and Programs - Girls Action Foundation

Transcription

Designing Spaces
and Programs
for Girls: A Toolkit
Ce manuel est aussi disponible en français. Si vous souhaitez recevoir un ou des exemplaires en français,
veuillez communiquer avec l’équipe de Filles d’action/POWER Camp National à l’adresse courriel:
info@powercampnational.ca ou par téléphone au:(514)948-1112 ou 1(888)948-1112
Filles d’action/POWER Camp National
24 Mont Royal Ouest, Suite 601
Montréal, Québec
H2T 2S2 CANADA
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3
Introduction
4
The POWER Camp Approach: Principles
5
How to Use this Resource
5
Elements of a Good Program
SECTION 1 - SETTING UP YOUR PROGRAM
7
8
Program Set up Checklist
Sample Program Policies
9
Collaborative Leadership
9
Partnership Agreements
10
11
Partnership Agreement Checklist
Sample Partnership Agreement Template
14
Mentors
15
Networking & Building Community Support
16
Outreach to Girls and Their Families
17
Sample Outreach Flyer
19
Sample Permission to Participate form
21
23
23
Sample Outreach Activity for Parents
Funding
Fundraising
24
Sample Program Budget
26
Proposal Writing Tips
29
Sample Work Plan
31
Sample Evaluation Plan
33
Sample Asking for Donations Letter
34
Legal Documents
35
Waiver Form
36
Sample Field Trip Form
38
Sample Girls Club Registration Form.
39
Participant Health Form
41
Multi media permission
SECTION 2 – CONSIDERATIONS FOR FACILITATORS
43
Creating the Space
43
Facilitation
43
Role of Facilitators
44
Working with a Co-facilitator
45
47
Facilitating Group Dynamics & Working with Conflict
Ideas for Facilitating Discussion
3
48
Intense Topics
48
Giving and Receiving Feedback
SECTION 3 - POPULAR EDUCATION: LEARNING
WITH YOUR GIRLS GROUP
51
Popular Education
53
Designing and Facilitating Workshops
53
Tools for Popular Education Design
54
Achieving Balance in Design
55
Activity Outline Template
57
Sample workshop outline - The Loom! Detailed Activity Breakdown
60
1) Starting From Where We Are
61
Introductions/Icebreakers
62
64
65
65
Example Activity - Lifeboats
Trust Activities
Sample Activity - Willow in the Wind
Creating a Safer Space
68
Sample Activity - Creating a Group Agreement
71
Confidentiality and Disclosure Policy
71
Confidentiality Policy
73
Disclosure Protocol
74
75
Energizers
Example Energizer - Elephant, Lions, Giraffes
76
2) Looking for Patterns in Experience
76
Debriefing to Deepen Learning
77
Asking Questions To Promote Critical Thinking
79
3) Adding (New) Information: Knowledge Building
81
a. Self Esteem
82
86
88
Info Sheet - Self Esteem
Example Activity - Relax! Learn to Manage Stress
b. Anti-Oppression
89
Sample Activity - Reflection on Canadian Society
92
Key Concepts in Anti-Racism
96
Info sheet - Anti-Oppression Frameworks
101 c. Healthy Sexuality
102
Info Sheet - Healthy Sexuality
108
Sample activity - Healthy Sexuality Quiz
109 d. Violence prevention
110
Info sheet - Violence Prevention
116
Sample Activity - Body Mapping
117
Sample activity - Media /Music Deconstruction
119 4) Strategizing, Planning and Taking Action
120
Sample activity: Marching Against Poverty
122 5) Reflecting on practice: Evaluation
124
Example Workshop Evaluation - Head Heart Hands
126
Example facilitator evaluation - ABC girls program facilitators
evaluation form
128 Bringing it all together
Amplify has been a labour of love. Creating this resource and training program has been a living process
of learning and reflecting for many wonderful community-based girls’ initiatives across Canada as well as
for POWER Camp National / Filles d’action (PCN/FA). POWER Camp put out its very first girls’ program
manual in 2001, which started to share with the world what we knew about organizing and running effective,
empowering programs for girls. It has been our dream to put together a fuller version since then, and we are
happy to share with you the result. This resource is meant to inform and inspire your own work, not as a recipe
with set instructions, but truly as a tool kit from which you can take what is useful.
What went into the creation of Amplify? Plenty of reflection by the PCN/FA team on how to create safe
spaces and effective programs for girls! Together, the team thought about what we’ve learned, what worked
for us, what didn’t, what we wish we had known when we started. From there we turned to our network of 100
autonomous community-based girls’ initiatives, and they responded with enthusiasm, knowledge, and drive.
We held focus groups with network members in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto, in English and French. We
did interviews and online surveys. We talked and talked with everyone about how to create safe spaces and
effective programs for girls - what they’ve learned, what worked for them, what didn’t, what they wish they
had known when they started!
This spirit of sharing knowledge and inspiration is what we hope to present to you. This resource, like our
network, is all about learning together and supporting one another in action. And just because it’s down on
paper doesn’t mean the process is over. We will continue to revise Amplify in 2008 and 2009. Much more
will be added over time, we will learn new things and add them in, and we hope that you will send us your
thoughts, effective practices, questions and tools that you would like to see reflected in this resource.
Amplify is really about amplifying our work with and for girls across Canada - getting more girls programs out
there, strengthening the ones that are there, and building a formidable and inspiring movement towards the
empowerment of young women. PCN/FA believes that every girl should have what she needs to participate
in society to her fullest potential. By creating opportunities for girls and young women to build their strength,
discover their power and gain the confidence they need to bring their voices and ideas to the world, we
support a new generation to become active in creating a just and peaceful world.
Thanks for all your support and hard work,
the team at
POWER Camp National / Filles d’action
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Acknowledgements of Contributors
Writing, Compiling and Curriculum Design: Christine McKenzie
Project Coordination: Joslyn Trowbridge, Keetha Mercer, Tatiana Fraser
Support in Compiling, Writing & Editing: Tatiana Fraser, Juniper Glass, Keetha Mercer, Sarah Butler, Valérie
Plante, Carina Foran
Other Contributors: Karima Kadmiri; Beurling Academy Girls’ Club Participants: Jenna B, Brandi D, Kara B,
and Jennifer D.; Girls’ Club Facilitators: Chantale McNairn, Cynthia Shulak, Amy McKinnon, Rossana Tudo,
Zoe Anable
Staff Reflection Day and Logistics Coordinator: Kat Butler
Copy Editing: Rebekah Hart (English) and Émilie Cantin (French)
Layout and Design: Jennifer Schultes, ting-ting design
Translation: Miriam Heap-Lalonde and Patrick Cadorette
Thank you very much to the girls’ program facilitators from across Canada who contributed their experiences
and approaches through focus groups, interviews and surveys – your direction was so important in the creation
of this resource! Thanks to: Josiane Allard, Nisha Sajnani, Rene Yelle, Isabelle Lalonde, Andrea CanalesFigueroa, Stephanie Souillé, France-Emanuelle Joly, Pam Hanington, Natalie McMullen, Paige Mowbray,
Kim Melnyk, Andrea Simpson-Fowler, Valerie Beaudoin, Joanne Cave, Susanna Cermak, Nabila El-Ahmed,
Genevieve Morand, Franca Gualtieri, Rhonda Hamilton, Kerri Isham, Rachel Levine Katz, Hannah Lin, Kate
Naugler, Danielle Porter, Heather Smieszek, Cheryl Vrkljan, and Bev Walker.
Thank you also to Christine McKenzie and Nisha Sajnani for co-facilitating the Amplify training program and
to the whole team at POWER Camp National/ Filles d’action for their input of ideas and knowledge.
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Introduction
P
OWER Camp National / Filles d’action (PCN/FA) is a national charitable organization that inspires and
supports the empowerment, leadership and healthy development of girls across Canada. Grounded
in research and girls’ realities, our innovative programs address violence prevention, community
engagement, media literacy education, health promotion, anti-racism and healthy sexuality.
Our programs combine creative expression, knowledge and skill building activities with mentorship, community
action and fun. Through local girls’ programs and the national network, PCN/FA works to raise awareness and
mobilize action towards the elimination of violence and discrimination.
At PCN/FA, we believe that each girl should have what she needs to participate fully in society. Our activities
create opportunities for girls and young women to build their strength, discover their power, and gain the
confidence they need to bring their gifts to the world. Building a movement of active, engaged young
women and organizations across Canada, we envision a new generation committed to creating a just and
peaceful world.
POWER Camp in its original incarnation began in 1995 as a grassroots organization delivering programming to
girls and young women in the Ottawa area. Since then, we have expanded to become a national organization.
POWER Camp National continues to facilitate girls’ programs in Montreal as well as host a national network
of organizations who offer girls programs in communities across Canada.
Both delivering local programs for girls as well as creating and developing an organization have offered us
many opportunities for learning. Connecting with girls’ programs across Canada has inspired us to share and
grow this work. Through a grant from National Crime Prevention, we were able to connect with successful
girls’ programs through focus groups, interviews and an online survey. We asked girls’ program leaders what
they felt were the essential components for running a successful girls’ program. We also asked them to
identify the resources they use and need in order to make their girls’ program the best it can be.
Amplify: Designing Spaces and Programs for Girls is a reflection of what girls’ program leaders said
mattered most. It is our intention to capture and share these key lessons and to provide a forum to share
this work which we love. This is a tool that aims to inspire, support and strengthen the development and
delivery of girls’ programs. We look forward to your input as we continue to expand on what this resource
has to offer.
This manual provides tools and tips to help you create girls’ programs that meet the needs of your community,
and are also in line with the vision and objectives held by Power Camp National and our network members.
Power Camp National girls’ programs are designed to meet the following objectives:
• Build girls’ self-awareness and self-esteem;
• Increase girls’ awareness of and ability to address issues of violence and discrimination (issues include
racism, media literacy, sexual health, healthy relationships, poverty, and internalized, relational and
systemic forms of violence);
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• Foster the development of girls’ critical thinking and communication skills;
• Increase girls’ awareness of and ability to access resources and mentorship in their community; and
• Increase girls’ experience and skills in community action and leadership.
The POWER Camp Approach: Principles
Our unique approach is based upon five overarching principles:
1. Popular Education/Critical Education
Popular education is a model that begins with an individual’s personal experience and moves towards
collective action. Contrary to traditional hierarchal education where experts hold the knowledge, this model
is grounded in the belief that everyone is an expert, and argues that learning is not a top-down process.
In validating experiential knowledge, popular education actively engages and empowers the individual in
moving towards collective change. The POWER Camp approach favours grassroots and critical educational
approaches designed to recognize girls’ knowledge, and invites girls to be experts in their own lives.
2. Integrated Feminist Analysis
An integrated feminist analysis recognizes and takes into account the multiple and intersecting impacts of
policies and practices on different groups of women because of their race, class, ability, sexuality, gender
identity, religion, culture, refugee or immigrant status, or other status. This framework recognizes that girls’
and women’s experiences of life occur in multiple and compounding spheres. Employing this analysis from
a self-reflexive position, the POWER Camp approach envisions building solidarities with communities and
young women. Only by recognizing the differing locations and varying histories of individuals can we begin
to build relationships and mobilize for social change together.
3. Social Action and Change
We believe that individual and/or collective social action can lead to social change, which has the potential
to create a socially just world. Our approach to social justice is context-specific: it develops and advocates
for alternatives grounded in young women’s realities. In working towards social justice, the POWER Camp
approach promotes transformative change directed towards altering existing social structures and frameworks.
The PCN/FA approach achieves social action and change by encouraging girls to share their experiences,
which are both similar and diverse; by demystifying issues through education; and by encouraging and
supporting action-oriented living strategies and critical thinking skills.
4. Critically Asset-Based
Working from a positive-oriented lens that emphasizes the assets and capacities of girls’ own realities
and experiences, the POWER Camp approach builds on girls’ strengths and community resources. Rather
than positioning girls as passive recipients, we see girls as agents of social change. We work with and for
girls, encouraging them to develop knowledge as a political process, which in turn inspires them to take
collective action in their communities. This asset-based approach embraces social, political and economic
reflection and critical perspective while acknowledging that girls face certain structural barriers not limited to
institutionalized racism, poverty and homophobia, and other forms of structural and personal violence.
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5. Organic
The POWER Camp approach is continuously shaped by young women’s input and feedback. A fluid spiral
of learning, reflecting, researching, doing and evaluating informs this work on both the organizational and
programming levels. We are committed to remaining adaptable and relevant to the changing realities of girls’
and young women’s lives.
How to Use this Resource
This educational resource walks you through the different elements of setting up a girls’ program (Section
1), things to think about as a facilitator for a girls program (Section 2) and popular education approaches to
designing and facilitating workshops and action programs for girls (Section 3).
The activities described in Section 3 are there to inspire you and act as a launching pad
for your own creativity. If you are interested in activities to use in your girls’ program,
please take a glance at the Design Tools on page 53, which will help you come up with
girls-centered activities specific to the needs of your group.
This whole manual is laid out in the order that we think it makes sense to do things, with one element building
on another. We recommend you read through entire sections that you are interested in, so you see the whole
logic and then take from it what is useful to you.
As well, there is a CD that accompanies this resource manual. On the CD you will find a
whole list of additional resources you can look up to find out more about the different topics
covered in this manual. You will also find sample documents in Microsoft Word format, such
as the Participant Health Form or Activity Outline Template. You can feel free change and
use these documents to suit the needs of your own girls’ program
Elements of a Good Program
A good program is…
• Grounded in girls’ realities.
• Reflects the context of the community.
• Supported by the community – support can come from local leaders, artists, activists, women mentors,
community service providers/agencies, faith communities, parents, teachers, school administration, etc.
• Coordinated – bringing people, resources and education together in an intentional and planned way.
And designing and implementing a good program involves…
• Design skills – creating workshop activities that are meaningful and exciting!
• Resources.
• Creativity.
• Responsiveness – adapting the program to respond to emerging issues or topics among girls and in
the community.
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SECTION 1
SETTING UP YOUR
PROGRAM
The process is more important than the result – the girls must
learn that they can have an impact on their surroundings and that
they are important. It is important to have different activities/
examples with which the girls can identify, and it’s important to
have activities and links with the surrounding community, and
to have facilitators and adults involved that think differently and
aren’t all white. Make meetings regular and on time, always at
the same place, same hour to create routine and security for the
girls (and their parents).
~ Geneviève Morand, Magazine Authentik,
a magazine by and for girls, Montreal
S
etting up your program requires intention. There are many logistical
things to be done, and it is important that the way in which these are
done is reflective of the kind of program that you want to have. What
kind of role do you want to play in the community? What kind of a space do you
want to have? Will the program target girls who are 9 or 14 or 16? What kind of
a difference do you want to play in the lives of girls in the program? How you
answer these questions can help guide the decisions you make in setting up
your program.
In this section, we will give you tips about networking and collaborating with
other leaders and organizations, setting up mentor relationships for girls, as well
as outreach and fundraising tips and some legal (permission) documents that
you may want to draw on.
There is a lot of potential! Girls’ programs can be offered in a variety of
contexts and forms. For example, they can be offered through an existing youth
organization, through schools as an after school program, or as a weekend
conference. Young women can take a leadership role and organize girls programs
in their schools. Women studies students can offer girl programs as a way to
make connections between theory and community. Organizers may also choose
to start a girls’ organization. This manual and training program is designed so
that you can apply and adapt it to a diversity of contexts.
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Program Set up Checklist
Want to set up a girls’ program? Here’s what you’ll need to do, in whatever order works best for you:
• Decide the direction of your organizing. The following questions are important in helping you determine
the direction of your organizing, and what your needs are.
o Are you creating an organization?
o Are you forming a group?
o Will you need organizational status to get funding?
o Do you want to apply for funding?
o Will you need liability insurance?
