GENDER “Manliness can only be taught by men, and not by those who are half men, half old women” BP

Objectives/Content History of the gender question Identifying most important possible issues in gender balance of program The different aspects that needs to be evaluated in program Evaluation of the evaluation tools

RATING ACTIVITIES 1.Typical Scouting activity 2.Your personal preference (high,average,low) 3.What status you give to the activity 4.Is it preferred more by boys or by girls 5.Does the activity has a symbolic gender in your culture

HISTORY Scouting started as a ’for-boys-only’ movement One objective for the foundation of the movement was to counter the harmful effect female educators had for boys  We have come a long way towards the goal

Later development 1999 the 35th world conference declared the world organizations commitment  to the fulfilment of its educational purpose: to contribute to the education of young people, females and males, as equals and on the basis of the needs and aspirations of each individual,  to the principles of equal opportunities and equal partnership,  to reach, in societies where mixed gender relations are the norm, a situation where gender equality is a reality in terms of youth programme, adult resources, management and all other aspects of the Movement at all its levels European study of the gender balance in scouting: “One of the boys?”, Harriet Bjerrum Nielsen (2002).

“One of the boys?” Four European nations were chosen Five scout camps were visited  activities were observed  leaders and young people were interviewed Result  For dealing gender questions scouts are not better or worse than the society around them

Meaning of gender balance Complementary of genders:  Women and men are fundamentally different and complement to each others.  The ideal situation is where the different needs of both are recognized. Equality of genders:  Genders have the equal importance.  When fully realised, the equality means that resources are evenly distributed between genders. Within these two frameworks the question of gender balance can be set the following way:  Are the difference of male and female fully recognise and are they taken account with the same emphasize?  Are the resources distributed evenly between men and women?

“Gender issues” that were found Unbalance in the male and female way of scouting Unbalance of educational objectives Gender unbalance in activities Support of traditional gender tasks Co-education benefits are assumed to be asymmetric Different symbolic values of genders

Unbalance in the male and female way of scouting  The traditional male roles define the norm in scouting and the feminine way of scouting is not recognised or defined.  Among the young people the boys can be assumed to be ‘better scouts’ than girls or the girls believe that they have to work harder to get the same acknowledgement than boys.  Performance of girls is often underrated and they are given less opportunities to act as a leader  Leaders communicate more with boys and consider working with boys to be more rewarding or challenging than working with boys.

Unbalance of educational objectives  Areas of personal growth closer to traditional ‘male virtues’ get higher status Gender unbalance in activities  Scouting activities that are related to male virtues or resembles closer the aspirations of boys gets higher status

Support of traditional gender tasks  In mixed groups or patrols the division of labour obeys the traditional gender borders.  Spectacular, ‘high profile’ tasks are typically given to boys while boring, invisible, tasks are given to girls.  If there several activities to choose from, boys usually make their choice first and girls choose the ones that are left.

Co-education benefits are assumed to be asymmetric.  Girls are supposed to benefit since it opens them a possibility to participate ‘boyish’ activities.  The activities that are related more to the aspirations of girls are left to occasions where girls are alone.  Boys’ benefit is sometimes assumed to be restricted to girls’ balancing effect. Different symbolic values of genders  In the language used in scouting the words related to male have more positive connotation than their female counterparts.

Evaluation of national youth program Implementation Dissemination Design

TOOLKIT 1.To demonstrate gender issues for a group of leaders. 2.For evaluating the dissemination of the program. 3.For evaluating the implementation of the program.

1. Demonstrating gender issues How to make the gender issues visible and use the experience of leaders to evaluate the situation We propose tools  which can be used with a group of leaders  which evaluates the attitudes of leaders  which helps to use the experience of leaders to evaluate the gender balance in program

2. Evaluating dissemination Do our material support gender equality? We propose tool that helps to answer  How the material supports coeducation?  How well the factual description of activities is in balance? Subjects Methods  What is the impression that comes between the lines?

3. Evaluating the implementation How common the previously explained gender issues are? We propose tools that help to:  Use the existing data that we already have.  Implement a National survey

GROUP WORK Split up to three groups Task of each group is to evaluate one part of the toolbox  Are the tools relevant?  Could they be used in national level?  Is something missing?  Do you have experience from different approaches?  What should be the final form of the tool?

CONCLUSIONS