Project 4 Gender Equality

How should we respond to gender (in)equality? This is the question young people will try to answer through the short documentary they will create, guided by this interactive education kit.

introduction

On paper, all European citizens are treated equally. Constitutions do not differentiate between sex or gender, and all citizens above a certain age have voting rights. 

The reality, however, is very different. 

In the everyday experience of people, gender and sex make a substantial impact. Some consequences involve differences in pay, even for the same job, an increased chance of being a victim of assault, and lower chances of becoming a professor. Some countries have adopted laws that allow for same-sex marriage, while in other countries it is still deemed illegal. Although many countries have had female heads of state, there are still some that have never any. In this project, we look at what it means when people are treated differently and learn about the struggle for women’s equality and LGBTQ+ rights in past and present. 

With such a big difference between theory and practice, how should we respond to gender inequality?

We start all projects with a 10-minute starter clip from the In Europe documentary series, in order to introduce the topic in a vivid way. There is room for discussion on different levels. After two lessons with historical context and background information, students will start making their own short documentary (5-15 minutes) in small groups. Seven tutorials will teach students all about research, interviewing, filming and editing. The teacher will upload the videos to the In Europe YouTube playlist where you can find all videos made by students from all over Europe. The upload tutorial will help teachers to do so.

The starter clip tells the story of French journalist Tristane Banon, who was discouraged by the police to report an incident of sexual assault. The person who was accused, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was a man in a position of power. This clip shows one of the many examples of gender inequality in today's Europe. Students are challenged to find their own examples, and make a documentary that highlights the issue.

In the enquiry and the making of the documentary, students will link current affairs to a broader (historical) context. They will experience how they can contribute to public debate.

NEW EXTRA @Home Tutorial

Due to the Covid19 measures students and teachers found it hard to finish their documentaries. It seemed impossible to make a short documentary if you cannot go to school or even leave your house.

The good news:  It is possible and we will help you out!

The makers of VPRO television made an extra tutorial with all sorts of tips and tricks explaining how to interview, film and edit if you have to stay at home. We hope this will inspire you.

The tutorial is an extra gesture on top of our tutorials on research, interviewing, filming and editing. We will refer to them so make sure your students saw those first before they start their assignments in step 3.

Take a look →