• Are you volunteering or do you one day want to get paid?
• Form an advisory committee to offer you support, expertise, community building networks, programming
advice & ideas.
• Find funding or other support. Funding and in-kind contributions can pay for human resources, material
and supplies, space, equipment, etc.
• Figure out the structure of the program. Will it be a permanent drop-in space, an after school program
or an ongoing or a limited workshop series? Will it be in partnership? Talk to those in the know (ideally
girls themselves) about when a good time or space would be to meet.
• Find a meeting room that is ideally inexpensive, big enough to move around in for activities, and has
available facilities like a kitchen for snacks, a whiteboard, TV and generally a youth friendly informal
atmosphere. (Keep in mind when meeting rooms are available may dictate when your group meets!)
• Get any supplies that you need, such as books, videos, flip chart, markers, magazines, art supplies and
snacks!
• Get the word out! Work with local community centres, youth centres or schools to help you. Check out
local email lists, bulletin boards where youth hang out, local newsletters or papers. …Anywhere that
youth or their parents might come across it!
• Have the first meeting. Get to know each other and start determining the needs of the group. Think
about having a separate or joint meeting to address parents’ concerns.
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Sample Program Policies
The program policies, listed on the Resource CD, have been adopted by our girls’ programs to
help ensure that expectations are clear, things run smoothly the environment is safe. We think that it is
very important to have policies that are grounded in the reality of the work we are doing, in that they are
specific enough to the context that we are working in. This means that factors such as the physical safety of
our participants both on-site and when we do off-site trips, issues around disclosure of their identities and
confidentiality around their participation, and any ethical considerations are clearly set out in our policy. We
also suggest considering including more theoretical policy as well. For example, we have spelled out our
stance on anti-racism, violence against women, as well as a variety of other topics. These sample policies
will be helpful for your program. Feel free to adapt the wording to suit your situation, and add new policies
if you wish.
For more resources on girls program policies, see the Resource CD.
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Collaborative Leadership
Working in collaboration is an important way to make things happen. There are many ways to collaborate to
make your girls program a reality. First, you can collaborate amongst your team members, and following this
with people and organizations in the broader community.
Internal Roles and Responsibilities
Girls Club Coordinator
• Facilitates program visioning and brainstorms with facilitators
• Outreaches and coordinates volunteer facilitators
• Coordinates facilitator training
• Outreaches and networks in the Community in which you are working
• Facilitates check-ins and debrief sessions with facilitators
• Outreaches and coordinates volunteer workshop facilitators
Facilitators
• Participate in facilitator training
• Facilitate local programming
• Contribute to program visioning and brainstorm process
• Participate in weekly check-ins and debriefs
Partnership Agreements
Collaborations beyond the immediate girls’ program team allow organizations and individuals to pool
resources and to do things that they wouldn’t be able to do alone. We have learned that it is fruitful to work
out a partnership agreement in advance. This creates clarity and a structure that you can fall back on. A
partnership agreement will help to clarify underlying assumptions and will aid you and your partner when it
is time to make important decisions.
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Partnership Agreement Checklist
Some things to consider when defining a partnership agreement are:
• What is the purpose of working together?
• What are the guiding principles for working together?
• Establish clarity: what is the collaboration?
• Who is bringing what to the table?
• Establish roles, responsibilities, accountabilities and a decision-making mechanism to support the
process of the collaboration. (For example: how will decisions be made, who holds the responsibility
for what, and what resources are people bringing?)
• What is the structure for communication? (How/when/where will you meet?)
• How will the program support mentorship & skill building opportunities?
• How will the resources be managed and accounted for?
• How will you evaluate how the project is coming together?
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Sample Partnership Agreement Template
(The following examples were taken from “Transforming Spaces: Girlhood, Agency and Change”, a conference
that was organized by PCN/FA.)
Title of Your Project
Partnership Agreement
About the project
Give an overview of the project in a few sentences. What is the project about? Where did it come from? Why?
Example:
Our vision is to build cross-sector bridges between community practitioners, grassroots, service providers,
girls, young women, academics and policy makers that acknowledge the diversity of perspectives and
actions, for and by girls and young women, and that move towards collaboration, communication
and change in the social realm. This vision will be actualized through the collective collaboration of a
coordinating committee to organize the first girls’ studies conference in Canada, which will simultaneously
function as the launch of POWER Camp National.
Timeline
Outline here the activities that are part of the project plan and what phase the project is in. This doesn’t have to
be in a special format – it can be in point form, just a quick write up about what is going to happen and when.
Objectives
Under objectives, make sure to state the overreaching goals of what you hope to achieve from this project.
This can be in point form also.
Example:
Conference Objectives
• To profile, promote research and action strategies related to issues and realities for and by girls and to
make this information more accessible to a wider audience, including girls..
• To facilitate an intergenerational dialogue on issues related to girls and young women.
• To bring together girls, academics, grassroots, service providers, community practitioners and policy
voices and experiences to exchange information, network, and forge alliances.
• To reflect on the work, accomplishments and challenges of the last decade of work related to and by
girls and young women.
• To explore concrete possibilities for collaboration between girls, academics, grassroots, service
providers, community practitioners and policy makers.
• To envision future strategies and actions to advance the status of girls and young women in Canada.
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The Partnership
Explain the functions of all the partners, what the common goals are, and how the decision making process
will happen.
Example:
Core Partner Roles and Responsibilities
The roles and responsibilities of the core partners include the following:
1. To function as an intermediary between the coordinating committee and the partnering institution.
2. To participate in coordinating committee meetings and responsibilities.
3. To offer expertise to the coordinating committee process and decision-making.
4. Financial Management: Each core partner will participate in the finance sub-committee, where the
project resources will be managed. The partner financial contributions will be based on an overall
project budget. The budget will outline the financial and in-kind contributions of each partner and will
inform the management of the overall project resources. Partners are responsible for managing their
organizations’ resources.
Partners’ Roles
This section is about your partner(s). When describing the partners, be sure to write down who they are, what
they do, and what they will be doing for this project. The point of this agreement is to be specific about the
partners’ roles and responsibilities. Try to use clear language so as to avoid any confusion later.
Example:
As a partner, Concordia University brings us:
1. International and national networks of academics involved in gender and girls studies.
2. Experience in organizing symposiums and conferences.
3. Institutional affiliation that offers legitimacy to the organizing committee.
4. Expertise in participatory research.
5. Institutional affiliation with Concordia University.
6. Financial & in-kind contribution, including long distance and postage.
McGill University brings us:
1. International and national networks of academics involved in gender and girls studies.
5. Institutional affiliation with McGill University.
6. Financial & in-kind contribution.
The Centers of Excellence bring us:
1. National networks of service providers across Canada.
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5. Financial contribution: resources to cover the costs of participation in the conference, the organizing
done by the coordinating committee (conference call fees, travel costs) and the cost for participation
in the presentation.
Your Organization’s Role
Do the same here as you did for the partners, only this time write it about yourself. What is your organization,
what do you do, and what will you be doing for this project? Be specific about what your roles and
responsibilities will be - this helps clarify to your partners what you will be doing, how it is different from what
they are doing, and the shared tasks that you will all be working on together.
Example:
POWER Camp National will bring:
1. Experience and expertise working with youth from an empowerment pedagogical and youth-driven
perspective.
2. Management and coordination experience and expertise.
3. A national network of grassroots, informal and formal organizations doing work for and by girls,
and organizations directly or indirectly engaged in work to advance the equality of girls and young
women.
4. Coordination of a grassroots national retreat coordinating committee that will inform and feed into the
coordinating committee.
Financial contribution from funding received by the Status of Women Canada to support POWER Camp
National infrastructure, conference promotion and outreach activities, and to support the travel costs of
thirty participants to the conference.
Note: Not all Partnership agreements are the same! We highly encourage you to make modifications,
additions and changes to your partnership agreements based on what works for you. Include your partners in
the creation of your agreement, and make sure that everyone is in agreement and has a fully understanding
of the plan. Partnerships are ultimately all about the relationships between you and the partners, so make
sure to cultivate these relationships with care, as this makes working together far more effective!
For more resources on this topic, see the Resource List on the CD in this binder.
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Mentors
Mentorship can make all the difference to girls. Having cool, connected older girls or women in their lives
whose support they can trust can inspire girls! It also provides them with a safe space to ask questions as they
navigate becoming women.
As you are setting up your program, think about how the girls in your group might develop meaningful
contacts with older girls and women. Here are some ways to include mentorship in your girls’ program:
1. Ensure that you have a consistent group of women to facilitate the program and build relationships
and trust.
2. Involve women from the community as guest facilitators and volunteers to expose girls to diverse
women role models.
3. Set up a more formal mentorship program
Some methods people have used to facilitate mentoring and role models in their girls’ programs:
• Invite interesting and cool women to come to the program as guest facilitators. – They can give a
presentation, lead an activity, or simply tell stories about their lives and talk with the girls about a topic
• Recruit mentors through local schools and pair girls up based on their interests.
• Invite mentors out to some of your activities.
• Create supportive groups based on age. For example, Anti-dote Multi-racial Girls’ and Women’s
Network in Victoria has 3 groups of girls and women all connected together – girls (under 20), sistahs
(20’s) and aunties (30+).
• Coordinate a Career Day – invite women with interesting careers to talk with the girls about their work
and how they got there.
• Connect with programs for older girls and plan activities together.
• Have sessions where girls can bring in mentors already in their lives to share in the activities.
Some questions to ask when setting up a mentorship:
• Who will you ask to be a mentor?
• How will you recruit them?
• What are the screening criteria?
• How long is the commitment for mentors?
• What is expected of mentors?
• Will they receive any training?
• Will mentors and mentees meet outside of the regular girls’ program meetings?
• What other kinds of policies do you need to have in place? (see Sample Program Policies on the
Resource CD).
• How will you know if your mentorship program has been successful?
Some questions to ask when considering the mentorship dynamic:
• How do we create spaces that value both youth and adults as both experts and students?
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• How do we create intergenerational exchanges that challenge traditional notions of hierarchy and expertise?
• What can you do in your program to create the conditions for positive intergenerational learning
opportunities?
Networking & Building Community Support
Take the time to gather/talk to all of the various workers in the community (health care
providers, security enforcement, schools, environmental groups, women’s groups, street
workers, etc) and convince them of the importance of girls’ problems and the urgency to act.
Leave space for each partner to make suggestions so you can have a local plan of action that
is integrated and coherent and can be implemented throughout the various sectors. Take the
time to explain to and convince your co-workers and also involve them in the plan of action.
~ Geneviève Morand, Magazine Authentik, a magazine by and for girls, Montreal
Creating girls programs is community building. We have learned along the way that it is important to build
community support, credibility and legitimacy. We engage girls, volunteers, mentors, schools, youth and
women’s organizations, funders, contributors, media and others in our programs. The task can seem daunting
at first, but take it step-by-step. Here are some helpful tips:
• Don’t get stuck working in isolation
• Build the energy around your idea: talk to people, share your ideas, and engage people. You will need
people and their belief in your vision to make it happen.
• Talk to teachers at the local school and ask for support. Find a teacher who will be an ally for your work.
• Find people in the community who can relate to your ideas. For example, make links with the local
women’s organization or youth organization.
• Make links with the local university. Find professors who care about community issues who will support
your efforts. Talk to people who work in the women’s center or Women’s Studies professors. University
support provides important legitimacy.
• Talk to friends, parents, sisters and brothers. Ask friends if they know anyone who can help you out.
• Find local not-for-profit organizations and use the resources that they have to support your dreams.
You can, for example, search out other organizations that do similar work and get them to help you,
either on a volunteer level or as consultants.
• Ask for letters of support from organizations, teachers, professors, and MP’s.
• Make the most of the PCN national network. There is a wealth of experience to draw on and people to
support you. Contact PCN to get advice and find out how you can connect to other network members
in your area and across Canada.
• Be persistent!
• Ask for help!
15
Outreach to Girls and Their Families
Girls may be very excited to be part of a girls’ group and their parents may be a little uncertain of what it is
all about, or the reverse may be true. It can be helpful to outreach to girls and their parents simultaneously.
Girls and their parents or guardians will access information from different places, so find out which ways you
can best connect to parents and girls in your community. Different communities within your community will
also access information differently. For example, you may need to write or translate your message into the
languages spoken locally to connect as widely as possible with a diversity of potential participants. It is also
important to think about the kind of information that will interest girls and their parents respectively.
Things to think about in doing outreach to girls:
• Who are you targeting? What age, 9 or 14 or 16? What community?
• Promoting programs to girls: Get feedback from girls on your promo material; have them input into the
content and design.
o It is important to remember to use language that speaks to girls, that they can relate to and is “their
language.” Speak in youth-friendly, youth accessible language.
o It is important to use visuals that girls relate to.
o It is important to think about the age of the girls. What language is appropriate? What is cool or
not cool?
• Tailor your outreach to appropriate ages; outreach and promo strategies will be very different whether
you are reaching out to 10-year-old girls or 15-year-old young women.
• Outreach and promotional strategies can include engaging schools and local community centers,
youth organizations, media and more.
• Don’t forget to mention what will be happening and provided in your girls’ program
o Food is an important part of creating a girls’ space and engaging girls.
o Keep in mind that you may need to offer travel subsidies to girls to take the bus etc. and get to
your program.
Types of questions you could expect from parents:
• Why only girls?
• Can girls bring friends or a sister?
• What kinds of trips will you take?
• Will it be safe?
• What will the girls be learning?
16
Sample Outreach Flyer
Do you ever find yourself…?
✤ Wanting to express yourself freely without being judged or misunderstood?
✤ Wanting to explore and share your opinions and ideas?
✤ Wanting to have discussions about relationships and things that matter to you?
✤ Wanting to talk about body image and self esteem?
✤ Wanting to make new friends?
✤ Wanting to show off your talents and abilities?
✤ Wanting to have more FUN?
✤ Wanting more activities where you can take ACTION and make a difference?
✤ Wanting to know more about your local community?
✤ Wishing there were more activities for girls?
If you answered yes to any of these, then 123 Girls’ Initiative is a space for you!
In 123 Girls’ Initiative, we come together as girls to express ourselves, build skills and
have lots and lots of FUN!
Some activities that 123 Girls’ Initiative offers are: self-defence, yoga, dance,
photography, games, art exhibition, theatre, sewing and arts and crafts. 123 Girls’
Initiative is an energetic program that helps you explore your creativity, learn about
yourself, feel strong, get active in your community and be the girl you want to be!
If you are interested, join 123 Girls’ Initiative by contacting …
17
[insert your address here]
Dear….
If you are a parent and would like your daughter to participate in 123 Girls’
Initiative, then your daughter will be provided with the space to be engaged in an
empowerment and violence prevention program through creative self-expression.
123 Girls’ Initiative is a program run in collaboration with 456 Community Centre.
[Insert a sentence or two describing your organization or initiative to show your
credibility and legitimacy.]
123 Girls’ Initiative is a space for girls at ABC Elementary School and EFG Secondary
School for expressing feelings and opinions, asking questions, sharing stories or
experiences, learning, challenging oneself, and discussing issues or concerns growing
up as a female in an interactive, fun and creative environment.
The girls help form the development of the programming. Here are some types of
workshops or activities that we have done:
• Playing games.
• Painting.
• Inner-self exploration (self perception, positive self esteem, showing off talents and
abilities).
• A workshop about What is Beauty.
• Reflecting on racism, and discussion of power structures.
• Critiquing of violence in pop music.
• Watching movies.
