Miriam College's Gender Fair Education Program

Miriam College’s GFE Program:
Towards a non-sexist and gender fair learning
environment
Prepared by
Marita Castillo Pimentel
Women and Gender Institute
Miriam College

PBL’s SOMA…
We simply cannot offer an excellent
education because all other top
academic institutions do this. As a
women’s college, aside from
academic excellence, we must offer
an education that aggressively and
explicitly introduces a feminist
orientation and asserts the
importance of gender issues…
..... We must self consciously and
systematically seek to empower
the girls and women under our
care, helping them to value
themselves and their
contributions. We must have to
expand options and outcomes for
our students beyond traditional
roles and stereotyped careers.

Miriam College

WAGÎ
1. center for research, training and advocacy
on women’s rights, gender equality and
non-sexist learning
2. support of the leadership of young women
and students.
3. cross-disciplinal perspective on women’s
empowerment that is interlinked with
democracy, human rights, social justice
and value formation

Gender Fair Education program
Integrates issues of women's rights,
gender equality & equity into academic
and non-academic programs,
development programs for faculty,
students and staff and, school
administration system

GFE as manifested in the institutional values
of Miriam College:
TRUTH
JUSTICE
PEACE
INTEGRITY OF
CREATION
critical of masculinist bias in the search for
liberating knowledge & truth
seeks gender equality within a preferential
option for the poor.
addresses violence against women / girlchildren
as integral to lasting peace.
recognizes women’s equal access to and
care of the environment.

A VISION FOR MIRIAM COLLEGE AS A
GENDER FAIR CAMPUS
• sanctuary for girl-children, young
women and women who recognize
and respect the equal attributes and
capabilities of human beings that is
not limited by gender stereotypes
and biases.
• a zone of peace, environmental care,
gender equality and social justice
which encourages girl-children and
young women to work together in
eliminating abuse and violence
against women and children,
including sexual harassment on
campus.

A VISION FOR MIRIAM COLLEGE AS A
GENDER FAIR CAMPUS
• nurtures active, critical & analytical women leaders by
supporting the personal empowerment & selfconfidence
of girl-children / young women based on
their diverse potentials, interests and contributions to
a sustainable future for everyone.
• supports the ability and skills of faculty members to
teach in a gender-fair manner and stresses their
position as advocates of Gender Equality.

STRATEGIES FOR MIRIAM COLLEGE
AS A GENDER FAIR CAMPUS
SOCIAL
•Formation of
advocates for
gender equality /
women’s rights
•Awareness-raising
& advocacy
•Curriculum integration
Students
Administrators
LEARNING
Admin
Support
Group
TEACHING
Faculty
•Gender-fair language for instruction
•Women empowering teaching methods
•Research on women’s issues
•Values Formation
Parents/
Families,
Partner
Communities
PHYSICAL
•Safe campus
•Gender-sensitive
students and
personnel services

The Gender Mainstreaming Committee
Representatives from each academic unit
Representatives from advocacy centers and
offices
Coordinated by: Women and Gender Institute
(WAGI)

Teaching and Curriculum
Integration
Gender Sensitivity Training for new members of the
faculty, staff and students
In service training on GFE for teachers
Anti-Sexual Harassment law
Gender Fair Language
Spotting Stereotypes in Instructional Materials
Gender Fair Counselling
Harassment in different spaces
Public / Street Harassment
Intimate Relations
Cyberspace Harassment
Institutional Training on VAWC and CEDAW

Gender Equality in Partner
Communities and Sectors
GST for community leaders
GST for youth leaders in the
community
GST for teachers in partner schools
GST for Security Personnel
GST for Parents and Caregivers

Curriculum Integration
THEMES:
1. Shared Parenting
2. Shared Home Management
3. Shared Decision Making
4. Equalized Opportunities
5. Equalized Representation in
Public Affairs and Enhance
Participation
6. Make women’s roles and
contributions visible and valued
and recognized
7. Eliminate all forms of violence
against women
8. Ensure non sexist socialization
9. Gender Conscience
Basic Units
2009-Sharing of Practices (after
5 years)
2006-present: Monitoring of Lesson Plans
by Subject Area: Updating Workshop
(every 2 years)
2003-current: Regular GST for Educators of
New Teachers
2005-Training on Gender Fair Lesson Planning
2004-Subject Area Coordinators Training Workshop for Cur.
Integration- THEMES AND STRATEGIES
2001-2002- GST for Educators per unit- CSC, Grade School, High
School, MAE

Child Study Center
Themes Unit Topic
- Equalize opportunities
- Equalize representation in public
affairs
- Make women’s role visible,
valued & recognized
- Shared parenting
- Shared home management
- Shared decision making
- Make women’s role and
contribution visible, valued &
recognized
- Equalize opportunities
Self
Family and houses
Friends
- Shared decision making Animals
- Equalize opportunities Community helpers
- Equalize representation in public
affairs
- Make women’s role &
contribution visible, valued &
recognized
Transportation
We are also the same.

Grade School
Themes Sub-themes Grade level
1. shared parenting situations,
§ problem solving
2. shared home management
§ data for graphing
Reproductive system
3. shared decision making
4. equalize opportunities Reproductive system (invite
male/female)
5. equalize representation in public
affairs
6. make women’s role and
contribution visible, valued and
recognized
7. eliminate all forms of violence
against women
1-7
Women Scientists 6-7
Stories (Greek mythology—names of
planets and moons
Data for graphing
Names of some constellations
6
6
5
5
6

Grade School
Subject Area: Home Economics and Livelihood Education
Themes
1. shared parenting My family
2. shared home management
3. shared decision making
Managing Our Home
Design of the Home
4. equalize opportunities Myself
Woodwork projects
Getting others to shared
Preparing for the future
Design and the home
5. equalize representation in public affairs
1.make women’s role and contribution visible,
valued and recognized
Sub-themes Grade level
Getting others to shared
Preparing for the future
1.eliminate all forms of violence against women Bringing out the best in me
Improving yourself towards social
maturity
Adolescence, self concept of
friendship
1-6
3-6
7
1-7
3-7
3-6
6
7
3-5
6
3-6
7
7

Higher Education
Curriculum Integration Workshop
History
Literature
Philosophy
Theology
Module on GFE for CDE Students
MC 101-Miriam Core Values Modules
Bodily Integrity
Anti-sexual harassment
MC 201- Ethics and Values
1 unit of course on Ethics, Values and Gender Fair Learning

Subjects on
Gender, Education and Language
Women and mass Media
Gender and Migration Studies
Gender, Economics and Trade
Gender , Peace and Security
Graduate Courses
Certificate course on IWHR
Certificate course on GFE
Summer Institute on Migration
Service Learning
Gender Sensitivity Training
Community Youth Leadership
Training

Thank you.