi Pwa and
Silvia Adriana Martins.
Photos: Andrea Lynch, Gabriel Di Pierro, Marília Ortiz and Reginaldo Lima
Graphic Design and Layout: Janaina Siqueira
Issue 1 / 2011
This guide is a product of the Youth, Gender and Public Space Project 3rd edition, implemented by the Instituto Sou da Paz in partnership with EMPower.
Conceptual framework
Conceptual Sheet 01: Identity and gender norms
Conceptual Sheet 02: Diversity, sexuality and violence
Conceptual Sheet 03: “Masculine” violence
Conceptual Sheet 04: Violence against women
Conceptual Sheet 05: Women’s rights
Preparing activity: some recommendations
Additional references
> Recommended sites
> Audiovisual materials
> Educational videos
> Educational textbooks
> Other texts that discuss the topics of this Guide
Activities
Activity 01: The models I see
Activity 02: Dynamics of “agree” and “disagree”
Activity 03: Interactive Mural: We have all kinds of people
Activity 04: Performing a scene and switching the roles
Activity 05: Men and women in the media: questioning references
Activity 06: Stencils for gender equality
Activity 07: Sexism and violence
Activity 08: Changing the course of history: other ways to resolve conflicts
Activity 09: What’s up? Designing a “zine” respect for diversity
Activity 10: “Photo-novelas” on teenage parenthood
Introduction
Instituto Sou da Paz is a civil society organization of public interest which, for over ten years, has been
contributing with the effectuation of policies for public safety and violence prevention guided by the values of
democracy, social justice and human rights.
Youth is a focal point for action at Instituto Sou da Paz, since they are most vulnerable to the dynamics
of violence. The projects developed by the Youth and Adolescent Area at Instituto Sou da Paz act to promote
democratic occupation of public spaces, encourage peaceful conflict resolution and create an empowering
environment for young leaders to transform their communities.
Between 2003 and 2005, Instituto Sou da Paz implemented the project “Peace Poles” to revitalize two
public squares in the city of Sao Paulo (in the districts of Campo Limpo and Jardim Ângela). The project relied
on the transformative potential of the community, especially young people.
During the project implementation, it was observed that participation by young women in the activities
taking place in the squares was much lower than that of men. The “Youth, Gender and the Public Space Project”
was then designed to understand why women’s participation was limited. In 2007 a diagnosis was performed
with the young men and women living in the region of intervention and revitalization. The research pointed
to several factors that discourage women from frequenting public spaces such as: community prejudices
against women who “stand in the street,” delegation of house chores and family care to women, forceful
mediation of occupation of public spaces (especially sports courts).Following this survey, the project held
workshops with young people in the studied neighborhoods, using different artistic languages to encourage
the discussion of gender issues and the expansion of female participation in their communities.
Based on that information, a second edition of Project Youth, Gender and Public Space was held in 2008
to raise gender awareness among managers, administrators, the public and nongovernmental organizations
that promote cultural and sports activities for young people in public spaces. Aiming to encourage democratic
and equal employment and contribute to the increase in female participation in public spaces, some 40
managers have undergone a training course.
The third edition of the project, implemented between 2009 and 2010, was carried out at two institutions
- the EMEF Padre José Pegoraro School, in the Grajaú neighborhood and the Helena Portugal Albuquerque
Youth Center, in the Jaçanã neighborhood. During this time, several action were performed in partnership
with the staff and the surrounding community which promoted gender equality and democratic coexistence
among young people. Professionals and students alike received training and technical support to develop
teaching practices that include the contents of gender.
With the support of the Youth, Gender and Public Space Project - 3rd edition, several actions were
conducted in both regions in partnership with the community and local leaders. Such activities included sports
and cultural events to encourage participation of young women, artistic interventions of juvenile groups of
the Southern Region on the theme of gender, and the formation of a network with various organizations to
improve care to women victims of violence in the Northern Region. There were also gender and communication
workshops with young men and women to develop social communication campaigns for gender equity, using
alternative vehicles such as a newspaper mural, stencils and “zines”.
To guide the professional staff in the institutions, sensitize the community and stimulate the reflection
of young people on gender issues, the Youth, Gender and Public Space project team researched a number of
materials and references to develop activities that appeal to the interests of youth. We conducted a series of
workshops seeking to promote peaceful coexistence and the appreciation of diversity, contributing to critical
reflection on the models of femininity and masculinity, discouraging violence among youth, especially males,
and enhancing female participation. Through the workshops, young people reflected on the gender issue
from their experiences.
This guide for educators is based on the achievements and experiences accumulated during the 3rd edition
of the Youth, Gender and Public Space Project. Besides the step-by-step instructions for how to replicate the
workshops, the Guide contains handouts on topics related to gender and its connection to violence, which are
reinforced though activities and references to websites, videos and supplementary texts for consultation.
Convinced that democratic values are important references for the construction of peaceful coexistence,
we have no doubt that the gender perspective must be incorporated when working with youth to encourage
them to “think outside and come out of the boxes.” We are invested in institutions that serve this audience,
believing in their great potential to boost cultural transformations.
We therefore hope that this guide helps educators incorporate a gender perspective in their work
with young people, encouraging the construction of more equitable relationships, and a more just and
peaceful society.
Enjoy your reading!
How to Use This Guide
The Guide is organized in three parts.
Ideally, the educator will read all the conceptual texts before
conducting any of the educational workshops, and will seek to deepen
their understanding of issues that raise questions by consulting
other bibliographic references listed at the end of this Guide.
Additional references
The last part indicates a series of Web sites, videos and bibliographical
references related to the themes of the guide, which can both
assist the educator in preparation of the workshops, and serve as
complementary material for the realization of new activities for the
students.
Activities
In the second part, there are recommendations for how to prepare
and conduct workshops. Aside from the step-by-step instructions
for how to carryout each activity, the Guide provides tips and stories
based on the experience of the team that produced this material.
Conceptual framework
In this section, there are short texts that introduce important
concepts to reinforce the concepts presented with the youth. They
are organized into the following topics: identities and gender models;
diversity, sexuality and violence; “masculine” violence; violence
against women; and women’s rights.
Conceptual Sheet
Identity and gender norms
What is it to be a man or a woman? To help answer this question, you may need to consider
that, when we talk about identities, there is not one way that is correct or final. People are constantly
undergoing transformations, changing interests and desires, reorganizing projects, altering daily
practices and how they perceive themselves and others. Collective (groups, societies) and individual
identities will be influenced by life experiences, models, rules and discourses, producing new
meanings and directions for the various dimensions of their lives - work, family, love, etc.
The idea that differences between men and women are natural and defined by differences
in biological bodies has long prevailed in most societies. Women would have been born with a
greater ability to care for the home and children, while men had greater skills to work outside,
through physical efforts and assumption of leadership positions. These are just some of the
many concepts that have marked the distinctions between the sexes; concepts that were used to
justify women’s subordination and the unequal relations between men and women.
When feminism gained momentum in the second half of the twentieth century, some
researchers proposed replacing the term “sex differences” with “gender differences” as a way to
show that culture influences the course of being a man and woman through values, practices and
discourse. The concept of gender attempts to show that these models for behavior are learned
throughout life, change over time and vary between historical and social contexts. It is, for example,
very different being a woman in Brazil and Afghanistan, as well as being a woman in 1930 or 2010.
Areas of institutional or informal socialization permanently offer models that become
embedded from childhood. An example are families, when they define the “boy” toys - as the ball
and the sword - and the “girl” ones - like the doll, the little stove and cookware. The same goes for
clothes, furniture and colors of a room and so many other choices that show a particular way of
looking at the child. Another important space in our training is school, where teachers express and
affirm values, ideas and behaviors that they consider appropriate for each sex in the classroom.
As our universe of relations widens, the influence of friends and all that we perceive as
social expectations and possibilities of being socially recognized is also important. This will give
clues for how to deal with emotions, how we should behave sexually, make career choices, etc.
When thinking of identity in modern society, we should not underestimate the power
patterns of consumption and mass culture have on people, especially young people. Videos,
magazines, web pages, television programs, advertisements and products offered to them are
some of the elements that exert great influence on behavior, the formation of taste, aesthetic
standards and life-styles and self-expression. Certainly, in these consumer products exist gender
models that are both valued and not. A standard action movie shows strong men and warriors who
use weapons and conquer beautiful women; at the same time, magazines bring more and more
sections that teach women to care for the body in order to be more desirable and “feminine”.
It is important to highlight that these patterns change significantly from one social group
to another. Among the most important cross-cut analyses which produce significant differences
are social class, geographical region and ethnicity-race. So something that can be valued in a
particular context can vary considerably when we shift our focus to another place or group of
people. An example is the expectation in the wealthier classes that the youth delay their entry
to the labor market and child rearing, while in the lower class youth are encouraged to work at a
younger age and teen pregnancy is more commonplace naturally.
Moreover, it is possible to relate to these models in highly variable forms, not just as
ready references. We can perceive the information coming to us in a critical way and thus adapt
the models to what we believe is best for us and our environment. We are also producers and
disseminators of new ways of living femininely and masculine. Because of this, it is essential that
educators working with young people help them make a critical reading of gender models and
whatever is valued and legitimated through them.
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The questioning of certain barriers that have already been lifted is inevitable when we think
of a more democratic and less unequal society. Why is an aggressive, domineering, sometimes
health and physical integrity risk-taking man is still so valued? Why do so many men fail to see
fatherhood as an important and healthy form of masculinity? Why is the most valued woman one
whose body is considered “desirable” by men? What is the possibility of her being accepted when
she decides to live independently, when she expresses interest in exploring (or using) her sexuality
freely, without being stigmatized? Why do we still find justifications to legitimize violence against
women or to sustain biases against homosexuals?
When identities are trapped by rigid models and yet so ingrained, even our adherence to
them goes unnoticed and our ability to choose and change reality is considerably reduced. As we
become aware of these models and understand that they are the result of cultural constructs,
we become able to choose our paths and act as producers, driving the transformation of cultural
values and conquering our desires, interests and projects, both personal and collective.
Conceptual Sheet
Diversity, sexuality and violence
When we talk about gender relations, we are also talking about diversity and how people
deal with it and solve the conflicts which are inherent to interaction between people. When
working with boys or girls, it is clear that issues such as race, ethnicity, social class and sexual
orientation influence their quality of life and how they socialize.
Although it is not true that differences inherently produce inequalities, it is true that all
forms of inequality have their origin in how society treats the differences between people, rich and
poor, white and black, men and women, heterosexuals and homosexuals, and so on. Therefore,
there are privileged groups in society and there is always a power relationship at work in across
and within social relations. These power dynamics cans often manifestation through intolerance,
systematic practice of violence against others, seeking to put the other in an inferior position
usually with the aim to legitimize or reaffirm a particular identity, position or characteristic of
individuals and groups.