If your daughter is interested, join 123 Girls’ Initiative ………
[insert your address here]
18
Sample Permission to Participate form
[date]
Dear Parents(s)/Guardian,
Girls’ Club: For Seventh and Eighth Grade Girls
We are excited to announce that [School Name], in partnership with POWER Camp
National, is offering a Girls’ Club Program. This after school program is governmentfunded and as such, there are no fees associated with the program. Girls’ Club will start
November 24, 2005 and will take place every Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
There will be four qualified and experienced leaders that will animate the club.
Girls’ Club is a space for girls to express themselves, build skills and have lots and lots
of FUN through workshops. The goal of Girls’ Club is to satisfy the needs of young
women. Toward that end, we’ve built an energetic program that explores creativity,
healthy living, group activities, community engagement and self-empowerment.
Participants inform the development of the programming. Popular activities have
included self defence, dance workshops, photography and music.
Parents will need to make necessary arrangements for transportation home after
Girls’ Club. Please note that the school busses do not run after 5pm. Please make
arrangements especially because bus transportation will not be provided after the
program ends.
Please have the permission slip signed below and fill out the participant
information attached, and return them to the Student Lounge room by Monday
on November 21, 2005.
Sincerely,
[insert name]
[insert name]
Vice Principal, [school name]
Local Projects Coordinator
……………………………………………………………..............………………………………
I _____________________________________________ (parent or guardian) give
permission for my daughter ________________________________________ (daughter’s
name) to participate in Girls’ Club after school program.
Signed, ___________________________________ Date: ______________________________
19
Participant Information:
Name of Parent / Guardian:
Daughter’s Name:
Full mailing address:
20
Telephone (home):
Telephone (work):
Does your child have any allergies?
❍
Does your child have any health concerns that we
should be aware of?
❍
Is there any other information you would like to
bring to our attention?
❍
Yes
❍ No
If yes please specify:
Yes
❍ No
Yes
❍ No
Sample Outreach Activity for Parents
[insert date]
Re: Girls’ Club: “Going Green”
Dear parent(s)/ Guardians,
We are excited to announce that Girls’ Club is having a “Going Green Day”! Come join
us for this special workshop on “Going Green” that will take place on [insert date, place
and time].
We are inviting special guests from an organization [insert
names and info here]. The workshop will focus on FUN
education that addresses environmental challenges
and the implications these challenges hold for today’s
youth. Education is a pivotal resource in encouraging
responsibility for our world and creating intergenerational
connections on this topic.
We are inviting parent(s) or guardians of the girls
in Girls’ Club to come and participate in an interactive
workshop by sharing your ideas and perspectives on youth and environmentally sustainable
actions. Take this opportunity to come see what happens in Girls’ Club, while gaining or
sharing your knowledge on the environment through fun and creative activities!
See you there!
Warmly,
[insert name]
Girls Club Coordinator
[program name]
[insert name]
Girls’ Club Facilitator
[program name]
21
Title:
Youth and Sustainability
About the Guest Speakers:
[Write a paragraph or two about the guest
speakers and/or facilitators.]
22
Funding
Fundraising
Fundraising can be a challenge, but it can also be another great way to get the word out about girls’ programs.
However you decide to go after funding, remember that you are not alone! Connect with the Power Camp
Network for advice and encouragement. Here is some advice from our experience….
• It is helpful to take fundraising workshops. Local community organizations, funders and consultants
may offer workshops.
• Ask for help from people who have experience in fundraising.
• Back up your project proposal with solid research (see PCN resources for support here) and credibility
(through community support, letters, media coverage or partners).
• The key to fundraising is getting in the door. This requires finding the door. Networking is really
important. Seek support and be persistent! Bang on the door until it opens! Get people to help you
bang on the door!
• In not-for-profit fundraising, you can come up against a lot of inaccessible language and process. This
can be challenging. Leverage support from those who can help you learn how to navigate this system.
• Don’t send a proposal without establishing a connection with the funder. Call in advance, set up a
meeting, pitch your idea, look for a fit with the funder and frame your work from their perspective. This
is the “homework” that you need to do in advance of sending in a proposal.
• Think about long term sustainability. Funders will want to see that you have longer term plans beyond
the life of their grant.
• Don’t get discouraged! It can take time to get funding, so don’t worry if it doesn’t work out at first.
• Do an inventory of non-financial resources and support. Recognizing other kinds of resources helps
to put things into perspective. (For example, you can tap into volunteers, space that can be donated,
advisory committee commitment and contribution, and possible in-kind donation opportunities –
such as getting food donated from the local grocery store, or asking the neighbourhood printer to
donate services).
• Get good financial management advice when you have accounting needs. (You can find volunteers
with this expertise as well.)
• Confront personal issues about asking for money. Get to a place where you feel comfortable creating
opportunities for people to contribute to your dream! (A good fundraising workshop will challenge
deep-rooted assumptions about asking for money.)
• Join conversations and movements who are challenging the current funding realities. The women’s
movement in Canada is demanding that the government re-establish support for women’s organizations.
Other organizations are working to create innovative ideas to support their work and efforts.
The following documents will help in the development of your program. These are examples that you can
tailor to your own specific programs needs.
23
24
Even though we are not actually paying
our volunteers it is important to factor in
what we would have paid them to show
our funders the efforts we have made to
cut costs.
6 ppl @ 4hrs X 12 sessions X $25/hr
This is paying for the cost of the
participants and volunteers for getting to
and from the site.
Volunteer
Volunteers
Transportation
bus tickets, taxis
2 facilitators* 20hrs/wk X 40wks X $16/hr
Youth facilitators
$150.00
$7,200.00
$25,600.00
1 day/wk * $200/day
Project Manager
$7,200.00
$25,600.00
$10,400.00
We try our hardest to pay people a living
wage for their work, this work can also
be donated or in-kind if you are trying to
work with less.
Personnel
$150.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$10,400.00
In-kind/Volunteer
or Donations
Support
Cost
Program
Cost
Description
EXPENSES
Actual
This column represents support
we have been offered by others in
volunteer hours, monetary donations,
or in-kind.
This column
represents
what we need
to support the
program.
This column
represents what
we think is the
essential to the
program.
This column is for clarifying what you
mean by each of the lines.
CWF Girls Club Report
Sample Program Budget
25
$25 X 20 sessions
Food for participants
Photocopies & reports
These can often be donated, the figures
represent what it would have cost
Rent, phone, fax, photocopy
Space
The cost of hiring someone to evaluate
our program afterwards
3 days @ $500/day
Printing,
Rent/utilities
portion of overhead
costs
space for workshop
series
Evaluation
External consultant
fees
Total
Pamphlets, posters, web
Promotions
Communications
equipment
Computer, audio, video, photography
Art supplies, markers, paper, glue,
scissors, tape, stickers, paint, canvas,
magazines, material
Materials and
Supplies
Equipment
Paper, pens, markers
Office supplies
CWF Girls Club Report
Material
and Supplies
$40,000.00
$500.00
$1,000.00
$500.00
$500.00
$1,500.00
$19,050.00
$1, 500.00
$5,200.00
$4,800.00
$200.00
$18,900.00
$1, 500.00
$5,200.00
$4,800.00
$40,150.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$500.00
$1,000.00
$500.00
$500.00
$1,500.00
$200.00
Proposal Writing Tips
• Know your audience. Use the vocabulary of the funder. Study their language and what they focus on.
Describe your project in a way that fits the funding program criteria, but stay true to your project.
• Call the funder to pitch the idea. If there is no contact person identified, ask for a program officer.
Say, “We are developing a project and wanted to see if it would be a good fit with your program.”
Describe the project in a broad, general way (don’t tie yourself down to a particular framing of the
project right away). Listen to their responses (they will tell you what you need to make a convincing
proposal). The objectives of this phone call are to let them know you exist, and to get key info on what
their priorities are. This will help you shape your project in such a way that it makes sense to the funder.
Don’t panic if they say “No that doesn’t fit.” Initial negative responses may mean you can adapt the
project using their feedback – try again!
• Work the relationship. Making contact with the funder before the deadline (aim for one month) is
incredibly valuable. There is a lot that is not written on the website, and it’s by talking to a real person
that you will get this priceless information. To follow the initial phone call, try to get an in-person
meeting if possible. Sketch out your project idea in two pages and email this for feedback. If you can’t
meet them in person, ask for feedback in a phone discussion.
• Frame your activities as a project. Most funders won’t fund “core” activities – e.g. the stuff you
“regularly” do as an organization. It has to be new activities. Most anything can be framed as a project.
How? Specific location/community, specific objectives, new activities, or new partners each of which
could result in a particular community event or awareness campaign… Try piloting a new workshop
series or addressing a current issue that girls in your community are facing…
• Break the project down into steps. You will usually need to write a work plan and an evaluation
plan (see the samples at the end of this section). This means you have to think about the timeline
for each of the major steps to achieve your project. Don’t just focus on the program implementation
(doing a girls’ program) – outreach, promotion, program planning, having an advisory committee,
training facilitators, recruiting mentors or guest speakers, doing a community event, disseminating
the results, artworks or resources created by your project – all of these can be important elements in
your project.
Stages to writing a proposal
Here are the categories that are either required or very helpful to include when writing a grant proposal:
1. Write a project overview.
It is really helpful to write a 2-page project overview, both for your clarity and to communicate with
potential funders and partners. Here are the elements to include:
• Overview: A 2-sentence overview of your project
• Objectives: Point form, list your objectives.
• Timeline: Point form, the length of the project and project start and end dates.
• Partners: List the partner organizations; you may want to write a sentence about what each will contribute.
• Activities: 2 to 4 paragraphs (with subheadings, to make it easy to read) about the things you will do
in your project. It is good to show the logical progression of your activities. A common way to outline
the steps is: outreach/promotion/recruitment; program planning; program implementation – doing
26
workshops or activities with girls; community action (if this is part of your girls’ program); creation &
dissemination of resources (if this is in your plan); evaluation and dissemination of results.
2. Back up your proposal.
• Bring on the partners! Draw on all the people and organizations you have been networking with.
Choose strategically. Ask the people or organizations you choose if they would be willing to be a
project partner and write a letter of support. Call them first, give them a brief summary of the project
and a couple points they could use in the letter about how they could be involved. (If they seem very
busy, offer to write a draft letter and send it to them.) Collect the letters to attach to your proposal.
(Ideas for how partners can be involved: guest facilitate workshops on specific topics; be mentors for
girls and young women; give advice on areas of their expertise; sit on a Project Advisory Committee;
offer use of a room to hold workshops; help do outreach and promotion for your girls’ program, etc.)
• Demonstrate the need for your project. Use sources to show first, the need or the problem you are
addressing, and second, why your approach is good. Use quotes or references from articles and books.
Check out POWER Camp National’s Literature Review for references. Call up “experts” in your community
to get statements. (For example, a police community liaison, nurse/health centre administrator, school
counsellor or principal might say something like – “Youth here face these challenges. Therefore, we
need more programs for them focused on violence prevention/healthy choices/anti-bullying/leadership/
community involvement…”) Use quotes from participants, parents and teachers who know the impact
of your programs. Keep track of the number of people or organizations that have made requests for
your workshops, or who have said your project would be useful to them.
3. Answering some challenging questions
• The sustainability question. Here are some ideas for how to answer the question, “How will your
project continue after the funding is finished?” Some possible answers are that you will develop
partnerships with other organizations; seek diverse funding sources; develop a volunteer program so
volunteers can take on some of the project activities; apply the lessons learned to other projects; OR
develop a sustainability plan that includes all of the above!
• How will you share the results of the project? Ideas for answering this question are… You will:
share lessons learned, publications and tools produced, results, evaluation reports, achievements, etc.,
with schools, community organizations working with youth and women’s issues, national or regional
organizations who you are connected to, institutions (police, hospitals, etc.), decision-makers (MP, MLA,
local government, school board, etc.) and the media. You will: write articles, present at conferences,
post results on your website, disseminate a report or a newsletter, share results through your electronic
networks and by email. You can also share your project results with the Power Camp National network
– made up of over 100 organizations who work at the community or national level for the interests of
girls and young women!
4. Evaluation
Most proposals require an evaluation plan. Keep it simple – have two to four objectives and two
to four outcomes. Here is a description of some of the key elements of an evaluation plan. See the
sample plan at the end of this section.
Objectives
What you are trying to achieve? What you are going for? You can list 2 to 4 objectives.
Examples:
• To increase access to empowerment and mentorship programs for 13 to 15 year-old girls in XYZ
community.
27
• To increase girls’ self-esteem, communication, conflict resolution and critical thinking skills.
• To increase access to role models and mentors for girls aged 16 to 18.
• To increase girls’ understanding of and ability to take action to prevent violence.
• To develop girls’ skills in digital arts production.
• To increase girls’ ability to use video, dance, and/or theatre as a means to effect positive change in
their lives, families and communities.
Outcomes/Impacts/Results
What are the things you intend to have happen because of your project? Imagine the results of your project
– describe what you will be proud to have achieved by the end of the project. Using numbers helps to show
funders the impact their $ will have! Outcomes are what you will demonstrate in your evaluation at the end
of the project! You will want to show how your project will have achieved or moved towards the outcomes…
Examples:
• 20 girls living in a low-income community will have participated in a weekly mentoring and leadership
program.
• 10 adult women mentors will have shared their skills and experiences with girls.
• Girls will have gained skills and understanding to make healthier choices.
• Girls will have gained increased awareness and knowledge about how to prevent violence.
• Girls will have gained adult female role models and mentors and will feel that they know more about
their educational and career options.
• Girls will have created original artworks that explore their lives and/or social issues that they identify as
important to them.
• Girls will have increased their involvement in the community.
Outputs
The things or services your project will produce. Often outputs are things you can touch or count!
Examples:
• Weekly violence prevention program with 20 girls participating
• 15 2-hour workshops delivered to girls in local schools on (list the major topics of the workshops)
• 4 workshops for teachers/parents/service providers about the health/violence issues facing girls
• 2 community action projects organized by young women
• Advisory committee made up of 6 community members and experts who will inform the project
• 10 adult women providing mentorship to girls
• Evaluation report
• Workshop manual distributed to 20 youth organizations in your community
• An awareness-raising ‘zine resource created by and for girls (e.g. about community involvement,
healthy relationships, body image or stereotypes)
28
29
Girls’ program
delivery
Outreach and
recruitment
Girls’ program
development
Advisory
committee
Activities
• Adapt program throughout the year according to girls’ needs and
changes in community health context.
• Topics to be covered include: self-esteem, conflict resolution,
healthy relationships, self-defence, nutrition & the food system,
friendship & bullying, reducing pollution at home & in community,
racism & discrimination, healthy sexuality.
• After-school programs will incorporate skill-building and
educational workshops, crafts, games, guest presenters, and
physical activities.
• Deliver weekly preventative health program for girls at 2 schools in
XYZ community.
• Make presentations in classrooms and information tables in schools
to promote program to girls.
• Meet with teachers & school staff to inform them of program.
• Schedule community partners to make guest presentations and
lead special workshops with the girls.
• Plan program & consult with community partners on program design.
• Meet with girl participants to discuss their interests.
• Review community context and needs.
• Meet with advisory committee members.
Tasks
May 2007 to
March 2008
Apr 2007 &
Sept 2007
1st meeting
Apr 2007 &
ongoing
1st meeting
Apr 2007 &
ongoing
Timeline
Program coordinator,
facilitators, volunteers,
community partners,
guest workshop leaders
teachers, school staff
Girl participants,
community partners,
program coordinator
Community partners,
project manager,
program coordinator
Who is involved
2 weekly programs
offered for 10 weeks
(total 30 hours of
programming)
30 girl participants (15
at each school)
Advisory Committee
with 4 community
members who have
expertise in youth,
health and community
engagement
Outputs
Goal of the Project: To engage girls and community members to actively address and improve the determinants of girls’ health in XYZ community.
