The majority of programs promoting gender equality are specific, voluntary initiatives that are limited in their impact. The Ministry of Education recognized the importance of gender equality in education, establishing it as both a goal and a mandatory requirement for educational institutions, and recommended targets and methods to achieve this objective. To make this happen, through a strategic, long-term partnership with the Ministry of Education’s Unit for Gender Equality and regional department for gender equality in Tel Aviv, we developed the pedagogical criteria and practices for the certification. Under this collaboration, the institute works closely with the regional management, leads professional development, and is entrusted with the program’s training processes.
The certification process guide schools and kindergartens towards creating educational spaces in which every student has the right and opportunity to develop a wide range of skills and try out diverse subjects, free from any gender limitations. The implementation processes cover all aspects of the educational space: educational content, discourse and language, social spaces, teaching practices, the physical environment, and more.
- The Gender Equity in Education Certification is the world’s first systematic framework for instilling gender equity throughout an entire education system.
- The program defines a set of criteria and effective practices that allow any educational institution to foster gender equity while maintaining its unique characteristics.
The Implementation Program Involves:
1
Professional development through training and pedagogical guidance.
2
Conducting an assessment of the school or kindergarten from a gender perspective, including identifying gender bias and opportunities for change.
3
Developing tools and processes to remove barriers and promote gender equity in the educational framework.
4
Compiling gender-focused, multi-year work plans and providing guidance throughout their implementation.
The certification model consists of three levels, each representing the extent to which the educational institution has implemented practices promoting gender equity
- Bud – Practices promoting gender equity have been implemented in specific areas of the school
- Consistent – Systematic implementation of practices, with attention dedicated to the school’s established processes
- Lighthouse – Optimal, systematic, and widespread implementation of measures promoting gender equity in all aspects of the school’s programs.
In recent years, the institute has partnered with over 100 schools and kindergartens in Tel Aviv region. Hundreds of school and kindergarten teachers have participated in professional development programs led by the institute’s pedagogical team.
The number of schools and kindergartens interested in participating in the program is constantly growing, while the deep impact of these processes on educational institutions is becoming increasingly clear. Feedback from the field surveys indicates that the program effectively addresses the need for gender equity in education, and participants maintain that it is leading the public education school in Israel towards the target set by the Ministry of Education.