Homosexual, bisexual and transgender people constitute a social group that is particularly
affected by violence and discriminatory practices. In public schools, 87% of the community - whether
students, parents, teachers or servers - have some degree of prejudice against homosexuals, as
revealed by a survey conducted in 2009 by the FEA / USP (Brazil). Homophobia, biphobia and
transphobia clearly demonstrate how models operate in gender relations, showing biased social
expectations in relation individual sexuality, despite all the achievements of the movement in
favor of the affirmation of sexual diversity.
Heteronormativity is a form of social regulation of sexuality that values the intimate
relationship between people of opposite sexes (heterosexual) over all other intimate relationships.
At the same time, men are being pressured to reaffirm their role as a sexually and socially active
subject in varied forms, as opposed to passivity, which would indicate the place of the homosexual.
In this view, homosexuality represents the loss of male honor, and consequently of all the status
associated with it. On the other hand, women are encouraged to occupy a place of inferiority,
whose value lies in the possibility of her body being the object of male desire, as it happens, for
example, in much of Brazilian funk music. DOMINANT AND SUBMISSIVE
It is not uncommon for educators to discover a conflict situation originated in the fact that a
girl is “too masculine” or that the boy is considered “sensitive,” or feminine. Feeling cornered, some of
these adolescents and youngsters start to act aggressively as a means to “survive” the offenses of
colleagues or as an expression of a conflict between the personal needs and interests and collective
demands. Some educators may find it difficult to act, prevent, or intervene in the problem.
In that case, the educator’s tasks are to discuss with the group the importance of respecting
differences, to clarify myths and prejudices and to develop practices for exploration, affirmation
and acceptance of diversity. Contrary to what one might think, sexual orientation is not a simple
choice of the person, but something much more complex. Indeed, the desire is something we
have little control over, it is part of a process of discovery and does not necessarily remain the
same throughout life. However, there is significant pressure for a person to “take a stand” as
soon as possible, to demonstrate being “a real” man or woman. When we work from a gender
perspective, there is not one single and natural way of being a man or woman, but multiple
possibilities of femininities and masculinities. Valuing these differences helps young people to be
more autonomous, happier with their choices and also more welcomed by the group, even when
they choose to relate sexually and emotionally with partners of the same sex.
Preserving and promoting diversity is a key challenge for us to live in a healthy and peaceful
society. Globalization, new information and communication technologies provide unprecedented
conditions that intensify the contact between different cultures and between people in general.
Those new tools offer further ways to live together which should be cultivated constructively
through educational activities, giving visibility to those who are not endowed with power,
deconstructing accepted models and creating new ways of living and making a difference.
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Tolerance should not be presented as a passive way of accepting the other as a burden,
but as an active way to meet new people, appreciate alternative lifestyles and choices, circulating
the city and public spaces while respecting others, coexisting in a friendly way, reaffirming the
possibility of living with others and resolving conflicts through dialogue.
Tip
Get to know the video-campaign against homophobia in Portugal:
< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjlOeJa75S0 >
Conceptual Sheet
“Masculine” violence
Violence is a complex phenomenon that manifests many ways and has many motivations
and factors; it’s more frequent in urban areas, mainly in the peripheries of large cities. In public
spaces, young men are the most frequent perpetrators and victims of violence - especially lethal
violence - while in private spaces women are disproportionately affected, most commonly through
abuse by their intimate partners.
According to the “Map of Violence 2010 – The anatomy of homicides in Brazil”, of the
47,707 homicides in 2007, 17,475 victims were young people (15-24 years); and from these
young victims, 16,408 (or 93.9%) were males and 11,905 were black. Men also accounted for 93.4%
(442,225) of all inmates (473,626) in 2009, according to the Integrated Penitentiary Information
System (InfoPen) of the Ministry of Justice. This same report showes that between 1997 and
2007, 41,532 women were victims of homicide in Brazil, the vast majority of cases committed
by male intimate partners.
How can we understand men’s participation in violent situations? Looking at these
situations, one might believe that men are naturally more aggressive than women. However, that
is not true. Almost all researchers on violence conclude that the biological aspects have little or no
effect on violent male behavior; The roots of this problem are cultural and social.
The characteristics that we assign to men were socially constructed throughout history, and
are constantly changing. The men we know have been socialized, raised, according to a particular
world view: that is why they so often reproduce behaviors, attitudes and discourses that reflect, in
large measure, this learning process. What we now call the aggressive attitude is associated with
ways of expressing the masculinity that is socially legitimized and demanded by family, by school,
by peers or other people and social groups with whom this man has lived.
In our society, the status associated with masculinity is still tied to a vision that we
traditionally call sexist. It gives the man a leadership and domination role, overvaluing some
features such as strength, courage, ability to provide for the home; and in the field of sexuality,
the conquest of women, great sexual appetite and potency and heterosexuality as a prerequisite.
On the other hand, characteristics of care and expression of emotions are considered “feminine”
and therefore distant from the most accepted model of masculinity. This is evident in the daily life
of their neighborhood or work as well as in the image that is projected by the media, on TV or in
magazines. Knowing that every person, especially in their youth, seek to feel valued in their social
environment and often seek the spotlight through any means possible, we can better understand
how this form of masculinity comes to be constructed and reaffirmed daily.
This notion of “male honor” and the need to demonstrate courage at all times, puts men
in situations of risk and can lead to violent resolution of conflicts. But the model of a violent
man is not, indeed, the only expression of masculinity. The transformations in gender patterns
that have occurred over the past years are obvious. There is a growing number of men taking on
household chores, greater responsibilities for their children and care initiatives in general, which
are areas traditionally linked to women and femininity. At the same time, we find young people
who develop educational and cultural activities that challenge the so-called “macho” models, who
assume different behaviors and aesthetics, searching for other ways to feel valued rather than
through the display of guns, cars, motorcycles, money, women or physical attributes.
An important strategy to enhance alternative forms of masculinity is the White Ribbon
Campaign. Launched in Canada 20 years ago, this campaign has been implemented in several
countries, with the objective of engaging men to end violence against women. Using a white
ribbon as a symbol, the campaign encourages men to act on the problem by means of several
actions (distribution of information materials, performances, workshops, events, a pledge etc.)
and it also helps articulate the problem of violence against women and mobilization against it
across local, national and international networks and with the feminist movement.
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In recent years, there is a growing number of studies and initiatives that seek to better
understand the patterns of masculinity and intervene to help men live healthier lives, taking on
roles as caregivers and reducing gender inequalities and violence. It is therefore expected that
more and more young men solve their conflicts through dialogue rather than force, accepting and
valuing diversity and multiplying new forms of masculinities, free from social impositions and
more consistent with reality.
Tips
Check out the website of the White Ribbon Campaign:
<http://www.lacobranco.org.br/>
Check out the campaign “Reacciona Ecuador”: El machismo es violencia
<http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=reacciona+ecuador>
Conceptual Sheet
Violence against women
The use of violence against women is a widely spread phenomena, considering the number
of victims in Brazil and around the world. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO, 2005)
show that one in every three women in Latin America has already suffered some type of violence.
In Brazil, there are estimates that 2 million women are victimized each year, which would result
in one case every 24 seconds (PERSEU ABRAMO FOUNDATION, 2010).
The situations of violence against women are broadly varied, but we know that in about
70% of the cases the aggressor is the victim’s intimate partner. The majority of such situations
happen in their own homes and, many times, the violent relationship is maintained for several
years as the woman is not able to put an end to the aggression cycles, which usually have periods
of major violence followed by apologies, presents and calm moments. The manifestation of this
type of violence is relatively similar throughout social classes; what can vary are the resources
that the victims have to deal with the problem, such as the access to health services.
Talking about violence against women as a gender problem requires understanding it from a
context of power imbalances that also manifest in a couple’s relationship. Violence evidences the
man’s need for control and domination and the way male violent behavior is socially legitimized.
When the situations of violence are discussed, numerous reasons and questionings are often
raised to support the idea that the woman contributed to being victimized, that she provoked
the aggression, that her partner “just lost his head” or that the problem is a private matter and,
therefore, must be resolved by the couple privately.
Although it is more common to speak about physical and sexual violence, there are other types
of less visible or known violence. The psychological or moral violence is the one where the woman
is systematically disqualified, coerced, forbidden to have an independent social life, resulting in
psychological suffering, limited social life, and a blow to her self esteem, among other ramifications.
There is patrimonial violence, when the woman is deprived from her belongings, such as documents,
personal objects and other property which her subsistence depends upon. Finally, there is the
institutional violence, characterized by bad or poor service and treatment provided by professionals
from government agencies, including omission or disrespectful attitudes towards victims.
One of the major achievements of the feminist movement in Brazil was the 1985 creation
of police stations for women and government agencies specialized in assistance to victims, which
constituted the first widely impacting public policy to deal with this problem. In 2006 the “Maria
da Penha” law was constituted; another milestone in the policies for women. The law establishes
measures of prevention, assistance and protection for women and their children, indicates the
treatment of the aggressors and prevention sentences from being excessively mild (such as the
payment of symbolic monetary penalties), among other significant progress.
Confronting this type of violence means guaranteeing access to women’s rights and,
fundamentally, the promotion of autonomy, the expansion of cultural repertoire and references
to what being a woman is, and strengthening professional life, social and community links. The
sooner young women are stimulated to seek and understand new role models, the stronger their
capacity foraffective relationships and sucessful life projects.
An important mobilization activity for the issue is the “16 Days of Activism for the End
of Violence Against Women Campaign”, carried out around the world since 1991. The Campaign
seeks to promote human rights and eliminate violence against women, and coalesces on the
International Day of Non-Violence Against Women, November 25th. In Brazil, there is a national
campaign from the 20th of November (National Day of Black Consciousness), to the 10th of
December (Universal Declaration of Human Rights). Events such as the “16 Days” and Women’s
International Day can be key moments to encourage discourse about this type of violence, inform
women about their rights and stimulate denouncement.
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Tips
The following are interesting links about violence against women:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuQczIkF9LM>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A0PJ6raDF4>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa8gAX-ZaZg>
<http://www.bemquerermulher.org.br/>
<http://www.quebreociclo.com.br/>
Conceptual Sheet
Women’s Rights
In 1948, in response to the grievances caused by the two World Wars, the countries that
were part of the United Nations approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; a great
milestone in the defense of citizenship. The document establishes minimum conditions of life
that should be guaranteed by the governments for all citizens, with no distinction. Despite its
universal character, so important in that period, it does not cover the existence of huge inequalities
in society which weaken certain populations and social groups, creating barriers for the guarantee
of rights.
The historic evolution of Human Rights originated a new phase – or generation – where the
concepts of social and diffused rights were consolidated and promoted through government’s
intervention, especially in the form of public policies. They are rights that aim to protect and
fortify those in less favorable conditions, creating norms and specific actions directed towards
these groups, in addition to indicating new issues of growing importance, such as the right to
culture, leisure and sports. Instead of an abstract notion of “men”, the needs of black, indigenous,
LGBT people, disabled people, the elderly and also women are starting to be discussed. It is in this
context, in the last decades of the 20th century, that concerns for female citizenship emerged as
a matter and also as the focus of the feminist movement struggles.