Sample Work Plan
30
• Develop evaluation questions.
Evaluation
• Write and disseminate report.
• Analyse data.
• Collect data (interviews with girls, parents, teachers; reflection
session with girls; program records).
• Hold 2 workshops with parents on topics relating to the healthy
development of girls.
• Hold an awareness-raising community event led by the girls.
• Develop and disseminate promotional materials.
• Outreach to public and community partners to participate in event.
• Support girls to present their concerns to school & community
decision-makers.
• Engage girls in planning and implementing a community action
project on the health issue chosen by them.
• Facilitate workshops with girls to identify the health issue that they
want to focus on.
Tasks
Parents’
workshops
Community
Action Project
Activities
Oct – March
2008
June 2007 &
March 2008
Dec 2007
– March 2008
Timeline
2 parent workshops
2 community action
projects organized by
girls
Outputs
Evaluation report
girl participants, school
staff, parents, community
partners
Parents, program
coordinator, facilitators
Girl participants,
program coordinator,
facilitators, volunteers,
community partners
Who is involved
31
To increase mentorship
for girls and young
women.
To increase young
women’s skills and
knowledge in leadership
and media arts.
Numbers of young women participating in programs
(goal: 30 young women)
To increase access to
media arts training for
girls and young women
who face multiple
barriers to engagement.
Program
coordinator
Participants will report improved leadership skills
(such as communication, project coordination,
teamwork) and increased confidence.
Participants will report that they benefitted from
meeting and working with the mentors.
Young women will report that they have learned
about new education and career options.
Number and diversity of women mentors contributing
to training program.
Program coordinator’s records of participants’ comments
and learning during mentor visits
Young women
participants
Focus groups and/or interviews with young women
Records of mentors contributing to program
Interviews with community partners
Records of workshop topics and discussions
Program coordinator’s records of participants’ comments
and learning during workshops
Questionnaires or interviews with participants
Focus groups with participants (reflection session at end of
training program)
Self-identification and demographic information from
participants
Project staff
The facilitators and community partners will report
observing increased knowledge, skills and self-esteem Community
among the participants.
partners
Facilitators
Young women
participants
Young women
participants
Records of workshops
Tools / instruments:
Statistics on participation in training programs
Sources:
Project staff
Sources/Methods
Young women participants will report having gained
skills in media arts production.
Participants will represent diverse backgrounds and
experience
Number of hours of training offered (goal: 25 hours)
Indicators
Objectives
The following evaluation plan identifies the results and indicators that we will assess as well as the tools we will use in the evaluation.
Sample Evaluation Plan
32
Project staff
Types of social/political issues addressed by the
young women in the action projects.
Young women
Young women will report having gained new skills and participants
experience in planning and organizing community
actions.
Types of actions implemented by the young women.
Community
partners
Sources:
Young women will discuss and identify specific issues
that concern them.
Young women will
engage in action
projects on the social/
political issues that
matter most to them.
Questionnaires for young women
Evaluation reports from the local actions
Records of action projects undertaken by the young
women
Records of discussions and planning for action projects
Tools / instruments:
Sources/Methods
Indicators
Objectives
Sample Asking for Donations Letter
[Your address]
[Date]
[Recipients address]
Dear --- ,
My name is [insert name], and I am a facilitator/coordinator of the 123 Girls’
Initiative, which is a program and space for girls to engage in empowerment and
violence prevention through creative self-expression.
123 Girls’ Initiative is a non-profit program run in collaboration with 456 Community
Centre. [Insert a sentence or two describing your organization or initiative to show
your credibility and legitimacy.]
123 Girls’ Initiative is a space for girls at ABC Elementary School and EFG Secondary
School to express feelings and opinions, ask questions, share stories or experiences,
learn, challenge oneself, and discuss issues or concerns girls have through creative
self-expression.
123 Girls’ Initiative is organizing [give details about ongoing workshops, special
events or field trip.] The support of your business, in making a donation towards
[specify what you are asking for] would make this [workshop series, event etc]
possible.
I look forward to hearing from you, and to answering any questions you may have
about 123 Girls’ Initiative.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[title, 123 Girls’ Initiative]
33
Legal Documents
The following documents are examples you can use throughout the program. They will address some of the
parents’ and girls’ needs and concerns and can be introduced early in the program. Please note that this is
not legal advice and none of these forms are legal documents so they cannot exempt you from liability; it’s
important to consult a lawyer for those kinds of questions.
34
Waiver Form
Agreement:
I, _______________________________________________, parent/guardian of
_________________________________________________, agree to allow him/her to
participate in the Transforming Spaces Conference and retreat, to be held at Camp
Maromac, from November 19-21 and Concordia University November 21-23. I
understand and accept the measures that POWER Camp National-Filles d’Action,
conference partners and coordinating committee have taken to ensure safety and
provide a program of good quality.
An adult must accompany all participants under 18 years of age to the conference and
retreat. The adult who will be accompanying________________________________ will
be ____________________. I understand that this adult will assume full responsibility
for the care, supervision and safety for_______________ throughout the course of the
conference, retreat, outside of meetings and travel to and from the event.
Parent or Guardian
Signature:_______________________________________ Date:_________________________
Adult Conference Accompaniment
Signature:_______________________________________ Date:_________________________
Conference participant under 18.
Signature:_______________________________________ Date:_________________________
35
Sample Field Trip Form
[Date]
Dear parent(s)/ guardians,
As you know, your daughter has been actively attending the
Girls’ Club program at [insert name of school]. Girls’ Club
(facilitated by POWER Camp National) would like to invite
the girls to attend the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Once
Upon a Time Walt Disney Exhibition as an end-of-program
celebration. The exhibition will take place on Saturday, March
17, 2007 from [insert time] at:
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion)
1380 Sherbrooke Street West
Montreal, Quebec H3G 2T9
514-285-2000
The outing is free of charge including transportation and ticket admission.
Re: Supervision:
Present will be four qualified and experienced chaperones. The chaperones are:
Re: Departure and Arrival:
In regards to departure and arrival the meeting place will take place at:
Jolicoeur Metro (near the station’s depanneur)
6200 Drake Street
Main intersection is: Jolicoeur Street
We will be leaving the metro exactly [insert time] in order to take the public
transportation to the exhibit. After the exhibition, we will return to Jolicoeur metro at
[insert time] .
P. S.
Enclosed is some further description and information concerning the exhibition.
Warmly,
[Name]
Girls’ Club Coordinator
POWER Camp National
36
I __________________________________________ (parent/guardian’s name) give permission
for my daughter ______________________________ (daughter’s name) to attend the
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Once Upon a Time Walt Disney exhibition.
1. I understand as well that I am fully responsible for my daughter’s transportation
home after the exhibition.
2. I am fully aware of the risks involved in this trip, and I accept the arrangements
for supervision as noted above.
Supervision:
(Fill out these tables with the information relating to your program)
Adults
Students
Person(s) in charge and
Other Adults
Adult/Student Ratio
Cost per Student
Position
Mode of transportation:
(Please indicate how your daughter will return home)
o Walking
o Bus transportation
o Car transportation
o Taxi
o Other:_____________________________________________________________________
Contact Info:
We need to have your contact information in case of emergency is necessary. Please include your name,
address, telephone number.
Name: ________________________________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Contact Phone Number: __________________(Home)__________________________(Work)
Signed, ___________________________________Date _______________________________
37
Field trip Policy
POWER CAMP NATIONAL: GIRLS’ CLUB
PARENTAL PERMISSION & RELEASE FORM
FOR FIELD TRIPS
(This is the copy for the parents, fill it out for them and encourage them to keep it)
Program:
Educational Objective:
Theme of Event:
Destination:
Date:
From:
To:
Method of Transportation:
Supervision:
Adults
Students
Adult/Student Ratio
Cost per Student
ø
Person(s) in charge
and Other Adults
Position
38
Participant Health Form
This form must be completed and signed by all participants attending the retreat.
Participant’s Name:__________________________________ Birth Date (YYYY/MM/DD) :___________________
Participant’s Age: ______
Home address:__________________________________________________________________________________
City:__________________ Prov.:______ Postal code:________ Home Phone: (__________)__________________
Provincial Medical Plan #: ________________________________________________________________________
Name of Doctor:____________________________ Doctor’s Phone: (_________)___________________________
In case of emergency, notify:
1) Name:__________________________________________ Relationship:__________________________________
Address: ❑ same as participant – or: ______________________________________________________________
Telephone: Home (________)______________ Work: (________)____________Cell (________)________________
2) Name:___________________________________________ Relationship:_________________________________
Address: ❑ same as participant – or: ______________________________________________________________
Telephone: Home (________)______________ Work: (_________)____________Cell (______)_________________
IMPORTANT: ALLERGIES
❍ Food allergies (nuts, dairy, etc.) Specify: ____________________________________________________
❍ Medication allergies (penicillin, etc.) Specify:_________________________________________________
❍ Other: __________________________________________________________________________________
❍ Anaphylactic reaction to: _________________________❑ by ingestion ❑ by touch ❑ by smell
Do you carry an epipen? ❑ Yes
❑ No
Describe the most likely reaction to contact with allergens: ___________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you are bringing prescription medication to the retreat of which you feel PCN/FA should be aware, please
specify:_________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Other special needs: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
39
Do you require a special diet (this includes vegetarian/vegan diets)?
❑ Yes
❑ No
If yes, please specify: _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
N.B. This form is to ensure that PCN/FA and [site] staff have the best possible understanding of your
needs should an emergency situation arise. Should you wish to give us further explanation or instruction,
please feel free to attach a sheet of paper explaining your needs. If you have any questions, please don’t
hesitate to contact PCN/FA by phone at [phone number], or send an e-mail to [email address].
Today’s Date: ___________________
40
Signature: _____________________________________
(Of participant, or parent/guardian if under 18)
Multimedia permission
I give consent for POWER Camp National/Filles d’Action to photograph or video me at the Transforming
Spaces Conference. I understand that the photographs, digital images, or video segments may be used
in print or electronic media. I give POWER Camp National/Filles d’Action permission to publish, exhibit,
and distribute these materials. Possible ways in which POWER Camp may use this material would include
promotional materials and website graphics.
Participant Name:
Parent/Guardian Name:
Date:
Participant’s Signature:
Signature of Parent or Guardian:
41
SECTION 2
CONSIDERATIONS FOR
FACILITATORS
I
n this section we focus on programming elements. We titled this section,
“learning with your girls’ group” because we think it is important to approach
this work as a learner, not as an “expert” who imparts knowledge on others. In
this section you will find an orientation to the popular education approach, tools
for designing workshops and tips for facilitation, including facilitating group
dynamics, conflict and intense discussions. Finally, there are some pointers for
working with a co-facilitator and giving and receiving feedback.
42
Creating the Space
Creating the space for the program is really important. This includes not just the physical accessibility and
comfort of the space, but the ways in which you create a welcoming atmosphere as the facilitator and ensure
that people treat each other well while they are in the space.
Some tips on creating the physical space:
• Not all rooms are easy to rearrange, but do what you can (and make sure you put things back the same
way for the people using it next!)
• For large group activities, make sure the room is set up so that you can sit in a circle where everyone
can see and hear each other, and no one is left out.
• For small group activities, try to set up areas where each small group can have room and privacy to do
their thing. You can use separate rooms, hallways or corners of a room – just make sure you are not
interrupting others outside the group.
• As much as you can, have the girls take ownership of the space by decorating it (for example, create an
inspiration wall where they post portraits of women who inspired them). You may need to put up and
take down your decorations each meeting, but it is worth it!
• Physically, for everyone in the group, snacks are important! Make sure healthy snacks are available to
help with everyone’s energy level. Food also brings people together in sharing. As one girls’ program
evaluation noted, “Food is a big factor in Girls’ Club!”
Facilitation
Role of Facilitators
It is a multi-faceted and very special role you play as a girl program facilitator! Here are some factors to keep
in mind:
• As a facilitator, you do not want to play the role of a formal teacher (heavy handed and policing with
rules) but you also can’t be just another member of the gang (out of fear that the girls will not like you).
A better way to think about it is that you are creating and holding the space where the girls will grow.
This means organizing the process and doing what you can to ensure (and enforce if need be) that
there is physical and emotional safety or everyone, but that you are ultimately not in control of the
outcome
• Learning goes both ways between the facilitator and the girls in the program. Be humble about what
you don’t know and open to what you can learn.
• It is important that you take the lead in your own learning, stay up to date on the issues and have a
practice of developing your own analysis, modelling curiosity with the girls in your program. (See the
list of resources in the accompanying CD for sources to check in with.)
• Respond positively to girls who say they don’t know what something means; recognize the courage
needed to make oneself vulnerable in that situation
43
• Recognize that your role may extend beyond the program in helping to resolve conflict. Some
facilitators have noted that in cases where disputes among girls outside of the girls’ program led to
non-attendance, the facilitators were sometimes able to intervene and create safe conditions for girls
to resolve their issues and keep coming to the program.
Working with a Co-facilitator
Working with a co-facilitator is a great way to model cooperation and different talents to the participants,
and to learn from one another and to support each other during long sessions or ones that get into
complex topics.
When working with a co-facilitator the goal is to create an environment that is:
• Supportive yet critical
• Open and honest
• Trusting
• Creative and empowering
• Respectful
• Allows for learning
It’s a good idea to work out a plan for how to work together as co-facilitators. Here are some ideas from our
experience:
• Make sure you prepare adequately together, and that each person is familiar with the activities that are
going to take place, even the ones where you are not taking the lead in facilitating.
• Participate actively along with the girls in the parts of the workshop where you are not taking the lead
in facilitating. This helps to model good participation to the girls and supports you co-facilitator too.
• Give your co-facilitator lots of encouragement!
• Agree on cues for timing and raising each other’s awareness in case you spot and need to address
problems in the group (i.e. low energy, people are confused, etc)
• Discuss ways that you can best support each other.
Check-ins
Keep up good communication with your co-facilitator about how the workshop is going. Check-ins should
occur before, after and during the workshop session. When participants are doing small group work or
engaging in discussion amongst themselves, you may naturally need to give each other feedback or make
adjustments to the schedule. Check-ins may include:
• Defining and clarifying the day’s activities
• Delegating tasks and facilitation roles based on collective decision making
• Consideration for any safety procedures
• Bringing forward any other concerns
44
Debriefs
Debriefs are also important. Facilitation is mentally, physically and emotionally demanding of the facilitators.
It is extremely important that debriefs allow for time to reflect on and process the events of the day. Debriefs
may include any issues or concerns that need to be brought forward such as:
• Challenging experiences (personal and professional)
• Reflections on learning
• How to deal with situations you may be unsure about
• Participant observations or concerns
• Participant conflict and possible strategies for management
• Personal conflict: There may be misunderstandings or conflict between facilitators. It is very important
that the time be taken to address such matters. Unresolved issues can have a negative impact on the
program environment. POWER Camp National supports an environment where conflict or problems
are processed as soon as possible.
• This is also a good time to complete incident reports (see physical safety policy).
• It is the responsibility of each facilitator to bring forward any concerns during this time and to be
supportive of her co-facilitators. Remember that as a facilitator you are not alone and can draw
on support. You are working as a team and communication is extremely important for a successful
working environment.
For more resources on this topic, see the Resource List on the CD in this binder
Facilitating Group Dynamics
& Working with Conflict
There are many theories out there on how groups work. The following theory describes five stages to group
development: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. We find that this is a helpful way to
think about the role that the facilitators need to play in setting up a healthy dynamic and in anticipating and
working with conflict. Although it is presented as though the group will progress from one stage to the other
sequentially, this is rarely our experience. Just like with the spiral model of popular education, the process will
organically skip back and forth between stages. The important thing to keep in mind is that, no matter where
your group is in the process, it is a normal process. Your group is giving you cues and energy to work with.