In Brazil and around the world, the debate about women’s wellbeing and the social
pressure of these movements boosted some important achievements, in the fields of sexual and
reproductive health, the work place, politic participation and even violence against women, among
many other. The 1988 Constitution embraced many feminist demands, expressed in the “Letter
of the Brazilian Women to the Constituents”, which culminated in incorporating fundamental
points to the constitutional text, such as the Article (5th, I), which guarantees the equity between
men and women in general, or the Article (7th, XX), which foresees the protection of women in the
labor market, through specific incentives.
Some historic distortions that have been changing little by little:
• It wasn’t until 1932 (100 years after Brazilian men) that women gained suffrage, although with limitations of age and economic condition;
• more recently, the New Civil Code, approved in 2002, changed the Article that allowed
husbands the annulment of a marriage in case it was proved that his wife was not
virgin, a device that legitimated the hierarchy of gender and the inferiority of women in
civil marriage;
• constituted in 2006, the Maria da Penha Law marks progress towards the elimination
of violence against the women (see more in the text “Violence Against the Woman”);
• in 2009 there was a change in a Criminal Code law which characterized rape as a crime
against moral – and not just against the person – making it crime against the sexual
dignity, and therefore a higher offence.
Nevertheless, changes in Brazilian legislation and government policies are still insufficient
to eliminate inequalities that were built for so many years. There are still important gaps and
deficiencies, mainly in the implementation of the policies. Brazilian women, specifically black and
rural residents, who have progressively assumed the command of their home and cope with a
triple shift (working, taking care of the house and raising children), still suffer with outstanding
inequalities day-to-day, wether they are difficult access to public spaces, cultural, leisure or sports
activities, or salary differences. Some data clearly evidences the unfavorable position of women in
our country and throughout the world:
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• Brazilian women receive in average about 34% less than men in the same position
(IBGE);
• in the labor market, women hold only 13% of the leadership posts (International Labor
Organization);
• while 51,7% of men claim to perform home chores, 90,6% of women declare the same
(PNAD, 2002);
• just 9% of the Brazilian Congress are women (2010), though they make up about 51% of
the population;
• women head 33% of the Brazilian families (IPEA, 2007);
• among the people in the world who live below the poverty line, 70% are women (ONU);
• 33% of the Brazilian women said they have been victims of some type of violence (PERSEU ABRAMO Foundation, 2001); which means one woman falls victim to violence every
15 seconds.
With this, continual mobilization of women is needed to defend and enforce their rights.
In this sense, the feminist movement – which has not just transformed over time, but has also
diversified itself, gaining many approaches, demands and even perspectives– is still a fundamental
reference and ideology to be occupied and strengthened by women. It is also important to consider
that many of the spaces and policies for the female participation are usually directed towards
older women, with low consideration for the interests and needs of young women.
Informal initiatives of youth groups in the fields of culture, education as well as sports have
proven an interesting way to bring more young women into the discussion of their rights, mostly
in the suburbs where they suffer the consequences of an unequal society more. Incentivizing
female participation in the public sphere, promoting youth meetings and congregating in public
spaces contribute to building new life projects, improving trust in collective action and breaking
old stigmas, therefore opening a path to changes.
Tips
To know more about this topic, read the document prepared by Unifem, “The Progress of Women in Brazil” (Brasília, 2006), available at:
<http://www.mulheresnobrasil.org.br/>
Access as well:
<http://www.cfemea.org.br/guia/apresentacao.asp>
Activities
The following activities were applied by the Youth, Gender and Public Space Project team
(3rd Edition) and developed between 2009 and 2010 in two institutions that attend to adolescents
and youth of São Paulo city: the EMEF Pe. José Pegoraro, in Grajaú; and the Youth Center Helena
Portugal Albuquerque, in Jaçanã.
Through the project we aimed to experience different ways of promoting critical reflection
on the models of gender and their implications for phenomena of violence, expecting to discover
how young people would express their point of view about these questions. With considering for
the richness of the process and the production of such interesting material by the young men
and women who took part in this work, we organized this Guide with the systematization of
ten activities. We chose the educative workshops that, after being applied, most stimulated the
youths to reflect, debate and produce material about gender issues.
An important lesson for the Sou da Paz Institute team was the realization that for the
youth to feel stimulated to participate during the workshops, it was important that they do
not limit themselves to discussions and reflections on theory, but rather that they propose the
development of concrete products, such as a news mural, interactive mural, communitarian news,
blog, comic strip, video clip, theater, stencil, etc. Those products demonstrate the knowledge
of the student, promote channels of expression, and generate a sense of responsibility in the
group, in that the non participation of one member might cause the delay or non execution of the
“collective product”. Along these lines, the majority of the workshops proposed here suggest the
creation of communication products. We chose products that do not require technical knowledge
from the educators and can be made with easily available, low cost material.
The workshops do not necessarily have to be applied in the sequence suggested in this
guide, they can occur independently. It is important for the educator to be aware and be sensible
in identifying which gender-related issues need to be worked on in the group to choose the most
adequate activities for the students’ interests. Some activities can be fragmented into more than
one session, according to the time available.
The suggested workshops can be applied with people from 15 to 29 years old, but it might
be more interesting to form groups with closer ages – for instance, a group of 15 to 18, another
of 20 to 24 and so on – since the depth of the discussions about gender may vary considerably
depending on the moment of life.
Lastly, we expect that the activities make sense for the educator and contribute to develop
critical thinking about gender issues in our society.
Preparing the activities:
some recommendations
The suggested activities can be executed by any educator, in schools, social projects, or in
non governmental organizations. As gender is a complex matter and requires certain reflection
and sensibility from the educators, it is necessary that they have some interest in the topic and
experience working with young people.
Besides feeling comfortable with the content of the workshops, the educator must be
concerned with the students’ attitude during the workshop, because this contributes to an
environment of participation and respect among learners. It is important that the professional
makes sure there is space for women and men to speak, stimulates equal participation, does not
let prejudiced and macho speeches go unnoticed, establishes ground rules and does not reinforce
gender stereotypes. It is essential to maintain an attitude consistent with the contents being
studied. It does not help, for instance, that the educator debates with the students about respect
to diversity and then goes on to make prejudiced jokes or comments.
We recommend that the activities be executed in mixed/coed groups (men and women),
with the participation of 10 to 20 people. The facilitator can be a man or a woman, what matters
is the affinity with the theme and his/her commitment.
To receive the students, reserve a comfortable space that makes them feel at ease. In case
the people in the group still do not know each other, start the first meetings with some icebreakers
for introduction and integration. Reserve time to make a pause in the activities, establishing a
relaxation moment or if possible, a break for snacks.
Lastly, it is important to prepare the workshops in advance, pulling aside the necessary
material and reading the handouts. If possible, it is worthwhile taking notes on the sessions,
quoting the most interesting discussions, the hottest themes for the group, their points of view
and the activities in which the group was most engaged. This help in planning the next activities
and having a record of the whole educational process.
Activity
The models I see
Objective
To allow the students to reflect on the models valued by society.
Estimated duration
2 hours (1 hour to build the model and 1 hour to debate).
Material
•
•
•
•
•
Craft paper
Diverse magazines and newspapers
Glue
Scissors
Marker pen
Activity Description
This activity consists of building the “ideal models” of man and woman valued by society,
in the opinion of the students.
To execute the activity, divide the classroom into four groups and distribute some magazines and newspapers of different types: weekly summary; publications aimed at the
male public; celebrity news; publications aimed at the black public; sports periodicals,
etc., so the groups have a large variety of images, to be able to choose the model they
want to build.
Ask each group to draw a body on craft paper – male or female – from the silhouette of
a youth in the group. Then ask the groups: in your opinion, what is the most ideal man/
woman according to society?
The students must cut out images from the magazines to build a character by pasting
the images on their paper body. Two groups must look for images to build the “female
model” and the other two the “male model”, trying to answer the questions:
• What does he/she look like?
• What assets does he/she possess?
• What does he/she feel?
Closing the discussion
Our experience with applying this activity has shown that the models are very similar to
the successful characters portrayed in the soap operas; in other words, they are completely different from the youth’s own reality. Electronic equipment such as cell phones and
Ipads, muscular bodies, cars and trips to heavenly places appear in almost all the models
constructed by the students. Hence, before finalizing the activity, it is important to talk
with the youths about how these models’ influence their lives. Hereafter we present
some questions that can help guide the discussion.
1
1
• What are the problems you identify in these models? What are the advantages?
• What do you most value about yourself?
• Is it possible to be different? How is it for you to have to follow a standard?
• Why is it so difficult for people to accept alternative expressions of masculinity and
femininity? What can we do to change this?
• Can you identify prejudice in the ideal man/woman as portrayed by the media ? And
by your family and friends?
• Why is it important to respect diversity (of behaviors, bodies, preferences, etc.)?
Cut and paste:
“What is society’s most
valued referent for men
and women?”
t,
: ho
n
me
Wo
Men:
car, m
u
bea
oney
, pow
up
ke-
t
lica
de
ls,
e
, he
l,
tifu
.
els
ew
e, j
ma
er, m
otorc
ycle,
succe
ss, st
reng
th, w
rist-w
atch.
Legend: Images selected by the students from the Youth Center Helena Portugal Albuquerque, in Jaçanã.
Activity
Agree and Disagree Dynamic
Objective
Identificar as percepções dos/as jovens sobre as relações de gênero no cotidiano e, a
partir disso, debater com o grupo sobre as questões e pontos de vista mais polêmicos.
Estimated duration
50 minutes.
Materiais
• Paper cards
• Flip-chart or blackboard
Prepare a atividade
This activity must be executed in an ample space so that people in the group can
move freely. In case it happens in a classroom, it is important that the desks are
put aside, freeing the central space.
Prepare yourself to mediate debates: consult the handouts for this Guide in advance.
Activity Description
Starting with the presentation of some affirmations that demonstrate “common-sense”
perceptions about gender relations, the students must position themselves in favor or
against what was said. Besides promoting debate, this activity allows the educator to
identify what prejudices and sexist perceptions need to be worked on in the group. From
this diagnosis, other activities about gender can (and must) be developed to promote more
democratic relations between the group.
Share with the group the affirmations presented in the boxes below and ask them all to
stand up and position themselves in relation to what was said: those in favor to the right
of the room; those against to the left; the ones “on the fence” in the middle of the room.
Ask the participants to mentally choose their position before moving themselves in the
room. Our experience has shown that the youths usually position themselves after their
friend’s choice, which can harm the activity dynamic.
2
2
A) Nowadays men are less
macho than in the past.
B) Nowadays boys are more
affectionate than in the
past.
C) Today’s young people
value the most in a girl her
being “hot”.
D) Today’s girls wish to find
a man to marry and are
worried about being alone.
E) The parents continue
controlling their daughters
more than their sons.
F) It is natural to defame
girls that like going out and
talking to boys in the street.
G) There are things only for
boys like football, and things
only for girls, like cooking
and ballet.
H) Currently, young women
value themselves less than they
did in the past, because they go
out and are with many boys.
I) Men are more aggressive
by nature than women.
J) Taking care of the children
and the house is a woman’s
responsibility.
Closing the discussion
After this, try to identify what were the two affirmations that caused the most discord in the room. Organize a quick debate about these two issues (one subject at
a time) between the side that agrees and the one that disagrees, asking them to
defend their positions.
Another interesting dynamic is the inverted debate, in which the side that agrees
with the phrase must defend the opposite position and vice-versa. This contributes
to the student’s conflict with their own convictions and develops the ability to understand the other side of an argument.
Hint
Provoke the debate by reflecting on some convictions that usually appear, such as:
“nowadays women are much easier and still demand us to respect them”; “men are
born more violent indeed”; “there is no macho anymore because women already have
the same rights as men”; etc.
Activity
Interactive Mural: all types of people
Objective
To enlarge the repertoire of students about real males and females, as well as stimulate
respect for diversity in educational spaces.
Estimated Duration
3 hours (divided in stages/different meetings).
Material
• Diverse images of men and women from Internet sites, photos, newpapers,
magazines, educative material, etc.
• Glue
• Scissors
• Cork or cardboard
• White pieces of paper
• Pilot marker pen
• Double-side tape
Activity Description
The idea of this activity is to build, together with the students, a panel of images of men
and women executing activities that break from the “conventional model” of masculinity
and femininity with which other students and employees can interact. Immediately after
it’s creation, a discussion about the results of the activity must occur.
Its execution consists of three stages: 1st choosing the images with the students; 2nd
assembling the panel/ interactive exposition; 3rd discuss the activity results.
1ST STAGE: choosing the images with the students
Duration: 1 hour (including the selection of images previously done by the educator).
The images of men and women executing “unusual” activities (those that break with the
traditional conception of men and women roles) must be exposed in the chosen support –
cardboard or cork board. For this, look for images that portray uncommon situations, such
as: a man cooking for a woman; a man washing the sidewalk; a woman president; a man
taking care of a baby; a police woman; a woman driving a truck; a man playing piano; a man
wearing a skirt; female DJ; a woman drawing graffiting; a man cleaning the floor.
Present these images to the students and incentivize them to choose at least eight
of the most interesting or polemic images. You can help the group by asking the
following questions:
• What called your attention in this image?
• Are you used to seeing men or women doing this?
• Why do you think this situation is uncommon?
3
2
2ND STAGE: setting up the mural and interactive exposition
Duration: 1 hour (including sticking the double-side tape).
Organize the selected images on the card or cork board and think with the students some phrases
that stimulate others to reflect about what is being exposed, such as:
• What do you think about what you see? Have you ever seen this scene?
• There are all kinds of people.
Together with the students, copy each one of the adjectives below (according to the number of
selected images and people in the institution), cut and stick a piece of double-face tape behind
each one of them.
BEAUTIFUL
BEAUTIFUL
INTELLIGENT
INTELLIGENT
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
ELEGANT
ELEGANT
AUDACIOUS
AUDACIOUS
BRAVE
BRAVE
STRONG
STRONG
FUNNY
FUNNY
SMART
SMART
STYLISH
STYLISH
COMPETENT
COMPETENT
DIFFERENT
DIFFERENT
MODERN
MODERN
GRACEFUL
GRACEFUL
CAREFUL
CAREFUL
IMPORTANT
IMPORTANT
AFFECTIONATE
AFFECTIONATE
AGILE
AGILE
ACTIVE
ACTIVE
NICE
NICE
TALENTED
TALENTED
Put the adjectives in a small
bag which must fixed on the
board with the images and
with the following instruction:
“In the small bag below there
are a lot of words. Choose a
word that is related to what
you see in each image. Then,
cut the adhesive tape and
stick the word to the side of
the image”.
After mounting the mural,
decide with the students a
place with high circulation of
people to display the panel for
at least one week. Stimulate
the students to spread the
word to other students and
professionals of the institution
so that everyone can have the
opportunity to interact with
the mural.
3
Mural example produced by the Youth, Gender and Public Space Project at the EMEF Padre José Pegoraro, in Grajaú.
3RD STAGE: discussing the activities results
Duration: 1 hour
Take the panel into the classroom and promote a discussion with the group about the adjectives
that were chosen and how/why they are associated with each image.
Our experience applying this activity has shown that even when proposing adjectives that represent positive characteristics, some students or professionals from the institutions use them in pejorative ways when associated with
the images – for example, at the side of the image of a male ballet dancer the
words “funny”, “beautiful” and “graceful” were fixed (the adjectives in Portuguese have gender-specific terminations, in this case the female adjectives
were put at the side of the image of the ballet dancer man).
The discussion with the students must treat the prejudice that exists in relation to people’s styles, behaviors and attitudes. Why is a male ballet dancer
man called (female) “beautiful”? Can’t a man enjoy skating and patchwork at
the same time? Can a woman work as a pilot, valet or mechanic? How is she
seen by society? Are there situations at school/institutions in which the boys
are considered “gay”, or the girls are considered “butch”?
From this discussion you can develop other activities that work with the concepts of respect for
diversity and the rejection of prejudiced practices (we suggest activity 9 of this toolkit).
2
Prepare yourself for this activity
Together with the students, challenge the conventional standards of being a man or
woman. To heat up the discussion, we suggest reading the interview with the cartoonist
Laerte, at Folha de S. Paulo, on 03 of November of 2010 (http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/
ilustrada/825136-cartunista-laerte-diz-que-sempre-teve-vontade-de-se-vestir-demulher.shtml), as well as reading the comics of Muriel, Laerte’s created character, available
at the blog <http://murieltotal.zip.net/>.
Activity
Creating the scene and inverting the roles
Objective
To allow the youths to challenge the roles played by men and women in certain
situations through the performing dramatic skits with “inverted roles”, I.e., males
representing females and females representing males.
Estimated duration
1 hour
Material
• White paper sheets / note cards
• Pen
Activity Description
In this activity the students must elaborate and present scenes from situations that are
part of daily life and/or are explored by the media. However, the students must represent
the roles of the gender opposite their own.
To execute the activity, divide the team into coed groups with at least four members in
each group. Then copy the situations described below (one situation per note card) and
distribute one card to each group.
1) Jealous boyfriend catches his girlfriend talking to
another boy.
2) Man and woman know each other at the subway and fall in
love at first sight.
3) Man is watching soccer and, at the same time, his wife
wants to watch the last episode of her soap opera.
4) Advertisement where a rejected guy, when using a new deodorant, is assailed by many women.
5) Car advertisement where the man who drives a car calls the
attention of many women.
6) TV advertisement where the woman puts lipstick on and
goes to a party with her girlfriends. At the party the woman
that is using the lipstick is the center of attention from men.
4
4
Ask each group to create a scene about the described situation, reminding them that the men of
the group must represent the female roles, and the women the male ones. Determine the time
(between 15 and 20 minutes) for the groups to elaborate the scenes and then ask each group to act
out the situation. Close the activity with a brief round of conversation about what it was like playing
the scenes, aim to bring up some questions.
Comment
When this activity was executed by Sou da Paz team, it was part of a competition
with many other plays that earned points. That encouraged the students to really
get involved in the activity, representing a man or woman – without the shame of
“being ridiculous”. During the competition, a board with three judges (the teachers)
graded according to the group’s representation quality and the dedication in building
the scene (dialogues, costumes, etc.). If you think that the group needs motivation
to loosen up, you can simulate a competition or use other strategies for the group to
get involved in this activity.
Questions for discussion
• Do these situations happen often? Do you know anyone that has ever gone
through any of these situations? And what about you, have you?
• What do you think about the role that the man plays in these situations? Why?
• What do you think about the role that the woman plays in these situations? Why?
• In real life, in a similar situation, would you react the same way as you
represented?
• What was different for you when interpreting the opposite sex?
• The young men: how did you feel in the woman’s role?
• The young women: how did you feel in the man’s role?
• The young men: do you think the women represented you well?
• The young women: do you think the men represented you well?
Activity
Men and women in the media:
questioning references
Objective
To stimulate critical reflection about the influence that the media exerts on us, mainly
regarding gender roles that are strongly disseminated by the communication channels.
Estimated duration
2 hours
Material
•
•
•
•
Computer with internet connection
Projector
Transparencies
Pen
Activity Description
To execute this activity you will need to use a computer connected to the internet, as
we suggest the exhibition of video clips and advertisements available on Youtube (www.
youtube.com) before facilitating a discussion with the students. These materials were
chosen because their language is closer to young people’s environment and some of them
bring positive examples, showing to them that it is possible to be and to act differently.
We’ve split the activity into three blocks: “songs and video clips”; “advertisements”;
and “social campaigns”. For each block, there are recommendations and suggestioned
questions for the discussion of the content. It is interesting to work from these three
blocks, because aside from using different languages, they permit open the door to many
discussions and can broaden the student’s views.
Plan between 30 to 40 minutes for each block, including the exhibition of the materials and
the discussion with the group.
BLOCK 1) Songs and video clips: discussing the power associated to gender
A) My humps (By Black Eyed Peas)
Available at <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1adwEiGMpQw>
B) Firma milionária or Millionaire company (By MC Max)
Available at <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr4VS_ex3eQ&feature=related>
Lyric: <http://letras.terra.com.br/mc-max/1660184/>
C) Unpretty (By TLC)
Available at <http://www.pp2g.tv/vYHB8a3Y_.aspx#>
D) Stupid girls (By Pink)
Available at <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl6N_2QUYms&feature=related>
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5
E) Junto e misturado or Together and mixed (By MV Bill and Kamilla)
Available at <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2bSj0edGic&feature=related>
Lyric: <http://letras.terra.com.br/mv-bill/611631/>
F) Quase LLara
Available at <http://www.myspace.com/llara/music/songs/quase-llara-14633757>
These songs and video clips are references to current masculinity and femininity models
and are part of the youth’s universe. They can stimulate the student’s critical reflection
about these disseminated models. Bring to their attention how the first songs picture the
woman as if she is an object of man’s desire, a consumer good. The woman relates with
the man as he provides her things that give her status and contribute to her following
the standards of sensual women. On the other hand, the last four songs challenge those
standards, since the pictured women question the female roles that surround them.
Questions to guide the discussion
• What do the songs talk about? Try to recover the strongest elements in each of
them.
• What do the songs have in common?
• What are the characteristics of the women pictured in the songs?
• What are the characteristics of the men pictured in the songs?
• How do men and women relate each other in the songs?
• According to the songs what must a man have in order to be valued? And a woman?
• Do you think that people are influenced by these video clips? How?
• Do you identify with this? Why?
• Are those people references for you? Why?
• Is it possible to behave in a different manner from thatpictured in the songs? How?
Good idea!