Forming
In this first stage, when the group first comes together, there is a lot of reliance on the facilitator. The girls
will look to you for guidance and direction and will have a lot of questions. At this stage you should make a
Group Agreement (see page 61). Uphold these agreements yourself and don’t be afraid to hold the girls to
the agreements, too. Don’t be surprised if you feel like you are being tested in some way. It’s not personal;
the girls are checking you out.
45
How to draw out girls who appear not to be engaged:
• Keep a special eye out for girls who are easily discouraged.
• With girls who are quiet, respect their need for distance from the conversation but assess whether they
are activity listening, completely disengaged, or resistant.
• Make use of naturally occurring remarks to address any issues.
• If no remarks come up, talk one-on-one with girls who appear not to be engaged to see what their
experience of the group is. Maybe they like to listen more than talk, have a lot on their minds, or
express themselves in ways that you are not used to. You may need to alter your style to make sure
you are not excluding them.
• Give lots of positive reinforcement.
• Work one-on-one with girls who have difficulty applying themselves and who aren’t responding to
positive reinforcement.
• Provide a question box to give girls a chance to raise questions quietly or anonymously.
• Try to avoid abstract or complicated language – this can be alienating and make girls unsure of how to
take part in the conversation.
Storming
As the group gets to know each other, group members may attempt to establish themselves as leaders, or
cliques may form and there may be power struggles. Recognize that challenges to the Group Agreement
are probably not malicious; the girls are testing boundaries and asserting their individuality as happens in all
groups. Do what you can to acknowledge the unique talents of each person and give each girl an opportunity
to shine. Make time for the emotional issues that will emerge and resolve conflict that emerges. Don’t worry
if this takes you off course from what you had planned in a workshop; there is a lot of invaluable learning in
these moments. Although you may identify with certain people, cliques or opinions in the group, do your
best to “come up the middle” and ensure that the space is safe for everyone.
Reducing tensions amongst cliques:
• Change the physical position of the girls to each other, for example by sitting in between them, or by
involving the girls in physical games such as musical chairs and dances that encourage all the girls to
have fun together.
• Split girls into pairs for some activities to break up the cliques, even if the girls are not happy with this.
• Use activities to focus the group on a common cause.
Norming
At this stage in the process, the group starts to get in the habit of working together according the Group
Agreement. Roles and responsibilities are clear and accepted. People have got into a good rhythm of working
together, and can have fun together even if they disagree on certain issues. At this stage, the facilitator plays a
maintenance role and needs to make room and encourage the girls to take on leadership within the group.
Performing
In these moments the group will have a lot of autonomy, and can accomplish a lot without the guidance
of the facilitator. Don’t try to hang on to the leadership role – you are also a valued member of the team
and can support the emerging leadership ‘from behind’ by actively participating, encouraging and offering
suggestions when it is requested. Disagreements still occur, but they can now be resolved within the team
positively. Necessary changes can be imagined and implemented by the group itself.
46
Adjourning
Adjourning is when the group is breaking up. This can occur many times in an ongoing group as members
come in and out. With each change in the group membership, the group becomes a new group, so it is good
to have some process to mark beginnings and endings. The group can be like a sort of home for the girls. As
the facilitator, it is important to recognize and be sensitive to people’s vulnerabilities at this stage, particularly
if members of the group have been closely bonded and feel a sense of insecurity or threat from changes.
Adapted from Bruce Tuckman (1965)
Ideas for Facilitating Discussion
To facilitate a good discussion, you need to have a hot topic, to ask good questions and to give participants
lots of time to think – especially if it’s a complex or personal topic. Sometimes it helps participants (particularly
the quiet ones) to have time to reflect or time to share with one other person before asking them to share in
a group. Try to use a combination of techniques; when you do, you may find that more people participate
actively in discussions more often.
Beginning Individually
• Journaling with questions to help focus the girls’ reflections
• Writing on quotes or readings that reflect the purpose of the activity. The facilitator can read while the
participants write their thoughts silently.
• Writing free-flowing thoughts – this works well when you give participants a definite time frame (e.g.:
3 or 5 minutes to write non-stop about the topic)
• Arts activities to stimulate reflection - making poems or drawing pictures
Partner Sharing
• Ask participants to discuss a question in two’s and report back what they are comfortable to share with
the group afterwards.
As a Whole Group
“Go Around’s”
These are a great way to give everyone the opportunity to contribute to the discussion. Make sure to remind
everyone that they can “pass” if they choose to. A few ways to facilitate a “go around” include:
• Each person shares one descriptive word or sentence about the activity/experience.
• One person begins to retell what happened during the activity/experience and anyone can interrupt if
they think of something to add to the sequence of how the activity/experience unfolded.
• Each person in the group to complete a sentence such as, “It makes me happy when...” or “my
favourite part of tonight was…”
47
Other options
• “Fish bowl”: half the group sits inside a circle and the others sit or stand outside and observe while
those in the “fish bowl” discuss a topic. After a period of time the ‘outside’ group gets to summarizes
the ‘inside’ group’s discussion and then respond with their thoughts while the ‘inside’ group listens.
Intense Topics
Some of the topics and discussions that you plan and that arise might be intense, and provoke lots of feelings
among the group. Here are a few ways to be prepared:
• Know your stuff. Having knowledge of the topic or analysis of an issue means you will be able to be
grounded for the conversation and normalize any misconceptions that are presented.
• Know your limits in terms of conversations and topics you can comfortably handle.
• Rely on your co-facilitator to keep an eye on participants, and to help you if you get into an area that
you are not as strong in or that triggers you.
• Call for breaks in the activity if and when needed.
• Use energizers to lighten things after a heavy discussion. Ones that get people laughing are especially
good!
• Follow-up with participants after if you think there are still some heavy or unresolved feelings.
• Have resources on hand out in order to give more information or to direct girls to where they can
get help.
Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Talk in the first person. Use statements such as “I felt...,” which communicate personal responsibility for
responses and do not claim to speak for others.
• Be specific Statements such as “”When you said X, I...” or “Your idea about topic y...” focus on the
particular action or statement. Avoid general comments such as “You always...”
• Challenge the idea or action, not the person. It doesn’t help to draw attention to the pitch of someone’s
voice or a stutter. Focus on actions or behaviours that a person can modify (if they agree this would be
useful).
• Combine recognition of what worked with a challenge to improve. Again, be as specific as possible.
For example, if a person sounds preachy in a part of the presentation but engages people in a lively
way in another part, refer to the positive side as a specific model of tone, strategy, and style.
• Ask questions to clarify or probe reasons. Questions such as “What did you take into account when
you decided...?” or “What did you mean when you said...?” credits the person with selection and
judgment. These questions also help avoid criticisms and suggestions that are irrelevant to what the
person is trying to do.
• Identify the bridges: when you are giving critical feedback to a participant, remind her or him of
what you have in common. Comments such as “I know that when we do X we tend to...,” remind the
person that you’re on the same side. Sometimes a part of this same bridge may be to acknowledge
differences. For example, “As a white woman, my experience is a bit different, but...”
48
• Acknowledge how you connect to a problem. Because people can learn as much from what goes badly
as from what goes well, it helps to show how you have also experienced a similar problem. Statements
such as “I’ve had this problem, myself, too” or “This is helpful for me/us to think about because...”
emphasize that this is not just an academic exercise for you as facilitator.
• Wherever possible, make suggestions for alternative approaches. Questions such as “Have you
considered...?” or “What would happen if we tried...?” open a range of possible different responses.
The use of “we” suggests that the issue and its solution are of interest to the whole group. Encourage
others to generate different ideas for options. This will make it clear that there is not just one other (and
therefore better) way to do it.
• Don’t assume that a difference is political – Check to see whether a conflict is based on different
experience, different social identity, or a different role in the organization. The response may clarify
the extent to which debate can change a person’s view and ascertain how important a view is to that
person’s self-image.
Source: Arnold, R., et al. (1991). Educating for a Change. Toronto: Between the Lines.
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SECTION 3
POPULAR EDUCATION:
LEARNING WITH YOUR
GIRLS GROUP
Popular education is an educational approach that collectively and
critically examines everyday experiences and raises consciousness
for organizing and movement building, acting on injustices with a
political vision in the interests of the most marginalized.
- Paulo Freire.
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Popular Education
What is Popular Education?
Popular Education comes from Latin America where popular means ‘of the people.’ Popular education means
literally people teaching and learning from each other about what matters most in their lives and using what
they learn to organize together for social justice.
This approach has been used around the world as a way to analyse how things work and make changes
together. It has been used in Brazil with landless peasants to reclaim their land, and in the United States
to help illiterate people learn to read and learn about politics so that they can vote. In Canada, popular
education has been used to mobilize communities to protest free trade and to organize social justice
campaigns with union workers. Popular education is not just learning for the purpose of acquiring
knowledge, but learning so that you can make a difference in the world. There are many more examples,
and the possibilities are endless!
Popular education is not a set process or a method with steps you have to follow. It is more of an approach
describing how to reflect with others, figure out a better way to do things and take action in our lives and in
our world. This continual process of action and reflection is meant to extend beyond the workshop space to
all parts of our lives.
Popular education is a model that begins with an individual’s personal experience and moves towards
collective action. Below is the popular education spiral model that is used as a reference for thinking through
a popular education approach.
Apply what's been learned
and take action
Strategize
and plan
for action
Add new
information
and theory
• Start with
the experience
and knowledge
of the participants
Identify patterns
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You can use these stages of popular education as described in the diagram to look at what could happen in
your own girls’ program in a step by step manner. Some examples are as follows:
• Start with the experience and knowledge of the participants through get to know you activities and
telling stories about what is important in our lives (for example, sharing troubles girls face).
• Identify patterns by noticing what themes are repeated in participants’ experiences, exploring these
topics (for example, noting that everyone in the group is mentioning being effected by some form of
bullying and girl cliques).
• Add new information: find out new information based on the questions and needs of the group, ask
questions about how situations related to these topics have come to exist. (For example, why are girls
in competition with each other, and why do girls think they are each other’s enemies?)
• Strategize and plan for action. Think of the options that you and the group have for making the
situation better; brainstorm and thinking through different ideas. (For example, perhaps you can
think of different ways you can effectively intervene when there are cliques forming or bullying is
happening.)
• Apply what’s been learned and take action. Do a letter writing campaign, organize a workshop, make
a ‘zine or talk to friends. (For example, decide not to be mean to other girls and tell your friends about
it; create a ‘zine about why girls should support each other!)
The key to a popular education approach is to be flexible – this is not a step-by-step method! You may jump
back and forth between different parts of the spiral loop. For example, in adding new information you may
uncover a new aspect to your participants’ experiences and want to explore that; you may even want to do a
full session on another topic that comes up.
The learning spiral of the Popular Education method was employed in every session in order
to identify shared experiences, to engage in critical analysis and to collectively discuss and
develop solutions and alternative actions. Each session was designed with the goal of involving
the intellect, emotions and the promotion of action-based solutions for a holistic approach to
program delivery.
~ Nabila El-Ahmed, St. Joseph Immigrant Women’s Centre, Hamilton
Popular Education for Girl Centred Programming
If you are looking for a way to do girls programming that starts with the experience of girls, and helps them
put into perspective what is going on in their lives and be active in making change in the world, then popular
education is a great way to go!
The key to popular education is that the programming should centre on the girls – that is, focus on what
they are experiencing, wondering about and find cool. Let them lead with the content and you create the
container – the space, the resources, the support and the process! Take their interests and concerns as your
inspiration to create workshops. Girls can also be encouraged to plan and lead workshops by themselves that
demonstrated their special skills or hobbies while you provide support as the facilitator.
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Designing and Facilitating Workshops
The design is like a musical composition. The facilitator is like the conductor.
~ Jonathon Gould
Designing popular education activities is the important first step in leading or facilitating a workshop for
program for girls. Design and facilitation are like two sides of a coin and must go together.
Design:
With a good design you have thought about who is in the room, what their abilities are, the necessary
equipment and how much time you have. Good planning allows you to rely on your plan and therefore to be
in the moment during the workshop and connected to the girls in the program.
Facilitation:
Good facilitation means communicating clearly, encouraging participation from everyone, resolving conflict,
and watching for nonverbal signals from people. It also means being able to pose good questions, speed up
or slow down the pace, or give more or less guidance according to how everyone in the room is doing.
Tools for Popular Education Design
Always work with lots of flexibility, knowing how to change and adapt to what the girls want
to do. Find a good balance between fun activities, activities focused on social change and
anti-oppression, and open discussion that increases confidence and helps girls find solutions
to their problems. It is imperative to balance these three items (fun, social change/antioppression, open discussion). The girls are at school the whole day – when they arrive at the
program, they want to move!
~ Geneviève Morand, Magazine Authentik, a magazine by and for girls, Montreal
It was necessary to find a happy medium between programmed activities and open discussion
(the younger girls’ especially were often fighting for air time and discussions could become
endless, so we had to learn where to draw the line).
~ Rachel Levine-Katz, Dawson Community Centre, Verdun
Designing a workshop is like taking a paint brush to a blank piece of paper -- you can make anything happen!
The design is an outline of what you want to do and when you want it to happen in the workshop. The
following are a few tools you can use to design activities and workshops. Remember that these are just
guidelines meant to help you think through the important questions – feel free to adapt them to suit the
needs of your girls’ program.
1. Activity Outline Template
The first tool is an activity outline template, which walks you through the details for planning and describing
each activity within a workshop. This tool helps you stay in touch with why you are doing an activity and
prompts you to think through how to adapt it as you – for example, making an activity easier or more
complex, or faster or slower as you need to.
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2. The Loom: Detailed Activity Breakdown
The second is an activity template that is a tool used to detail the flow of a whole workshop session. This
helps you look at your overall objectives for the session and put together a flow of activities that balance
elements such as: hands-on verses reflective, individual/small group verses large group, and deep thinking
verses just for fun activities. This tool also helps you remember what supplies you need to have on hand, and
to track the time you will need or each part of the session. The activity template includes an example activity,
followed by a blank version you can use for your own planning purposes.
These tools are both templates for you to photocopy and fill in. You should keep them close to you during a
workshop! In addition, there are example activities throughout this manual, and an example of a full workshop
at the end to show how these tools may be used in practice.
Achieving Balance in Design
The most important element of a workshop is balance. This can also be thought of as “dynamic tension of
opposites” such as:
• Doing fun activities ~ Doing serious analysis
• Having a quick discussion (taking a little bit of time) ~ Deeply processing (spending more time)
• Gearing activities for a younger age level ~ Gearing activities for an older age level
These are not polar opposites! Designing and facilitating workshops is a question of playing with these
tensions. Aim to achieve a balance of these elements within each activity, and in the workshop as a whole.
Then be prepared to modify the design of your activity or workshop as you go, staying attuned to the
moment-to-moment needs of the group.
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Activity Outline Template
Ideas we are trying to promote through this activity:
How we hope this contributes to the vision and objectives of the program:
Approach:
Length of time suggested:
Number of participants suggested:
Materials needed:
Activity Guide (Steps to take in leading an activity)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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Debrief/Process questions
Indicators activity has gone well
Adaptations - for age/analysis level
56
57
10
15
4:00
4:10
10
10
Evaluate evening
Wrap Up
Energizer
5
5:50
Relax
Establish atmosphere of
fun, energize group
10
5:40
4:25
Set-up space
30
3:30
Arrivals
OBJECTIVE
TIME
Session Plan:
1.
2.
3.
Session Objectives:
Large group
Energizer
Welcome
Set-up
METHOD
• agenda on flipchart
• markers
• snacks
• Put up signs for directions (if needed)
• Put up agendas
• Post other charts
Sharing last thoughts
(Continuation of activities)
BREAK
(Introduction and main activity)
• Billboard paper
STUFF
• Get snacks ready
DESCRIPTION OF PROCESS
This is a tool to help break down each step of a workshop. This version includes some of the key steps you
will want to include. There is a blank plan on the following page – you can make photocopies and fill it in
for your use.
Sample workshop outline - The Loom! Detailed Activity
Breakdown
(who
leads?)
All
All
WHO
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TIME
OBJECTIVE
Session Plan:
4.
3.
2.
1.
Session Objectives:
METHOD
The Loom!: Detailed Activity Breakdown
STUFF
WHO
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TIME
OBJECTIVE
METHOD
STUFF
WHO
–1–
Starting From Where We Are
The centre of the Popular Education spiral is called “Starting from Where We Are”. This
stage is about establishing where all the girls in the group are at in terms of who they are,
what their interests are and what their knowledge and awareness is of issues that affect
girls. This is the beginning of a process that involves ‘get to know you’ activities – telling
stories about what is important in our lives (for example, sharing experiences common to
girls). In this part of the spiral, the focus is on discovering what each participant’s starting
point of knowledge and experience is, as well as creating the container for the group to create a safe(r) space
and build cooperation allies instead of competition.
As in all aspects of the spiral, these are concepts that a group will return to again and again, not only in the
formation stage, but within activities throughout the program as well. In this way, the spiral model of popular
education is a model to think about central concepts that need to be attended to throughout the program,
not stages of steps that you pass through in a progression.
The following are some suggestions of activities that would best happen in this initial stage of the popular
education spiral.
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Introductions/Icebreakers
Introductions and icebreakers are best used in a progression that help group members learn each others names,
and gradually allow participants to learn about each other and build trust and connection in the process.
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Example Activity - Lifeboats
• Getting to know each other
• Building community
• Valuing individuality
How we hope this contributes to the program vision & objectives:
• Encouraging girls to be active and engaged
Approach:
• Participatory
Length of time suggested: 20 minutes
Number of participants suggested: 20 to 200 (or more!)
Materials needed: None
Activity Guide: Steps to take in leading the activity
1. Explain to the group that you are all at a very chaotic bus station where the busses have different
destinations than what you are used to. The facilitator will call out the destination (category) of the
busses and everyone is to quickly self-organize to “get on the bus that matches their destination.”
2. Start with a simple category that everyone is likely to share and be comfortable with such as how you
travelled here today or number of siblings.
3. Once the facilitator has called out the category everyone must find those people in the group who match
their choice and form a small group. (e.g. For how you travelled here today, all the people that took the
bus must find each other, all the people that rode their bike must find each other, and so on.)
4. Once the chaos has settled, groups can spend a minute to learn one another’s names and why they are
in that group.
5. Then the facilitator can call the group’s attention and do a go-around to ask what exactly the groups
are. You can also take a moment and ask participants to introduce themselves to the whole group.
6. Examples of bus destinations: Number of languages spoken, community you work with, country (or
continent or province/state) of birth, decade of birth, number of children, birth order in your family,
number of years with the organization you’re with, etc.
7. Ask if participants want to call out their own category, in the spirit of finding community and valuing
one another.
8. Afterwards, debrief with discussion if desired.
• Girls are moving around the room freely to find others in their lifeboat.
• Girls are talking and laughing with their group.
• Girls are proud to call out what group they have banded together with.
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Easier
• Ask very easy questions with definite answers.
• Go around the room and help people find a group.
• Stay with a group that is having trouble connecting and chat with them.
Harder
• Ask questions without definite answers that make people think before they form groups, for example,
“What community do you belong to or work with?”
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Trust Activities
Trust activities give the group an opportunity to build trust by sharing experience, working together for a
common cause and depending on one another. This type of activity can be used to build a group and create
closeness at the beginning, to maintain a sense of community in the group and practice cooperation, or to
work on unspoken conflicts that may exist. Doing a trust activity and then debriefing how it went can be a
great mirror to help the group notice how they are working together.
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Sample Activity - Willow in the Wind
What we are trying to promote through this activity:
• Communication (verbal and non-verbal)
• Building trust amongst group members
How we hope this contributes to the program vision and objectives:
• Creates an opportunities for girls and young women to build their strength
• Enables girls to discover their power and gain confidence
Approach:
• Participatory. Group Facilitators should participate too!
• This activity that the group will need to take seriously. Careful instruction and facilitation of the activity
to ensure physical and emotional safety is a must. If the group is unable to maintain a calm and
supportive atmosphere, try a less serious activity.
Length of time suggested: 5 minutes per person in the group
Number of participants suggested: Whole group, divided into groups of eight or nine (with seven
to eight people in each outer circle and one person in the middle)
Materials needed: Large area with a lot of open space, preferably with soft ground for falling (grass is good).
Activity Guide: Steps to take in leading activity
1. The group needs to be taught correct spotting technique to gently cushion and brace the fall of
someone falling backwards from a standing position. The stance for spotting is:
o One foot in front of another
o Arms outstretched ready to connect with the person, elbows locked, fingers loose
o Ready and alert, watching the motion of the person ‘falling’
2. In groups of eight or nine, one person volunteers to be the ‘willow’ in the middle. The facilitator should
demonstrate first and do a test-run with themselves as the ‘willow.’ The ‘willow’ will stand in the middle
of the circle, with:
o Feet together
o Eyes closed
o Arms crossed and hands on shoulders
o Butt cheeks tight and body straight
3. The rest of the seven or eight group members should make a tight, should-to-shoulder circle around
the ‘willow,’ holding their arms outstretched. It is important to distribute large and small people evenly
in the outer circle, to avoid weak points where it will be harder to support the ‘willow.’
4. With the ‘willow’ in the middle, everyone’s hands should almost touch the person standing in the
middle. This ensures that the initial fall will be very gentle, because the ‘willow’ will have a short
distance to lean/‘fall’.
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5. In the process before the ‘willow’ leans/‘falls’ it is important to have good communication between the
‘willow’ and the group. When the ‘willow’ is ready, they go through the following steps:
a) Willow: “I am ready to fall. Are you ready to catch me?”
b) Group: “We are ready to catch you. Fall Away.”
c) Willow: “Falling.”
d) Group: “OK.”
6. The ‘willow’ then
o Does a ‘trust lean,’ gently leaning and ‘falling’ backwards.
o The group members that the ‘willow’ ‘falls’ towards spot her and brace her fall, gently pushing her
back to centre.
o The ‘willow,’ while keeping her feet in the same place in the centre of the circle, continues to ‘fall’
and allows him/herself to lean in a different direction and be spotted again by the group members
of the outer circle.
7. The ‘willow’ should allow herself to be passed around by the group as long as she/he likes (usually a couple
of minutes). When she has had enough, she can simply open eyes, stand up, and thank the group.
As a debrief or an intervention if a group isn’t creating a trusting atmosphere, the facilitator can ask each
person who was a ‘willow’ to rate on a scale of 1 to 10 how supported they felt by the group. All the ‘willows’
can either one at a time or all together show this rating to the group by holding the number of fingers up
that corresponds to their rating. This allows the facilitator to draw out more objectively which people felt
supported and what else the group might do to support more people.
Indicators that the activity has gone well
The quality of the atmosphere and caring will generally determine the proportion of people prepared to
volunteer. Above 80% is usually a sign of a reasonably healthy group.
• To make it more challenging, gradually the people in the outer circle can move back a little bit to let
the ‘willow’ lean more before their fall is braced.
Adapted from James Neill 2004
http://wilderdom.com/games/descriptions/WillowInTheWind.html
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Creating a Safer Space
In our experience, a “safer space” is one where girls are able to express themselves, make mistakes, take
healthy risks, and constructively challenge one another. How can we create a sense of safety in the group?
First of all, we have to recognize that creating a completely safe space in which everyone feels completely
comfortable all the time may not be possible. Each unique girl will have different things that create and
maintain a feeling of safety for her. It is also important that the girls challenge themselves outside of their
comfort zone in order to learn and grow. However, having the courage to grow also requires having a safe
place to process the challenging experiences.
Implementing processes such as a Group Agreement allows every girl to voice her needs and be an active
participant in the ongoing shaping of the girls’ program space. This will make it a safer space in which
everyone can explore and experience themselves more fully!
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Sample Activity - Creating a Group Agreement
• That the girls program be a safe(r) space that is shaped by the girls in the program, for the girls in the
program.
• That the girls of the program own and create the space and take responsibility for upholding the
agreement, while accepting consequences if they disrespect the agreement.
• By modeling a way in which every girl can negotiate what she needs to participate fully in society.
• Models how to create a just and peaceful world.
Approach:
• Participatory - draws on girls’ experiences in other group and/or learning settings
• Group discussion, role-play, and creative activity
Length of time suggested: Up to one hour depending on the number of participants, time of day and
group dynamics.
Number of participants suggested: This works ideally with a small group, but it is most important
that EVERYONE in the group needs to be present.
Materials needed: Poster board(s), crayons, markers, pencil, pen, glitter and basic art supplies, tape,
healthy snacks
Have the group sit in a circle with the agreement posters and materials in the middle.
1. Ask the group to imagine a group learning environment they have been in before. This may be school
or another club or group gathering they have been part of. If they have not been in another club they
can imagine.
2. Ask them to think silently about what made it a good experience and what made them feel
uncomfortable; what made them happy and what helped them to learn.
3. Write these questions on the flip chart.
4. Have the girls talk in partners to share their ideas and feelings.
5. Ask for volunteers to share or go around and ask if each person would like to share one idea.
6. As the girls share, make a list of what they say, adding to the columns “things that are helpful in a
space” and “things that hurt in a space”.
7. Discuss why it is important to have rules in the space. Why is it important that we agree on them? How
do rules keep us safe?
8. Review and discuss the content of ‘confidentiality and disclosure policy’ (following this document). The
important ideas to convey are that all conversations will be confidential except when you are:
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o Thinking of committing suicide
o Being hurt by someone else
o Thinking of hurting someone else
9. Write the agreement
o Write a list of the rules in the agreement. Use the list of “things that are helpful in a space” and
“things that hurt in a space” to ensure the helpful things happen and the hurtful things do not
10. Suggested categories to cover:
o This Space (cleanliness, decorating, etc.)
o Materials (what’s in here, stays in here; what materials are available for participants’ use)
o Our Bodies (no violence)
o Our Voices (expression and respect of other peoples’ voice and opinions)
o Sharing Stories (respect)
o Arriving/ Leaving
o Consequences
o Treatment of guest speakers (respect)
Example Group Agreement rules
•• Listen to others’ opinions
•• Respect the time (be on time!)
•• No listening to music or texting at the same time as a conversation is happening
•• Respect rules of space where you are meeting (school or community centre)
•• No leaving the room without asking
•• Everyone has the right to pass in a discussion activity
11. Discuss Consequences:
Discuss specific consequences and solutions in the event that a rule is broken, for example:
o What do you do if one of the girls is not interested in an activity? Solution: Have a Creative Corner,
a space where girls who don’t want to participate in the main activity can go be creative, and still
be occupied enough not to distract the other girls.
o What do you do if two participants get into a physical fight? Solution: Both participants should
meet with facilitators outside of the space, parents or guardians will be notified, and participants
will be given one week suspension from the program.
12. Finalize the agreements:
o Before the rules are written, everyone in the room must agree on them, thus creating a consensusstyle agreement. Make changes in the wording until everyone is comfortable.
o All participants must sign the agreement once all rules and consequences have been established
and agreed upon.
o Once the agreement is finished, hang it up on the wall and have it displayed for the duration of the
program.
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13. Follow-up
o Check-in to see how the agreement is working. Try not to wait until something has gone wrong to
do this!
• Girls share ideas to contribute to the group agreement, whether with partner or with the whole
group.
• Girls feel relaxed having had the chance to share fears or uneasiness.
• Girls feel proud of their creation.
• If there is enough time and energy is low, after sharing feelings girls could get into small groups and
role-play what they hope never happens in the group and/or their greatest wish for the group. Use the
content as material for the helps and hurts list.
• After the lists are made, role-playing may also be used to have girls act out suggested rules and
potential consequences.
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Confidentiality and Disclosure Policy
Confidentiality Policy
Begin by explaining to the group that all conversations will be kept confidential. Also clearly indicate that you
will follow-up in cases where someone indicates that they are:
• Thinking of committing suicide
• Being hurt by someone else
• Thinking of hurting someone else
Confidentiality is still considered to be maintained when PCN facilitators refer to each other for
support purposes. It is important to let your co-workers know when an issue arises so that you may
be adequately supported.
Suicide
If a girl/young woman discloses that she is thinking about committing suicide, your response should be to:
• Listen to and support her
• Ask the girl/young woman if we can call her parents to suggest that they contact community
resources.
• If she requests that we not speak to her parents, we will explain that we are obliged (unless the parent
is a causal factor in the stress).
• If it is the case that phoning the parent(s) will only antagonize the situation, then we will invite someone
from the appropriate services in to speak with the young woman/girl.
Abuse
Where someone indicates that they have been abused or that someone else is at risk for abuse, the number
one goal is to connect the girl/young woman with resources and programs that can help protect her from
the abusive environment. When the girl or young woman is under 16, we are legally required to report the
situation to the child protection agency, which may mean breaching confidentiality. As part of the protocol,
you will explain to the girl/young woman that you are required to report and make sure that they understand
this process.
Intent to Physically Harm Another Person
Where someone indicates that they intend to physically harm another person, the goal is to connect the youth
with resources to prevent them from carrying out the act. It may be necessary to contact law enforcement
authorities if you assess a serious risk situation.
Abuse Protocol: Disclosure of Sexual and/or Physical Abuse and/or Mental Abuse:
If we have reasonable grounds to suspect that a participant is being abused, may be abused or may have
suffered abuse, we will report it to the child protection agency and present them with the information upon
which this suspicion is based (this reporting will be kept confidential).
What exactly constitutes abuse?
The development of a child is considered to be in danger where:
1. Her parents do not assume responsibility for her care, maintenance and education (i.e. they are dead
or completely absent).
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2. Her mental or affective development is threatened by lack of appropriate care or by the isolation in
which she is maintained or by serious and continuous emotional rejection by her parents (e.g. she is
locked up).
3. Her physical health is threatened by lack of appropriate care.
4. She is deprived of the material conditions of life appropriate to her needs and to the resources of her
parents or of the persons having custody of her (e.g. parents eat well; child does not eat at all).
5. She is in the custody of a person whose behaviour creates a danger for the child (e.g. parent or
guardian is a drug dealer and people with weapons come in and out of the house).
6. She is forced to beg or do work that is disproportionate to her capacity or to perform for the public in
a manner that is unacceptable for her age.
7. She is sexually or physically abused (i.e. experiences violence or neglect).
8. She has serious behavioural disturbances, which compromise her safety, and her parents fail to address
them (i.e. she is a danger to herself and to others).
The security or development of a child MAY be considered to be in danger where:
1. She runs away from home (under 16 years of age).
2. She does not attend school (under 16 years of age).
3. Her parents do not provide her with care, education, and stable supervision.
This is the grey area and we need to use our judgement to do what is best for the child (i.e. reporting is not always
the first choice here). In this situation, as in all situations of disclosure, we would discuss this with POWER Camp
National’s Project Coordinator, Project Director and Executive Director before taking further action.
If you suspect abuse, you will:
• Talk to the young woman in private: allow her to tell you what happened in her own words, without
pressing for details
• Listen to the young woman: Accept what she is telling you, comfort her by saying that it is good that
you were told.