You can suggest that the students make a satire/parody of the songs and clips,
changing the lyrics and/or scenes. This way, they can make a critical reading of the
original songs and transmit it in the production. See this satire example of the music
My humps, by Alanis Morissette:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRmYfVCH2UA>
BLOCK 2) Advertisements: have and be
A) Beverage advertisements
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEseqtHxOnM&feature=related>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGJGEad0sLM>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EEmWPCV588>
B) Car advertisement
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mqAK3g3UZQ>
C) Sports brand advertisement
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAM6Z5_O84c>
D) Moisturizing advertisement
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_YD6hhoKn4>
E) Publicity campaign about constructing beauty standards
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29wx0LHszNw>
The advertisements associate goods with a style of being that brings visibility and power
to whoever acquires them. A way to challenge the previously shown content is by questioning the beauty standards of the advertisements. After all, the pictured women exude the
same beauty standards (white, tall, slim body, etc.), while men must transmit the image
of being virile, powerful and popular. The products aim to reinforce these behavior models,
valuing them and stimulating the consumers to also adhere to this standard. The last indicated advertisement shows how this beauty model we value is “produced”.
Questions to guide the discussion
• What is the association that the advertisements make between the product being
sold and the female picture? And the man?
• What is the type of relation established between men and women in these
advertisements?
• What do you think people are looking for when buying these products?
• What empowers women in the advertisements? And men?
• What is the beauty standard promoted by the advertisements?
• According to the advertisements, what is the ideal woman? And the ideal man?
• Are you able to identify a “way of being manly” and a “way of being womanly”
similar to the advertisements (same standard in more than one advertisement)?
5
5
BLOCK 3) Social campaigns: using the media to promote the gender equity
A) Portugal campaign against homophobia
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjlOeJa75S0>
B) Animation for the gender equity
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWvJ3Dd2Y9M>
C) Portugal campaign against dating violence
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbkKy6SgUdo>
D) Campaign to end the violence against women
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNFRg0bPBdc>
E) The White Ribbon Campaign
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clFseVAFqb8&feature=related>
F) Campaign Excuse me, I am a father! (Dá Licença, Eu Sou Pai!)
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfFSoosWa3I&feature=related>
These social campaigns show how the media has potential not just to disseminate negative values and models, but to be a powerful tool to promote other values, stimulating
gender equity.
Good idea!
From these social campaign examples, stimulate the students to produce magazines, videos, mural news, podcasts, radio programs, etc. They are fun and soft ways of
working the issue; at the same time, they help young people see communication channels not just as villains, but also as allies in the promotion of gender equity, by showing
positive messages.
Activity
Stencils for gender equity
Objective
To encourage the expression of ideas and messages about gender relations directed
towards young people through the production of stencils (technique using graffiti molds).
Estimated duration
1 hour for discussion, 2 hours for making molds and application of the technique.
Materials
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cardboard
Ruler
Stylus
Adhesive tape
Spray and/or ink of varied colors
Foam roll for paint application
Pencil
Eraser
Description of activity
This activity combines an awareness of the group on gender issues and the production
of stencils for transmitting messages about gender issues. The stencil is a form of media
which arouses great interest in young people and can be created to publicize logos,
messages and drawings according to the creativity of the group.
A) RAISING AWARENESS OF THE GROUP FOR GENDER ISSUES
This activity is important for young people to be able to create the messages and designs
that will be disseminated through the stencils. Awareness can be accomplished in several
ways, from music, texts, news, videos, campaigns, etc. You can also use other activities
suggested by other sheets in this material. We suggest the awareness activity below.
> Being a man and a woman: a construction
Watch the movie “Wake up, Raimundo, Wake up!” (Acorda Raimundo ... Acorda!). Then
ask the students: what is good about being a boy or a girl? Then ask: What’s bad about
being a boy or girl? Write down the answers as the activity goes on. Then ask the class to
identify things they wish to change in the relationship between men and women and what
messages they would like to transmit to people in order to contribute to the deconstruction
of “gender inequality”.
The video shown is also available on Youtube.
Part I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6zFfnQ8M0M
Part II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBEnPg-JB7o&feature=related
6
6
A report on application of this activity
When the team from Sou da Paz implemented this activity with the students and the
participants of the group “Fala aí” at EMEF Padre José Pegoraro school, in Grajaú the following
was reported: “The bad thing about being a woman is that we can get pregnant” and “men
always have to take the initiative in everything, especially when approaching the girls”.“There
are things that aren’t appropriate for women to do. Men can do more things”. From this
conversation, helping the group identify prejudices and ask questions about the most accepted
standards, the students agreed on some messages they would like to advertise.
Here’s what they produced:
1 - A smart man is a present father
(man holding the hand of his son or
daughter)
2 - Women with attitude – a woman giving a
bouquet of flowers to a man
(reversing the logic of approach).
3 - Be what you want and not what others
think you should be
(man cooking and woman playing football).
B) TECHNICAL GUIDELINES: HOW TO MAKE A STENCIL
The stencil is a cutout mold. To produce it, it is necessary to define which messages or
images will be communicated. Then, have the youth draw the letters and/or drawing on
a hard surface such as cardboard or a poster board (the more resistant the material, the
more durable the mold will be). To facilitate the activity, we provide stencil fonts at the end
of this activity.
Tip
• Instead of drawing on the surface, you can paste an image that is ready
(and stencil).
• The letters, drawings and writings should be outlines, so that once cut, the ink can
be applied to the stencil over a wall and thus form the desired image on the wall.
• The mold should be thought of as a “negative” of the original image.
• “Bridges” should be created to connect the loose parts of the image to the rest of
mold so that the figure can be formed when applied.
The next step is to cutout the parts to be
displayed so that the ink can be applied
and the image formed. For this, use a
stylus and outline the image. Do this on
a surface that itself can be scratched
by the stylus (a piece of plywood will
protect many surfaces).
Your pattern is ready! Hold it on the wall and apply the spray or paint. Make stencils in
appropriate locations, such the walls of the institutions where you have permission or
other authorized sites.
The end result is
amazing!
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6
Tip
See more explanation about this technique:
http://www.podesta.com.br/estencil/pensando_estencil.pdf
See also photos of the implementation of this activity in Helena Portugal Albuquerque Youth
Centre, Jaçanã.
ABCD
EFGH
IJLM
NOPQ
RSTU
>>> Exemplo de letra para stencil
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6
XWYZ
01234
56789
?!%*@
“&%+-
Activity
Machismo and Violence
Objective
Promoting reflection on how the construction of young men’s identities and practices are
influenced by macho models of behavior – disseminated by friends, community, family
and the media - which can also lead them to assume violent attitudes.
Estimated time
2 hours
Materials
•
•
•
•
•
• Computer with Internet access / Datashow
• White pieces of paper
• Pen
• Flip-chart
• Markers
Activity description
This activity is divided in three parts:
First, we propose that the students reflect on the concept of machismo and its
associated the values and attitudes;
Then, facilitate them make an association between masculinity and violence and how
machismo contributes to strengthening that relationship;
Finally, the group will discuss how one learns to be machista and value violence and will
finish by reflecting on the different ways of teaching how not to be either.
FIRST PART: Identifying machista behaviors
Ask the group to organize themselves into sub-groups of four to five members.
Distribute one of the cards below to each sub-group. Each card has a description of
some male and female characters; ask them to read the assigned card and to discuss
among themselves which machista characteristic they identified in the characters. The
sub-groups must establish explanations for their reasoning. Ask them to write down the
characteristics and the reasons.
Characters descriptions:
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Eduardo, 17 years-old
He lives with his mother, a sister and a younger brother. He quit school a year ago, when
he was still in high school. He quite likes to play football and to listen to funk music.
Handsome, strong and communicative, he gets lots of attention form girls, especially
since he started acting as an MC in the neighborhood’s parties. He recently started
working as an attendant in an electronics store. He says he is a calm guy as long as
nobody messes with him. He only lost control once when he had to beat up a guy who
called his girlfriend “hot” at a party.
Sophia, 35 years-old
She is married and has a 4-year old girl and a 5-month old boy. She insists on having a
job in order to have her own money, but she opted to work part-time so that she could
have more time with her kids. She sometimes feels worn-out for having to work, take
care of the house, the kids and her husband. She is responsible for cooking everyday
and doesn’t like to let the husband bathe or dress the kids. She thinks that men are
not skilled enough to do that and that women are naturally more talented for those
kinds of things.
Lucas, 21 years-old
He lives with his mother and father (his older sister got married and left home). After
he finished high school, he went to technical school and now works at a company. He
has a 4-year old boy with a high school girlfriend with whom he has very little contact.
He also has a one-year old daughter who he visits once in a while. He uses part of his
salary to pay child support to both of his children’s mothers. He is sometimes late with
his payments and once, one of the mothers went to his home to complain about it. He
held the woman up by the arms and, screaming, told her that she should be thankful for
getting his help at all because he was really fed-up with her. His father saw the scene
and did nothing.
Darlene 18 years-old
She lives with her mother and a sister. She prefers to date older kids, who can afford to
take her out (preferably on a motorcycle) and pay for everything. She thinks that men
carrying weapons are really attractive, because it gives her the sensation that she is
with a powerful man.
Carlos, 13 years-old
He lives with his father, mother, a brother and two sisters. Carlo’s grades at school have
been dropping and since he started in 7th grade, he has started becoming more unruly.
He hangs out with a group that is known for being confrontational with the teachers
and school workers and has just been suspended for having put an explosive device in
the bathroom during classes. In spite of that, he is used to assuming responsibilities
at home and takes care of his younger siblings every time his parents need him to. His
father is pretty strict and is suspected to beat his kids and wife.
Rogério, 52 years-old
He works at a street stand near where he lives. He is already a grand-father of two
children from his oldest son. He lives with his wife, who he has already been separated
from after a crisis period (she found out that he had a lover). He tells his wife everyday
that he loves her; He is very jealous and does not like much that she goes out, uses make
up or wears clothes that make her stand out. He organizes the football matches on the
weekend, where he drinks with his friends, but he does not allow his wife to watch the
games – she stays home preparing dinner.
Now, ask each sub-group to present its character and the discussion that took place.
You should write down the characteristics that led them to believe that the assigned
character is machista or not.
Conduct a discussion on what machismo is and which ideals are machista. The following
questions can help:
• What is machismo?
• Which values are disseminated by machismo?
• Which are machista ideas?
• Is there such a thing as a machista woman?
• Do you think that a woman can raise her boy being machista? How?
• Are all men machista or are there some that think differently? Give an example.
• Are your family’s and the media’s role models machista? How?
SECOND PART: Machismo and violence
This is a short activity. After the group discussion, ask the sub-groups to get together
again and analyze once again if there are violent incidents among the characters. Each
group must report what the situation is, who are the authors, the victims and how that
situation manifests (is it Physical? Psychological? Verbal?). Finally, they must answer the
question: do you think that machismo stimulates violence? How?
Each sub-group shall present their conclusions and you can carry a quick debate about
the relationship between machismo and violence, seeking to discuss the supposed
natural relation between masculinity and violence (are all men inherently violent?).
THIRD PART: Where does machismo come from and how can we teach
people not to adopt machista behaviors?
We suggest the exhibition of four videos (or parts of them) that allow you to explore the
fact that machismo is always socially constructed and legitimized: it is learned at home,
in the family, at school, through the media…
> Video “Children see, children do” NAPCAN NGO campaign
This campaign raises awareness about the fact that children are influenced by the adult
references that surround them. It makes us reflect on how our behavior can contribute to
perpetuate violent attitudes.
Link to the video: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9hVuZlwKsI&feature=fvst>.
> Video “Violence generates violence” from Promundo Institute
This cartoon shows us various types of violence (verbal, physical and psychological) that a
child can suffer form his/her family and how that can influence him/her to adopt violent
behaviors.
Link to the video: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBq95njazEE>.
> Video “It’s not easy!” from Promundo Institute
This video shows the results of research carried out by Promundo and Noos Institutes with
men from Rio de Janeiro. The study shows that violence against women is cultural and is
related to the way men are socialized, and the way they learn to behave.
Link to the video: <http://www.promundo.org.br/audiovisuais/para-jovens-e-adultos/
dvd-nao-e-facil-nao/>.
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> Video Campaign “React Ecuador, machismo is violence”
This video shows that machismo is an ill that is learned and that it is stimulated from
childhood through the way men and women are educated.
Link to the video: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTxUWQ2IE6s>.
> Video “Boss Life” by Snoop Dogg.
This music video explores the life of someone who has a “boss life”:
a man who has power, status, who dominates women. It is a good example of how
the media exploits and disseminates the idea that a real man is one that has several
submissive women (which is totally machista!). Link to the video: <http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=f-dUtpHpWzI&p=746C34044C23B6C7&playnext=1&index=92>
After showing these videos, ask the students if they can see a relationship among them.
It is important that the students understand how families influence the way men are
socialized and, therefore, can contribute to the manifestation of machismo.
TIP:
At the end of the activity, the group can reflect on the following: since machismo is
learned and violence is many times stimulated, how can we teach people not to be
that way? The group can think of some communication product that divulges those
messages. There are activities that discuss gender through the elaboration of media
products with students in this guide. We suggest activities 6 and 10.
Activity
Changing the course of history:
other ways of solving conflicts
Objective
To promote reflection on alternative conflict resolution strategies (based on dialogue and
on respect for differences), through theatrical sketches performed by the students and
based on conflict and gender prejudice situations.
Estimated Time
1 hour (for each group of 4 to 6 people)
Materials
• White pieces of paper
• Pen
Activity Description
Divide the group into smaller groups (4 to 6 people) and distribute one of the following
situations to each group
Tip:
If you want, you can also create situations together with the students instead of using
the scenarios below. If so, plan for a longer time for this activity.
A) AT THE BAR
Situation: Two young men play snooker at the bar. One of them gets annoyed because
he is losing the game, so picks a fight with the other. The owner of the bar questions
whether or not to call the police to solve the situation. Neighbors also get involved in the
fight. Perform this situation.
Characters: Young man 1, young man 2, neighbors, police officer and bar owner.
B) AT SCHOOL
Situation: The mother of a student goes to school to tell the principal that she saw one
of the male teachers holding hands with another man in the street. The mother claims
that that can negatively influence her son’s education, given that her son could want to
become homosexual. The student’s father agrees with the mother in this situation. Act
out the conversation between the parents and the principal.
Characters: Mather, father, teacher and school’s principal.
C) IN THE STREET
Situation: A girls is walking on the street and she hears a man “catcalling” her. Her
boyfriend is a few steps back and immediately goes to confront the man. There is another
couple accompanying the first couple. How does this scene go?
Characters: Girl, boyfriend, harassing man, 2 friends (the other couple).
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D) AT HOME
Situation: There is a calm alley, it is night and there are three houses in the alley.
Neighbors wake up late that night, scared because they hear a woman screaming in
one of the houses. Lights in the nearby houses go on and the neighbors go out into the
street. The screaming and the noise go on. One of the neighbors wants to go into the
house and beat up the man and another neighbor says that “nobody should get in the
middle of a man and his wife’s problems”. What to do now?
Characters: Woman, the woman’s husband, neighbor 1, neighbor 2.
E) AT THE PARK
Situation: There is a young girl who wants to play soccer with her girlfriends in the field
in front of her house, but her mother tells her that being out in the streets is a men’s
thing because a girl’s reputation can be at stake in the neighborhood. The girl’s boyfriend
is also against it because he thinks that a woman that plays soccer becomes “too
masculine”. In spite of not encouraging the girl to practice the sport, they don’t forbid
her to train either. The girl loves soccer but she is afraid of disappointing her mother and
of her boyfriend not liking her anymore. What should she do?
Characters: girl, her mother, boyfriend, girlfriend player 1, girlfriend player 2.
Personagens: Garota, namorado, jovem que passa a cantada, amiga e amigo (o
outro casal).
Right after reading the skits, ask each group to work on and present a skit about a given situation, which should last no more than five minutes and should include all of the
stated characters. It must be emphasized that the skits will all be “frozen” at the height
of the conflicts, meaning that it will end without a final closing scene, since it will be the
entire public’s job (or other group’s) to create the ending.
You must ask the kind of questions that influence the groups think about endings based on dialogue and mutual respect. Those questions could be: What is each character
feeling or thinking? How is a conflict like that usually solved? Is it OK that the conflict
is solved that way or could it be solved another way? Does anybody have any question
to ask the character/s? Is it possible to have a dialogue in this case? Whose initiative
should it be? Can anyone in this scene be the mediator?
Remind the students that it is possible to think about other solutions for the scene,
taking into account the type of characters that there are in the scene. Note, for example, that in most situations there is a more neutral character, meaning that s/he is not
directly involved in it (such as a friend or the bar owner). Those characters can become
allies of another character or take on the role of the conflict’s mediators.
Question any ending that contemplates violence or discriminating arguments. Below
we suggest some more questions that can be asked to influence the students’ reflection
on each of the situations and how they can have different endings.
A) AT THE BAR
• What made the man want to fight with the other man?
• Do you think that fighting with anyone is a legitimate way of earning other people’s
respect?
• In that situation, what can the police do? Are they really necessary or is there any
other person that can mediate the situation? How?
• How should the police officer act in this situation?
• How should the neighbors intervene in this type of situations? And how about the
man that was going to be beaten up, how should he react: beat the other man up
first or try to talk?
B) AT SCHOOL
• Why do you think that the mother is worried?
• Do you think that the mother is biased?
• Do you think that a gay/lesbian teacher influences the students to become gay or
lesbian too?
• What should the principal do in this case?
• When noticing the mother’s prejudgment, how should the teacher react?
• What was the father’s position in this story? Did he agree with the mother’s
opinion?
C) IN THE STREET
•
•
•
•
Is the man who “catcalled” the girl shameless?
Why does he catcalls the girls in the street?
Do you think it is OK for the boyfriend to confront the “catcalling” man?
Do you think that the boyfriend confronted the other man because of love, jealousy
or because he thinks that he owns the girl?
• What did the couple of friends think about the situation? How did they position
themselves in this story?
D) AT HOME
• Do you think that the neighbor should interfere?
• Do you agree with the saying “nobody should get in the middle of a man and his
wife’s problems”?
• Do you think that the wife may have done something wrong that made her deserve
the beating?
• How would you solve this case?
• Would you talk to the wife? If so, what would you recommend her? What should
she look for first: the hospital, the social welfare agent or the police station for
women?
• Would you talk to the husband? If so, what would you recommend to him?
• Would you ask for somebody’s help in this case? Whose?
E) AT THE PARK
• Do you think that the mother is just doing that to protect her child?
• What does the mother want to protect her daughter from exactly?
• Do you agree with the girl’s boyfriend when he says that football makes a woman
too masculine?
• Do you think it is important that the girl respect her own wishes even if it disappoints
her family?
• How can they solve this situation without hurting the family?
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Activity in school EMEF Padre José Pegoraro, at Grajaú.
Activity
What’s up with that?
Making a “zine” for the respect of diversity
Objective
To construct, together with the students, a “zine” (an alternative newspaper, very popular
with young people) about “respect of diversity”.
Estimated time
5 hours (this activity can be fragmented into a few sessions).
Material
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
White pieces of paper
Varied magazines and newspapers
Photographic camera
A computer with internet access
A printer and a photocopier
Tape recorder
Pen
Glue
Scissors
DVD and TV set
Activity’s description
This activity consists of the production of a “zine” by the students on their own. Here we
suggest some sections that the “zine” should have, as well as some activities for each of
them, bearing in mind that the objective is to contribute to the students’ work with the
respect to the issue of diversity.
Tip
Instead of making a “zine” you can construct a blog with the students. In this media
there is the possibility of stimulating the youth to continue producing and updating
the content of the blog. Such a blog can consist of the same production and reflections
suggested for the “zine”.
It is recommended that the zine’s production happens after the group had completed
other gender-oriented activities, that way, they will be sensitized to the topic. After a lot of
reflection, they would have noticed the importance of respect for diversity, but it is worth
it to re-visit the issue with the group by doing the “the game of the opposites”.
It is important to do this activity in a big space, since people will standup “for” or “against”
a question. Keep the activity brief by asking 10 questions at the most.
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Attention!
You can ask random questions, since the aim of the activity is not to work on gender
topics but to make everyone aware of the differences in their ideas and that there is no
one that is the same as another.
Here we suggest some questions that can be presented to the group:
• Who has a boyfriend or girlfriend?
• Who kisses well?
• Who goes to church every week?
• Who has a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered friend?
• Who thinks that violence is justifiable in some occasions?
• Who has already beaten up somebody smaller than you? And somebody bigger?
• Who already had the urge to beat up somebody but didn’t?
• Who thinks that school is “a drag”?
• Who thinks that it is the woman’s responsibility to take measures not to get pregnant?
• Who thinks that the woman should remain a virgin till marriage?
• Who thinks that there are professions that involve physical risk or strength and
that is why they must only be done by men?
• Who thinks s/he should get involved in order to defend his/her sister or girlfriend?
• Who thinks that if a person touches a girl in the dancing club, her boyfriend should
beat up the guy?
• Do you think it is important to dress well?
• Who already discriminated against somebody who was not “well dressed”?
• Who wants a motorcycle?
• Who is used to doing household chores?
• Who thinks s/he is beautiful or handsome?
• Who watches TV everyday?
Closing up the activity
After that, talk to the students about the fact that we all have our own opinions and that
they can be the same or different from other people’s. It is essential to note that we are all
in constant reconstruction, and that our opinions change over time.
Once this sensitization is done, divide the group into smaller groups in charge of each
section of the magazine, according to each person’s abilities and interests. We suggest
the following sections: a) Interview; b) Survey; c) Pictures; d) Collage; e) Point of view. You
can create and increment the sections together with the students’ help, such as: poetry,
stories, chronics, cartoons, articles, etc. Try to identify the strong points of the participants
and decide together on the content.
Attention!
The idea is to have the groups work simultaneously. You must allow adequate
working time according to the number of hours/sessions available for this activity.
The fanzine can be made in an entire afternoon’s session or it can be fragmented in
a few sessions.
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Now, we will introduce the activities thought out for each section.