• Remain calm and don’t overreact: You may feel angry. Make sure that the young woman knows that the
anger is not directed toward her, that it is not her fault and that the alleged abuser has done something
wrong.
• Reassure the young woman: be supportive in order to help her cope with any feelings of confusion or
guilt; let her know that we will do something to help.
• Speak to the program coordinator, the project director and/or the executive director immediately.
POWER Camp National will have to follow a disclosure procedure that may include calling the child
protection agency if we are legally required to do so.
• Access community support depending on the needs of the situation.
• Document the assessment (i.e. write everything down) using an incident report form while keeping
names confidential.
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Disclosure Protocol
Where someone indicates:
• An Eating Disorder
• Intention to Run Away
• Drug and Alcohol Addiction
• Pregnancy
disclosures will be kept confidential. The goal of follow-up will be to connect the youth to community resources
following this protocol:
• Talk to the girl/young woman privately.
• Listen without judgement.
• Express your concern and understanding.
• Offer support through community contact.
• Ask if parents are aware of the situation and if they would be comfortable taking this issue to the
parents. If not, reassure the girl/young woman that you will keep her disclosure in confidence.
• If the situation does not reach a closure, bring your concerns to your co-workers for assessment and a
strategy plan. Remember you are not alone and can access support.
• Refer to community support if necessary for guidance without disclosing names.
• Document the assessment while keeping names confidential.
• Illicit alcohol and drug use is not permitted during PCN programs. If a girl/young woman is using these
substances during the program, they are to be sent home or asked to leave.
Boundaries:
As facilitators, we need to respect our own limits in each of these crises and advise the participants
primarily of resources in the community. Our responsibility is to be aware of resources and to make
them readily available. This is the extent of our capabilities (i.e. we are not psychologists).
To protect the facilitators:
Never be alone with a girl/young woman. Stay in a public place, preferably in view and within earshot of
the other facilitators. If you are participating in a one-on-one discussion, make sure another facilitator can
see you.
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Energizers
Energizers add the spice to workshop..! Having a range of energizer ideas in your back pocket is helpful for:
• When energy is low
• Breaking tension in the group
• Building the group through sharing humour
• Releasing energy by having the chance to move your body
• Transitioning into an activity after a break, or transitioning between activities
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Example Energizer - Elephant, Lions, Giraffes
• Getting to know each other
• Building community
• Valuing individuality
• Encouraging girls to be active and engaged
Approach:
• participatory
Length of time suggested: no more that 10 min.
Number of participants suggested: up to 20
Materials needed: none
Activity Guide: Steps to take in leading this activity
1. Everyone stands or sits in a circle with one person in the centre who is the ‘caller’.
2. The facilitator explains that the caller is to point to a person at random and yell “elephant” or
“giraffe.”
3. When a person is called an “elephant” they must raise their arms together in front of their face as if they
were the trunk of an elephant and the two people to either side must put both their hands against the
ears of the “elephant” to mimic elephant ears.
4. When a person is called a “giraffe” they must raise their arms together over their head as if they were
the neck of a giraffe and the two people to either side must both bend down and touch the ground as
if they were the legs of a giraffe.
5. If someone makes a mistake (e.g. forgets to bend down) they become the new person in the middle.
6. This game is best played fast, with the calling moving from one person to the next quickly and
surprisingly.
• There is lots of laughter!
• To make it easier, begin by doing lots of trial runs where no one is eliminated from the activity. As the
facilitator, aim not to be too competitive.
• To make it more challenging, the caller can point and call out elephant and giraffe rapidly in succession.
It is especially complicated if you point to two people next to each other, which requires people to
form two parts of an animal at once.
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–2–
Looking for Patterns in Experience
It is an important role of the facilitator to listen and acknowledge not just what individual
participants share, but to listen for what the girls have in common. In our experience,
noticing what themes are repeated in participants’ experience and exploring these topics
is at the heart of girl-centred programming. To do this, you need to stay alert to the trends
that emerge in what girls are interested in, curious about and motivated to act on. This
also means reading between the lines a bit, and listening for the implicit questions that
are not asked outright.
When you are able to identify patterns in experience, you will be able to respond to what is emerging
through the workshops you plan. For instance, if it seems like a lot of the girls are talking about their
favourite celebrities, you may want to discuss what makes these individuals so interesting and attractive
and look at what it takes to become a celebrity. Perhaps do some activities that delve into and analyse the
popular media!
As a facilitator, looking for patterns in experience is about asking good questions that help you and others
explore how issues connect. This is about making connections from the experience of one girl to another,
and figuring out how these experiences are impacted by messages and expectations from family and friends
and the even larger picture of school, pop culture and the media. The following are a few practices you can
use to help you connect these dots.
Debriefing to Deepen Learning
Activities and shared experiences are a central part of a girls’ program. The purpose of having a discussion
to debrief after an activity or shared experience is to support participants in reflecting on what they have just
experienced and to deepen their learning. Facilitating a discussion to deepen the learning is just as important
as the exercise itself. There are a few guidelines that we have found helpful in facilitating a meaningful debrief
discussion. Guiding the conversation through three phases that answer the questions, “What?,” “So What?”
and “Now What?” can be helpful. Any and all of the approaches to facilitating a discussion mentioned
previously in this manual can be used in debriefing.
What?
In this phase of the discussion you are clarifying exactly what took place. Everyone will have a different
perception of what was notable or important about what happened and this is an opportunity to share these
perspectives. You can learn a lot about what is important to all members of the group by answering the
“What?” questions together.
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Questions to ask in this phase:
• What was that activity/experience like?
• What did you notice/observe?
• What was the most challenging thing about that activity/experience? What was the easiest?
So What?
The “What?” questions can quickly go into the “So What?” phase. In the “So What?” phase the girls identify
what they think, feel or learned from the activity/experience.
• What did you learn?
• Was this activity/experience important to you? If so, why?
• Do you have any new insights? If so, what are they?
• So what did this experience mean to you/your life?
Now What?
The last phase is meant to focus on the learning that is applicable beyond the activity/experience.
• What are you going to do now with what you have just learned?
• What are goals you have?
• What are the next steps you/the group are going to take?
For more resources on this topic, see Resource List on the CD in this binder.
Asking Questions To Promote Critical Thinking
Using questions to intercept or interrupt informal conversation is a simple way to make the most of any
moment and promote critical thinking. We all make all kinds of assumptions in order to arrive at our
opinions of how things are, what is important, and how things ‘should be’. Drawing participants’ thoughts
out through the use of critical questions can also indicate to you the areas where there are patterns in
experience and what girls are curious about. These curiosities or commonalities can point to topics to focus
on in future workshops.
As a facilitator, it is also good to get into the practice of questioning yourself, being transparent about your
own learning process, and sharing your questioning with the girls in the program.
Key questions to encourage critical thinking:
• Why?
• Where did you learn that?
• When did you first think that?
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• Asking the obvious to counter predominant assumptions – for example, “When did you first know you
were straight?” (This is helpful when gay/lesbian/trans is being assumed to be ‘not normal’.)
• Stating the obvious to counter predominant stereotypes – for example, “There was a white girl walking
down the street...” (Usually white is taken as ‘normal’ and is not named.)
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–3–
Adding (New) Information:
Knowledge Building
The portion of the popular education spiral, ‘Adding (New) Information,’ becomes the
focus whenever you and the girls in the group decide that you have questions that need
answering. The key here is that the need for information originates from the girls. Girls are
not passive (and should not be treated as passive) in the process. Whatever knowledge
building you do together will therefore relate to where the girls are at, and not from your
desire to ‘teach’ them something. In this way, popular education works from a positive
perspective that trusts in girls’ capacities, resourcefulness and ability to ask good questions.
At this stage, girls are encouraged to develop their own knowledge as a political process leading to collective
action in the community. We think it is important to take an asset-based approach, which values what girls
already know and the ways that they learn. This approach means recognizing that girls face certain structural
barriers in learning, such as institutionalized racism, poverty and homophobia. Thus we aim to bring critical
perspectives of how these systems work into our learning.
What counts as knowledge?
Another key aspect to this portion of the popular education spiral is to question and challenge what we have
been taught to consider as credible sources of information. Often we are taught that only experts with lots
of credentials know anything and that to know something we need to listen to the experts. For example,
psychologists may say certain things about what is important to girls, or how girls develop. Girls need to trust
what they are feeling and know this also provides ‘expert knowledge’.
In reality, knowledge exists in many places. We are knowledgeable based on our lived experiences. There are
many places to connect with information for knowledge building.
Knowledge or expertise within the group and community can be very empowering and engaging as sources
of information. Examples of these sources of information are:
• The group itself.
• Mentors that the girls want to introduce to the group.
• Volunteer workshop facilitators or speakers from other community agencies.
Tips for having volunteer workshop facilitators:
• People who could come share knowledge are a community gardener, a yoga teacher or a scientist. Try
to have people of diverse identities come; these women will act as role models for the girls.
• Volunteer facilitators could cover topics such as healthy sexuality, or an anti-poverty workshop
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• How to find them: network and check local listings.
• How to screen them: talk about the philosophy of your program. Does their philosophy match with
your program goals? Make sure the person will be a good fit for the group and for the kind of learning
opportunity you hope to provide the girls.
• How to help them prepare: tell them who is in the group, how long you have been together, what
your learning process has been, and the types of questions the girls have. Make suggestions of
how they might want to structure their workshop/presentation and support them in designing and
facilitating.
What follows are some knowledge building tools on the themes of self-esteem, anti-oppression, healthy
sexuality and violence prevention. These are just a few examples of theme areas where you may need or
want to explore new information with the girls. We hope these information sheets will equip you with what
you need to know when questions arise. We also hope that the activities suggested will help you promote
meaningful discussions and inspire you to design your own activities.
We know that the information here will not meet every need for building knowledge; we could write a book
about the issues girls and young women want to talk about and issues they want to learn about – learning is a
lifetime process for us all! We encourage you to use this binder as a knowledge-building tool for your group;
please add to it and share your wealth of knowledge with the Power Camp National network as you do!
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a. Self Esteem
We recognize that self-esteem – feeling able to cope, feeling worthy and feeling whole – is the starting
point or foundation of girls’ realizing their potential. The knowledge building information sheets and
activities here reflect this view, and are meant to provide resources that can be drawn on at any stage in
your program. The following activities can also be used and adapted at any stage of programming when
issues of self-esteem (or lack of self-esteem) arise with the girls in your program.
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Info Sheet - Self Esteem
In grade 6, 72% of girls have confidence in themselves, which dramatically drops in grade 8
to 62% and again in grade 10 to 55%. “For girls, feelings about their appearance strongly
determine their level of confidence. Confidence tends to be linked to a capacity to handle
stress, to have good relationships at home and at school as well as with peers, and to feel
generally happy. 1
Self-esteem is what creates a sense of self worth for girls; it is what allows them to be confident enough to
get out there and make a difference for themselves and with others. It is easy to tear down self-esteem and
challenging to build it back up. In a society where girls receive constant messaging that denies difference,
being a young woman of colour, in poverty or differently-abled, can be very difficult to reconcile. In a society
saturated with media representations of what a beautiful woman should look like, self-esteem is most often
expressed through a person’s feelings about their physical appearance or body image. The research and our
experiences have taught us that a very effective way to maintain and build self-esteem is to provide girls with
a space where they are able to express themselves and learn from others who also experience challenges
and oppression.
Some Definitions of Self-Esteem
Self-esteem refers to an individual’s sense of his or her value or self-worth, or the extent to which a person
values, approves of, appreciates, prizes, or likes him or herself (Blascovich & Tomaka, 1991). The National
Association for Self-Esteem adds another dimension to this definition by stating that:
Efforts to convey the significance and critical nature of self-esteem have been hampered by
misconceptions and confusion over what is meant by the term “self-esteem. Others have gone so
far as to equate self-esteem with egotism, arrogance, conceit, narcissism, a sense of superiority,
or a trait leading to violence. Such characteristics cannot be attributed to authentic, healthy selfesteem, because they are actually defensive reactions to the lack of authentic self-esteem, which
is sometimes referred to as “pseudo self-esteem.” Some have referred to self-esteem as merely
“feeling good” or having positive feelings about oneself.2
Often, self-esteem tends to be defined in the negative, as the opposite of what a lack of self-esteem looks
like. Individuals with defensive or low self-esteem are noted to:
• Focus on trying to prove themselves or impress others.
• Tend to use others for their own gain.
• May act with arrogance and contempt towards others.
• Generally lack confidence in themselves, often have doubts about their worth and acceptability, and
hence are reluctant to take risks or expose themselves to failure.
• Frequently blame others for their shortcomings rather than take responsibility for their actions.
Those with low self-esteem may be more inclined to believe negative responses that others have towards
them, while invalidating positive feedback. People with high self-esteem tend to accept positive feedback
and minimize negative responses.3
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1
(Trends in the Health of Canadian Youth 1999, 47).
2
National Association for Self-Esteem http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/whatisselfesteem.shtml
3
De Groot, Janet M. “Women, Eating Disorders and Self-Esteem.” National Eating Disorder Information Centre. 1992. p.3.
Why Self-Esteem is Important
• “Because a young women of colour is bombarded with society’s limiting messages regarding both her
race and her gender, the damaging effects on her confidence in her abilities and intrinsic worth are
potentially compounded. While all young women struggle to grow and develop a sense of self, young
women of colour face added challenges, such as being labelled ‘other’, ‘dissimilar’, even ‘foreign’.
They may be survivors of overt racism and struggle to cope with its effects” (Centre for Addiction and
Mental Health 2006, 26-27).
• According to Trends in the Health of Canadian Youth (1999), “students with higher scores on selfesteem were more likely to have a good relationship with their parents, to be well-adjusted and
successful at school and to feel happy and healthy. They were less likely to feel helpless, depressed,
lonely, left out; to have bad moods and to be bullying victims” (46).
• “Sexual harassment, in its multiple forms, is a poignant reminder to girls that they are not valued, and
that they occupy a subordinate place in the patriarchal system… The effects of sexual harassment are
far-reaching. Girls often drop out of school, develop eating and other disorders, experience a lack of
self-esteem, and suffer from depression and isolation” (Jiwani et al. 1999, 8).
• “Self-esteem, self-image, and peer pressure are significant issues of concern to girls. Self harm
(suicide, eating disorders, etc.), and the internalization of stereotypes and negative images of girls,
have create a “girl-poisoning environment.” Depression in girls is a symptom of this environment, as
is girl-on-girl violence. Girls talked about having to “watch their backs,” and living in a ‘war zone’”
(Jiwani et al. 1999, 15).
Intersectionality and the Individualized Nature of Self-Esteem
• The notion of self-esteem is undeniably important. A close relationship has been documented between
low self-esteem and such problems as violence, alcoholism, drug abuse, eating disorders, school
dropouts, teenage pregnancy, suicide, and low academic achievement.4
• When thinking about how to support girls to have healthy self-esteem, it is important to recognize
the complexities of how identity and societal values play into notions of self-esteem. When taking an
intersectional approach to self-esteem, we can see that self-esteem is not a level playing field. The
ability of an individual to develop self-esteem will vary based on the multiple identities one holds and
the associated oppressions that go along with these identities. We know that self-esteem is gendered;
as, by age 16, more girls than boys begin to report low self-esteem.5 By the same token, self-esteem
can vary depending on class, race, ability and sexual orientation of a person, to name a few aspects.