A) INTERVIEW
In this section, the students can interview people from their institution, school or their
neighborhood, people who are willing to talk about relationships, family, sexuality, etc. The
most interesting interviews and answers should be published.
In order to do this section, the group must define some questions (we suggest an average
of five questions in addition to the basic ones such as name, age, marital status and
profession). The idea is that the questions reveal the way people relate to people who are
different from them.
Here we suggest some questions that can help create the questions with the students:
• Who do you think is the most different person from you? Why?
• How do you relate to people who are different from you?
• What is a “normal person” for you?
• Do you think you are normal?
• Is it important for you to belong to a group or “tribe”? Do you belong to any? If so, do
people in that tribe have similar interests?
• Is there any kind of people that you find weird?
• Is there any kind of person that you would never be friends with? Why?
• Have you ever been a victim of discrimination? How?
• Why do you think that people “make fun” of one another?
• Have you ever been made fun of? Why do you think that happened?
After that, ask the group to make a table (such as this one in the example), which will show
all answers.
Name
Age
Marital
Status
Profession
Question
1
Question
2
Question
3
Question
4
Question
5
For the final version of the job, ask the students to choose the most interesting interviews
and to present them in a comparative way.
Instruct the students to ask for written authorization to take pictures of the interviewees.
Also, recommend that they put the pictures next to the person’s answers, just as it is done
in the magazines and news papers.
Attention!
Although you should listen and respect different opinions during the interviews,
question judgmental, discriminatory statements. Talk to the students about what
was said in the interviews.
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B) SURVEY
In this section, the students can create
a question and collect the answers of
people from their institutions, school or
neighborhood. They can ask people personally
or have a voting session using paper votes.
At the end, they should create a graphic that
reflects the collected answers. In the “zine”,
the question can be exposed together with a
graphic with the percentages of each answer.
See the example on the side, made by Padre
José Pegoraro School located in the area of
Grajaú, São Paulo.
Considering the topic of gender and sexual orientation diversity, instruct the students to
make a question and the alternatives for the answers, as we suggest in the following
examples:
Would you have a homosexual friend?
Yes ( )
No ( )
What do you think about a guy that uses a pink shirt?
( ) Handsome
( ) Interesting
( ) Weird
( ) He is gay for sure
Tip
Another suggestion is making a test, such as the ones in teen magazines. The group
can make a test with the question: “Are you biased?” for example. In this case, the
students should suggest some question with the answers options. Five or four options are generally presented for the answers. See an example of the test in page 8
of “Ponto G zine”, available for download in:
<http://www.soudapaz.org/Portals/0/Downloads/zine_pontoG.pdf>.
C) PICTURES
In this section they can publish pictures of men and women in uncommon
situations with subtitles that analyze the image.
Ask the students to take pictures of men and women doing things that
are considered “uncommon” by the group, such as woman driving a bus,
a woman flying a kite, a woman driving a motorcycle, a
man dancing, a boy playing with a doll, etc.
Right after, they should all choose the best pictures
and create the subtitles that analyze the image
such as the example done at Helena Portugal
Albuquerque Youth Center in Jaçanã, São Paulo.
D) COLLAGE
In this section, you can use images and news about the topic “gender and sexual orientation
discrimination” selected by the students, as well as other images (words and pictures) that
are related to the gender and sexual orientation issue.
Distribute some magazines and newspapers. If you can, also provide a computer with
internet access so that the students can search for articles on the internet. Ask the group
to select images and news.
The idea is for the students to be able to relate the discussions going on in the classroom
to the news that surround them such as the polemic cases of Geyse Arruda from Uniban
(A college student who had to be guarded out of school by the police because she was
being physically and psychologically threatened by an angry mob because of her short pink
dress), Bruno, the Flamengo football team goalkeeper (who is in jail after the disappearance
of a pregnant lover who was a prostitute) , the cartoon artist Laerte (who is a bisexual
cross-dresser), among other cases and situations of discrimination against women and
LGBT people.
See the work of José Pegoraro School on this matter:
E) POINT OF VIEW
In this section, starting with polemic news on the issue of gender and sexual orientation
diversity, the students can produce their texts exposing their opinions about the facts in
the selected news.
Ask them to choose news recently published on the topic of “respect for gender and sexual
orientation diversity” and, after that, propose that the group produces texts and drawings.
Bring references of news and current editorials that can serve as a base for the group to
elaborate their own texts.
Next, the group will have to choose interesting snippets of each text and collect the opinions,
so that they complement each other. When finishing the production, ask the students to
include a summary of the news or facts and the different points of view in the group.
The group can also write a collective text based on the discussions done on the
selected news.
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It is time to finish up the material!
All the produced contents should be put together and diagramed for the compilation of
the “zine”, which can be done in a rudimentary way using collages and clippings or with a
simple computer program (in case you decide on the latter, make sure you can count on
some one that already knows how to work with those programs). Below we introduce you
to the paper orientation of the texts to produce a rudimentary “zine”.
> STEP BY STEP
STEP 1
Folds
Fold an A3 paper sheet in
four parts, following the
picture on the right.
A3
STEP 2
Numbering the sheets
Put a number on each rectangle, considering the front
and back of each sheet. In
total the “zine” should have
eight numbered pages.
STEP 3
Content distribution
After that, select and distribute the produced content on the zine’s pages. We suggest:
Page 4 > The zine’s cover
Give a name to the newspaper and highlight it on the cover page. Also select the pictures
that are part of the cover and first page. Put the list of the sections that make up the
“zine”. Remember that the cover must look cool, since it is that part that catches or not
the attention of the potential readers.
Pages 1 and 2 > Interviews and Survey
Choose the best interviews and answers and print them in a summarized way next
to the interviewees’ pictures (only if they signed the authorization for the use of
their image). Put on the right side at the end of page 2 the graphic originated from
the survey.
Pages 5 and 6 > Photographs and subtitles
Ask the group to choose 4 or 5 pictures. Print them in a reduced size and organize them
so that they fit half an A3 page (top side of the sheet). Do not forget that the subtitles
should accompany the pictures! Under each of them, the name of the student that took
it should be written.
Pages 7 and 8 > Collage
Select and make a composition with the chosen images. The space cannot exceed half a
page, or two rectangles of the “zine”.
Page 3 > Point of view
This is the zine’s conclusion. It should end with a story, a reflection about a fact or with
a poem. If possible, also put in this rectangle the names of the people that took part in
this project.
STEP 4
Visual production of the “zine”
After distributing the contents, the phase of “special touches” starts. Use illustrations, stickers,
felt-tip pens, and everything else that you have to leave your “zine” with that special look. You
can write some of the contents in it by hand, but for the diagramming to be better write the
texts in a text processor (like Word), print them, cut them and glue them to the sheet.
Stickers + hand
writing
Manual
clipping
+
Printed
picture
Hand
writing
clipped
printed text
hand-made
drawing
clipped
printed text
+
hand-made
coloring
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STEP 5
Finishing and reproduction
Your “zine” is ready!
Do a careful final revision to the contents (doubled
attention to possible spelling mistakes) and print copies
(front and back) of the material. After, fold the “zines”
and distribute them to everyone. The activity will be a
success!
Nonon
Nonono non nonon,
ono non nonon!
To inspire!
See this “zine” produced by the students at
José Pegoraro School in Grajaú, São Paulo.
It was constructed with the drawings and
collages of the students themselves:
<http://www.soudapaz.org/Portals/0/Downloads/Fala%20A%C3%AD%20-%20Futebol.pdf>.
Activity
Photo-novela about
teen pregnancy
Objective
To provoke reflection on teen pregnancy through the elaboration of a photo-novela about
the challenges that boys and girls confront when they become parents.
Estimated time
3 hours (this can be done in two sessions)
Materials
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
TV set
DVD player & DVD
Digital camera
Printer
White sheets of paper
Felt-tip pens
Brown paper
Activity Description
Start the activity by showing videos about the teen pregnancy issue. We recommend two
productions that explore interesting aspects on this matter:
A) Girls (Meninas), by the director Sandra Werneck, 2005. It is a documentary
that shows the daily life of three pregnant girls over a year.
B) With the word the young father! (Com a voz o jevem pai!), from the series
Cavalo Marinho, produced by the Institute Papai. It is an episode that shows
how some young fathers are living their paternity.
For the activity no to be too long, you can select some parts that focus on the issue
of paternity and maternity during the teenage years. Choose parts that deal with the
presence or absence of the partner in the caring of the baby, for example.
After showing the films, stimulate a discussion about what the group watched. Below,
we present some of the topics that can be discussed:
• Teen pregnancy is not a “problem” and it does not always happen in an accidental
way, after all, it can be a conscious and wished for decision by the couple. No matter
what, conceiving a child is a decision that involves many responsibilities and should
be shared by a couple (the opinion of only one person should not prevail).
• D
econstruct the idea that women are more responsible for the affection and
the emotional side, whereas fathers are more responsible for the financial
and economic side in the children’s rearing. Those conceptions contribute to
perpetuate the inequalities between men and women.
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• N
ot all fathers are absent or irresponsible. Many wish to participate actively in
the raising of their children.
• C
aring must be seen as an ability you can learn during your lifetime and not a
characteristic that is part of the “feminine nature”. Men can also be caring.
After discussing those points with the students, divide the group in smaller ones with
at least 5 people in each group and ask them to create stories about teen maternity
and paternity. They can explore, for example, some situations that moms and dads face
when they are responsible for the care of a baby, such as changing diapers, taking the
baby for a stroll, give them the bottle, teaching them to walk. Ask the students to use
references from the films they watched to elaborate their stories.
The stories will be the base for the elaboration of the photo-novelas. Therefore, the
groups must think about the characters, the dialogues and the scenes. They should
make an outline of the story on a piece of paper, trying to create the scenes and writing
down the dialogues and the disposition of the characters. To make it easier, ask the
groups to divide the story in parts, like a cartoon. The story should be told in no more
than fifteen pictures, so it is not too long.
After that, read the stories and give advice on how to adjust the produced content, such
as a spell-check. Right after, ask the students to reproduce the imagined scene in a picture. The characters in the stories should be performed by the students themselves and
the scenario should only use what is available at the institution or school.
When all the pictures are finished, you must print them and give them to the students
so that they design the text boxes containing the dialogues and thoughts of the characters. They can either type or hand-write the texts.
Finally, the group should organize the pictures in the right sequence, create a title or
name for the story and fixate them on a poster paper or wall.
Tip
You can use the photo-novela as a communication support to talk about other issues. The end result is very interesting and the students usually enjoy the activity
very much.
See the following example of a photo-novela produced by the students at Helena Portugal Albuquerque Youth Center. The instructor in charge of this activity was Fernanda
de Oliveira.
10
Hi, how’s
it going?
Look at
that doll.
Cool
!!!
Débora santos and Wellington Sebastião
What’s up?
I’m Danilo.
And you?
Wow!!!
That hottie
is looking
at you!
in:
I, him and Love.
special guests
Leticia Silva and Matheus Correia
Hi! I’m
Rafaela.
What am
I going to
do? I’m
pregnant!
Look, that
guy’s got
attitude.
He scored!
Hehehehehe
Dear,
I don’t know
what to do, I
don’t have a
job!!!
I can’t
believe it.
Am I going
to have a
child?
It’s not
easy,
princess, but
I’m with you.
Yeah. We’re
gonna have a
baby. I’m so
nervous...
Well,
he and I did
this, now
we’ll go till
the end.
End.
Complementary References
Recommended sites
• Instituto Sou da Paz (www.soudapaz.org)
• Unifem (www.unifem.org.br)
• Secretaria Especial de Políticas das Mulheres (www.sepm.gov.br)
• Conselho Estadual da Condição Feminina de SP (www.condicaofeminina.sp.gov.br)
• Coordenadoria da Mulher da cidade de São Paulo (http://www.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/
cidade/secretarias/participacao_parceria/coordenadorias/mulher/)
• Marcha Mundial de Mulheres (www.sof.org.br/marcha)
• União Brasileira de Mulheres (www.ubmulheres.org.br)
• Coordenação de Políticas para a Diversidade Sexual do Estado de São Paulo – Secretaria da Justiça e da Defesa da Cidadania (www.justica.sp.gov.br)
• Secretaria da Identidade e Diversidade – Ministério da Cultura (www.cultura.gov.br)
• Laço Branco (www.lacobranco.org.br)
• Promundo (www.promundo.org.br)
• Instituto Papai (www.papai.org.br)
• Patrícia Galvão (www.agenciapatriciagalvao.org.br)
• Ecos (www.ecos.org.br)
• Cipó (www.cipo.org.br)
• Hip Hop Mulher (http://hiphopmulher.ning.com)
• Quebre o ciclo pelo Fim da Violência contra a Mulher (www.quebreociclo.com.br)
• Defensoria Pública do Estado de São Paulo (www.defensoria.sp.gov.br)
• Pró-Mulher (www.promulher.org)
• Coletivo Feminista (http://coletivofeminista.blogspot.com)
• União de Mulheres (www.uniaodemulheres.org.br)
• Fala Preta (www.falapreta.org.br)
• Geledés (www.geledes.org.br)
• Universidade Livre Feminista (www.feminismo.org.br)
• Campanha dos 16 dias de ativismo pelo fim da violência contra as mulheres
(www.campanha16dias.org.br)
• Fundação Perseu Abramo (www.fpabramo.org.br)
• Instituto Avon (www.institutoavon.org.br)
• Cfemea (www.cfemea.org.br)
Complementary References
Audio-visual material
• Deixa que eu chuto (documentário da GNT), de Alfredo Alves, 2009.
• Vida Maria, de Márcio Ramos, 2004.
Available at: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXZr-4m-3sY.
• Má educação, de Pedro Almodóvar, 2004.
• Milk, de Gus Van Sant, 2008.
• Colcha de retalhos (How to make an american quilt), de Jocelyn Moorhouse, 1995.
• Pro dia nascer feliz, de João Jardim, 2006.
• Meninas, de Sandra Werneck, 2006.
• Mulheres perfeitas (Stepford wives), de Frank Oz, 2004.
• As horas, de Stephen Daldry, 2002.
• Confissões de adolescente (seriado), de Daniel Filho, 1994.
• Antonia, de Tata Amaral, 2004.
• Cidade dos homens, de Paulo Morelli, 2007.
• Transamérica, de Duncan Tucker, 2005.
• Nem gravata nem honra, de Marcelo Masagão, 2002.
• Minha vida em cor de rosa, Alain Berliner, 1997.
Educational Videos
• Fale sem medo: não à violência doméstica, do Instituto Avon.
• X- Salada pão com ovo, ECOS – Comunicação em Sexualidade.
• Minha vida de João, Instituto Promundo.
• Pulando o muro, de Reginaldo Bianco, 2009.
• Medo de que? Instituto Promundo.
• Vídeos do Programa Café Filosófico (CPFL Cultura) sobre relações de gênero, com Contardo Calligaris, Maria Rita Kehl, Sérgio Carrara, Anna Verônica Mautner, entre ouros.
Available at: <http://www.cpflcultura.com.br/site/category/serie/crise-do-machoa-crise-atual-e-uma-crise-da-forma-masculina-de-relacionamento-com-o-mundo/>.
Complementary References
Educational manuals
ARRUDA, Silvani; UNBEHAUM, Sandra. Mulheres e cidadania ativa: construindo políticas de igualdade. Guia de Formação de Gestores e Gestoras. São Paulo: Fundação Carlos Chagas, 2005.
_________. Mulheres e cidadania ativa: construindo políticas de igualdade. Guia de Formação de Mulheres. São Paulo: Fundação Carlos Chagas, 2005.
ECOS; Comunicação em Sexualidade (vários autores). Caderno da hora. Masculinidade e
violência: o que gênero tem a ver com isso? Violência de gênero: o que pensam os nossos
jovens? São Paulo: ECOS, 2005.
ECOS; INSTITUTO PAPAI; WORLD EDUCATION. Trabalhando com mulheres jovens: empoderamento, cidadania e saúde. Manual M. Rio de Janeiro: Promundo, 2008. Disponível em:
<http://www.promundo.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/trabalhando-com-mulheres-jovens.pdf>.
INSTITUTO PROMUNDO. Da violência para a convivência. Manual H. Volume 2, 2011 (Série
Trabalhando com Homens Jovens). Disponível em: <http://www.promundo.org.br/wpcontent/uploads/2010/04/SexualidadeeSaudeRep.pdf>.
MACHADO, Zaira. Almanaque da mulher: a incrível jornada. Brasília: Secretaria Nacional da
Mulher Trabalhadora (SNMT), 2009.
MEDRADO, Benedito (Org.). Homens pelo fim da violência contra a mulher: manual educação para a ação. Recife: Instituto Papai, Promundo, White Ribbon Campaign, 2007.
RIBAS, Margot. Educando para a paz na diversidade sexual e igualdade de gênero. São
Paulo: União de Mulheres de São Paulo, 2008.
SILVEIRA, Maria Lúcia da; GODINHO, Tatau (Orgs.). Educar para a igualdade: gênero e educação escolar. São Paulo: Coordenadoria Especial da Mulher, Secretaria Municipal de Educação, 2004.
Other texts that deal with the issues in this Guide
ABRAMO, Helena. Juventude e adolescência no Brasil: referências conceituais. São Paulo:
Ação Educativa, 2005.
ABRAMOVAY, Miriam. Gangues, galeras, chegados e rappers: juventude, violência e cidadania nas cidades da periferia de Brasília. Brasília: Unesco, 1999.
BOURDIEU, Pierre. A dominação masculina. Rio de Janeiro: Bertrand Brasil, 1999.
BRASIL. Presidência da República. Casa Civil. Lei Maria da Penha, n. 11.340, de 7 de agosto de 2006. Available at: <https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_Ato2004-2006/2006/
Lei/L11340.htm>.
BRASIL. Secretaria Especial dos Direitos Humanos da Presidência da República. Plano Nacional de Promoção da Cidadania e Direitos Humanos de LGBT. Brasília: SEDH, 2009.
BRASIL. Presidência da República. Secretaria Espacial de Políticas para as Mulheres. Enfrentando a violência contra a mulher. Brasília: SEPM, 2005. Available at: <http://www.
ucamcesec.com.br/arquivos/publicacoes/manual_enfrentando_violencia.pdf>.
CALDEIRA, Teresa P. do Rio. Cidade de muros: crime, segregação e cidadania em São Paulo.
São Paulo: Editora 34/Edusp, 2000.
CARRANO, Paulo César Rodrigues. Juventudes e cidades educadoras. Petrópolis: Vozes, 2003.
CECCHETTO, F. Violência e estilos de masculinidades. Rio de Janeiro: Fundação Getúlio
Vargas, 2004.
CHAUÍ, Marilena. Participando do debate sobre mulher e violência. Perspectivas Antropológicas da Mulher: sobre mulher e violência. Vol.4. Rio de Janeiro: Zahar, 1985.
GREGORI, M. S. Cenas e queixas: um estudo sobre mulheres, relações violentas e a prática
feminista. São Paulo: Paz e Terra Anpocs, 1993.
KNIJNIK, Jorge Dorfman; ZUZZI, Renata Pascoti (Orgs.). Meninos e meninas na educação
física: gênero e corporeidade no século XXI. Jundiaí-SP: Fontoura, 2010.
LOURO, Guacira Lopes. O corpo educado: pedagogias da sexualidade. Belo Horizonte: Autêntica Editora, 2010.
MADIREIRA, Ana Flávia do Amaral. Gênero, sexualidade e diversidade na escola: a construção de uma cultura democrática. Tese (Doutorado). Brasília: UNB, 2007. Available at:
<http://repositorio.bce.unb.br/bitstream/10482/1610/1/Tese_AnaFlaviaAmaralMadureira.pdf>.
PAPA, Fernanda de Carvalho. Forito: jovens feministas presentes. São Paulo: Ação Educativa; Fundação Friedrich Ebert; Brasília: Unifem, 2009.
PORTELLA, Ana Paula. Homens: sexualidades, direitos e construção da pessoa. Recife: SOS
Corpo – Gênero e Cidadania; Instituto Papai, 2004.
SAFIOTTI, H. Iara Bongiovani. Gênero, patriarcado e violência. São Paulo: Fundação Perseu
Abramo, 2004.
SANTOS, Cecília MacDowell; IZUMINO, Wânia Pasinato. Violência contra as mulheres e violência de gênero: notas sobre estudos feministas no Brasil. Available at: <http://www.fag.
edu.br/professores/gspreussler/Direitos%20Humanos/Viol%EAncia%20de%20G%EAnero.
pdf>.
SECAD – Secretaria de Educação Continuada, Alfabetização e Diversidade. Gênero e diversidade sexual na escola: reconhecer diferenças e superar preconceitos. Cadernos SECAD.
Brasília: Secad/MEC, 2007. Available at: <http://portal.mec.gov.br/secad/arquivos/pdf/
escola_protege/caderno5.pdf>.
SENTO-SÉ, João. (Org.). Segurança pública – Outros olhares, novas possibilidades. Brasília:
Secretaria Especial de Políticas para as Mulheres, 2009.
SOU DA PAZ. Projeto Juventude, Gênero e Espaço Público. São Paulo: Sou da Paz, 2007.
Available at: <http://soudapaz.org/Portals/0/Downloads/genero.pdf>.
STREY, Marlene Neves et al. Violência, gênero e políticas públicas. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, 2004.
TEIXEIRA, Marina Sidrim; MOORE, Fanny Elisabete. A mulher e o esporte: a experiência dos
municípios do Rio de Janeiro e de São Paulo. Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Noos, 2008 (Relatório
final/pesquisa).
UNIÃO DE MULHERES DE SÃO PAULO (vários autores). Violência contra a mulher e impunidade: uma questão política. São Paulo, União de Mulheres, 2007.
UNIFEM. O progresso das mulheres no Brasil Brasília: Unifem, 2006. Available at: <www.
mulheresnobrasil.org.br>.