• It important to recognize that it is not up to the individual effort of girls’ alone to determine that state of
their self-esteem. Studies have noted that adolescent females with low self-esteem and an unhealthy
relationship to food and their bodies have often identified society’s ideal image of the independent,
autonomously successful “super woman,” as their own ideal image. However, they may not recognize
that such ideals are not achievable and not “real.”6
• If girls have a low self-esteem it is important to put this in the context of the systems and beliefs that
surround them. We cannot place the responsibility for low self-esteem solely on girls themselves. At
the same time, we must not play into the stereotypes that make girls appear to be victims.
4
National Association for Self-Esteem http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/whatisselfesteem.shtml
5
Jarry, Josée L, Amy Kossert, Karen Ip. “Do Women With Low Self-Esteem Use Appearance to Feel Better?”. National Eating Disorder
Information Centre. Retrieved 2 October 2, 2007, p 1.
6
Ibid, p.2.
83
Contributing Factors to Girls Low Self Esteem
Media Imposed Standards of Beauty
• A study of the content of Seventeen Magazine (the most widely distributed adolescent magazine)
for the years of 1945, 1955, 1965, 1975, 1985 and 1995 found that in all these issues, the largest
percentage of pages were devoted to articles about appearance.7
• Girls aged 14-18 were exposed to images of models (typical images of models and computer-altered
images that were altered to appear overweight). Girls exposed to the typical models evaluated
themselves and their appearance more negatively than the girls who had been exposed to models
who were “overweight” (computer-altered), (Crouch & Degelman, 1998).8
Blaming Girls
Five popular women’s magazines were reviewed for their message regarding weight control messages and
morality perceptions (Pongonis & Snyder, 1998). Morality messages have significantly increased in food, weight
control and fitness articles and ads over the past 20 years, linking morality to food choices and body weight
(such as morality messages alluding to lack of control, laziness and self-indulgence linked to higher weight).9
Some Negative Effects of Low Self-Esteem
Health Risks Resulting from Girls’ Negative Body Image
Body-image refers to one’s feelings, attitudes, and perceptions towards one’s body and physical appearance.10
There has been much publicity about girls and eating disorders, mostly focusing on the extreme and lifethreatening forms such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. It is important to recognize that girls’ relationship
to their bodies and their food exists on a continuum, and that regardless of the degree of visible effects,
negative body image is a problem which limits girls’ potential.
• The results of a preliminary study from the National Eating Disorder Information Centre indicate that
the combination of self-esteem threats and thin ideal media images results in the use of appearance to
restore self-esteem. Using appearance as a source of self-worth, by definition, is likely to lend extreme
importance to appearance over time.11
• A poll conducted by a popular women’s magazine found that 75% of women thought they were “too
fat” (Glamour, 1984). A large-scale survey conducted by Garner (1997) found body dissatisfaction to
be “increasing at a faster rate than ever before” among both men and women (p. 34). He found that
89% of the 3,452 female respondents wanted to lose weight.12
84
7
Schlenker, Caron, Halteman, (1998) in Liz Dittrich, “About-Face Facts on the Media”. http://about-face.org. Retrieved Oct 1, 2007.
8
Ibid, 2007
9
Dittrich, Liz. “About-Face Facts on the Media”. http://about-face.org. Retrieved Oct 1, 2007.
10
Information Centre. Retrieved 2 October 2, 2007, 1.
11
Information Centre. Retrieved 2 October 2, 2007, 4.
12
Dittrich, Liz. “About-Face Facts on Body Image”. http://about-face.org. Retrieved Oct 1, 2007.
Tools for Self-Advocacy
Here are some ideas to help the girls in your program to develop self-esteem and positive body image:
• Challenge beauty myths; question why marketers benefit from girls and women feeling that they are
not good enough.
• Find ways and encourage girls to express themselves; use artistic forms of expression as a way to help
girls’ value their creative abilities (poetry writing, painting, mural making, body art, etc.).
• Encourage and support girls to try new things.
• Validate girls expressions of their reality.
• Practice being non-judgemental of girls’ choices.
• Practice and model being effective and assertive in communicating your needs and preferences.
Other Resources on Self-Esteem
National Association for Self-Esteem: http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/whatisselfesteem.shtml
About-Face: http://about-face.org
National Eating Disorder Information Centre: http://www.nedic.ca/
Books
Nathaniel Branden, 1998. A Woman’s Self Esteem: Struggles And Triumphs In The Search For Identity
Tanuja Desai Hidier, 2002. Born Confused.
Sharon R. Mazzarella, 1999. Growing Up Girls: Popular Culture and The Construction Of Identity.
Erik Erikson, 1994. Identity And Youth In Crisis.
Tian Dayton, 2000. It’s My Life! A Workout For Your Mind.
Nancy Friday, 1997. My Mother/My Self: The Daughter’s Search For Identity.
Sara Shandler, 1999. Ophelia Speaks: Adolescent Girls Write About Their Search For Self.
Suzie Shellenberger, 2003. Secret Power for Girls: Identity, Security, and Self-Respect in Troubling
Times.
Sarah Stillman, 2000. Soul Searching: A Girls’ Guide to Finding Herself.
Kathy McCoy, 2002. The Secrets of My Life: A Girl’s Self-Discovery Journal.
Jessica Wilber, 1996. Totally Private and Personal: Journaling Ideas for Girls & Young Women.
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Example Activity - Relax! Learn to Manage Stress
• The ability to name our own personal triggers that bring on negative stress
• Comfort in being able to discuss how to deal with and overcome negative stress
• Resourcefulness in sharing and searching out tools and resources to reduce negative stress
• By enabling girls discover their power and gain the confidence they need to bring their gifts to the world.
Approach:
Group discussion, creative activity, information session and personal expression.
Length of time suggested: 1- 1.5 hours
Number of participants suggested: Small group; under 20 is best for intimate discussion.
Materials needed:
• Rice or sand
• Balloons – thicker rubber is better
• Funnels
• Stickers and art supplies
• Resources and information
• Healthy snacks
Activity Guide: Steps to take in leading this activity
Discussion can take place while stress balls are being made.
1. Arrange the group in a circle with the materials in the centre of the circle.
2. Ask the girls what they know about and how they experience stress. Possible questions include:
o What is stress?
o What makes you stressed out?
o How do you deal with stress?
3. As the facilitator, be sensitive to self-disclosure. Make sure the group agreement is upheld by reminding
the girls that what is said in the group, stays in the group.
4. Be prepared with resources and necessary information to share with the group as needed.
Introduce that one way of dealing with stress is to express your energy physically – to work out your stress in
a productive way. Suggest that making a stress ball as one way to do this.
1. Distribute balloons to each participant and encourage them to fill the balloons with rice or sand with
the funnel to make stress balls.
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2. The balloons break easily. Use more than one balloon and layer them one on top of the other.
3. Encourage the participants to decorate their stress balls to their liking.
4. Show the girls how these stress balls can be held in your hand and squeezed as a way to let out anxiety.
• Did you get any new ideas about dealing with things that stress you out? Can you imagine using a new
approach to a situation that often stresses you out?
• What ways of managing stress can you use and make part of your daily routine?
• What support would you like from the group in order not to get stressed out?
• Everyone identifies stress triggers for themselves and shares strategies to deal with stress.
• Girls are interested and participate in the conversation.
• Girls have fun making stress balls!
Other workshop suggestions to build self-esteem:
• Invite local women artists to facilitate arts-based creative workshops. Music, spoken word, creative
writing and drawing are fun and a medium for practicing self-expression!
• Media arts activities and workshops are also a popular way to build new skills and practice selfexpression. Media arts can include photography, video making, audio projects (invite a local radio
station to come and do a workshop).
• You may also want to do media literacy workshops that involve looking at popular culture (movies,
magazines) and deconstructing and exploring how popular culture impacts us, who benefits and how
we can make positive choices.
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b. Anti-Oppression
Oppression exists in subtle and overt ways, based on hierarchies that are created in society. In this section
we look at the intersections of gender, class, race, sexual orientation, (dis)ability, how these identities are
constructed by the outside world and the result this can have in how ones individual identity is experienced.
We hope by exploring how oppression works we can create an understanding, and an anti-oppression
framework that empowers girls and young women to find their own identities and sense of understanding
without creating feelings of isolation or of being overwhelmed. It is important that girls also see how they can
work together and be in solidarity with each other.
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Sample Activity - Reflection on Canadian Society
• Critical thinking about concepts of ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘multicultural values’
• Openness to explore our perceptions about the inclusiveness and exclusiveness of Canada
• Ability to reflect on and question our own behaviour
• Create opportunities for girls and young women to build their strength
• Build a movement of diverse, active, engaged young women and organizations across Canada
Approach: Participatory activity and discussion
Length of time suggested: 45-60 minutes
Number of participants suggested: A small group of under 20 is best for intimate discussion.
Materials needed:
• Key Concepts sheet for reference following the exercise
• Flipchart & markers
• Paper & marker for each participant
• List of personal action steps to combat racism
• Material to support YES and NO positions in debate (if desired)
• A flipchart, overhead (don’t forget the projector) or hand-out copies for each participant of the Personal
Action Steps to take Against Racism (included later in this section).
Activity Guide (steps to take in leading activity)
Part 1: Discussion on identities
1. Start with the participants sitting in a circle.
2. Give participants 5 minutes to put down on paper their answers to the following questions:
a. “How do you see yourself in the world?”
b. “How do you think other people see you?”
c. “What categories identify you?”
3. You can play some music in the background as they write/draw/brainstorm their thoughts.
4. Ask for volunteers to share some of their answers.
5. The facilitator should provide a definition of racism - have it written on a flipchart or blackboard so it is
visible throughout the workshop.
6. Briefly discuss with the group the concept of “race” as a category by which people are identified.
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Part 2: Debate - “Do we live in a racist society?”
Be prepared for the debate to get extremely heated — don’t be afraid to call a “Time-out.”
1. Divide the group in half for a debate by doing a ‘line-up.’ Let participants know that one end of the
room is ‘strongly agrees’ and the other is ‘strongly disagrees’ (you can put signs on the wall to make it
clear if you want). In response to a question you will ask, let participants know they can stand at either
end of the room or anywhere in between (even in the same spot as someone else) to show what their
opinion is. There is no right or wrong answer. Remind people to be open-minded to others’ opinions
2. Ask the question “Do we live in a racist society?” and ask participants to silently go stand in a spot on
the continuum between ‘strongly agrees’ and ‘strongly disagrees’ to show what their opinion is.
3. With participants still in silence (not sharing why they are standing where they are) number off
participants in two groups. This ensures a mix of perspectives in each group for the debate.
4. Assign one group as the NO group and the other as the YES group for debating the question “Do we
live in a racist society?”
5. Provide the half that will be answering NO with some information on the multicultural and diverse
nature of Canadian society.
6. Provide the half that will be answering YES with some information about the racism that exists in
Canada.
7. Give the groups some time to develop their opening statements and arguments. Let each side know
that they can use the information provided as well as their own knowledge and experiences in the
debate.
8. Have each side present their opening arguments one after the other, and then facilitate the debate and
rebuttals, being sure to give equal time to each side.
9. Once the debate starts to slow or if it gets too heated, bring it to a close by having each side present
a concluding argument.
1. Ask the group how many of them – having had the debate and listened to the issues – think we live in
a racist society? How many do not think so? How many think some aspects of society are racist and
others are not?
2. What are their reasons?
3. Did anyone change their minds from the opinion they had before? Why?
4. Was there anything said during the debate that really had an impact on anyone? What was it?
5. What do the participants imagine that a person from the future would say about racism in Canada
today?
6. What can be done to bring an end to racism?
7. A good way to close the workshop would be to put up or handout a list of personal action steps to
combat racism and let the participants read it over while music plays in the background.
• Participants are questioning their point of view
• Participants are wrestling with what it means to be racist
• Participants may be ready to consider action steps
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If participants are not enthusiastic
• This may occur. A good way to overcome lack of interest is for the facilitator to present an extreme
position or provide real-life examples of racism.
To make it more challenging
• If participants have well formulated opinions on the issue, allow them to prepare their own statements
for the debate.
• Consider asking a few questions to test the water for participants’ opinions and then assign sides for
the debate, placing people on the opposite side of their actual personal views.
To make it less challenging
• Allow participants to call a time out and use the group members or the facilitators as a lifeline to help
in coming up with debate responses and arguments.
Other workshop ideas:
• Media scan - look at newspapers and magazines and notice who is portrayed in what ways. Ask the
girls, “If you were an alien landing on the earth what would this tell you about how power and privilege
work here?”
• Invite a speaker from a human rights organization to talk about how principles of power and oppression
are applied in real life.
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Key Concepts in Anti-Racism
The following definitions may be useful to you as a facilitator. When facilitating an activity with girls, have
these concepts in your mind, and bring them out to help clarify things the girls are discussing. Think of how
you would translate them into more youth-friendly words and examples.
Colonialism
A process by which a foreign power dominates and exploits an indigenous group or country by appropriating
its land and extracting wealth, while using the group for cheap labour. Also refers to a specific era of
European expansion into overseas territories between the 16th and 21st centuries during which European
states established settlements in distant territories and achieved economic, military, political, and cultural
hegemony in much of Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
Culture
The aspects of individual and group identities that can include: language; race; religion; ethnicity; experience
of migration/immigration; social class structure; social norms; behavioural patterns; political affiliations; family
influences; attitudes to different age groups; attitudes toward sexual orientation; experience or absence of
experience with discrimination; experience of fighting discrimination and other injustices; and the loss of
cultural traits. An ethnocultural group is a group whose members share a belief that they have a common
heritage, culture, racial background, and/or traditions.
Discrimination
Unfavourable treatment (and/or denial of equal treatment) – whether intentional or not – of individuals or
groups because of their race, gender, religion, ethnicity, disability, class, ancestry, place of origin, colour,
citizenship, sexual orientation, age, or marital status. Discrimination may arise as a result of direct differential
treatment or it may result from the unequal effect of treating individuals and groups in the same way. Either
way, if the effect of the behaviour on the individual is to withhold or limit full, equal, and meaningful access
to goods, services, facilities, employment, housing, etc., which are available to other members of society,
then this is discrimination. Discrimination can take many forms. For example, “Apartments were no longer
vacant or rents were outrageously high, when persons of visible minorities went to inquire about them”; “job
vacancies were suddenly filled, or we were fired for very vague reasons.”
Employment Equity
A policy that seeks the achievement of equal employment opportunities in the workplace for all Canadians.
Employment equity means employment practices must support the full participation of groups which have
historically been excluded or underrepresented, such as Aboriginal persons, women, visible minorities, and
persons with disabilities, so that the workforce is representative of the population. Many of the historical
injustices have a “hang-over” effect. For example, if a certain racial minority has never been allowed in
management positions, what good is it to simply “open the doors” to them when management experience
is required to be hired? A more pro-active approach is required.
Ethnocentrism
The tendency to judge all other cultures by the norms and standards of one’s own culture. It can be the
feeling that your own cultural traditions and values are somehow better than others, or the assumption that
what is true of your culture is also true of others’. Eurocentrism refers to a complex system of beliefs that
upholds the supremacy of Europe’s cultural values, ideas, and peoples.
Ethnocide is the act or attempt to systematically destroy another people’s ethnicity or culture. The federal
government’s policy of residential schools, resulting in the legalized “kidnapping” of Aboriginal children so
92
that they could be educated as “Europeanized” Canadians during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is
an example of ethnocide.
Immigration
Immigration is the movement of a person or people into another nation with the intention of residing there
permanently. Immigration is a worldwide phenomenon. From the 17th century to the 19th century, millions
of Europeans migrated to North and South America as well as to eastern and southern Africa, Australia, and
Asia. Many of these immigrants resettled in colonies established by their home countries (see Colonialism).
Most modern immigrants are motivated to relocate far from their original homes by the desire to improve
their economic situation. Such people, known as economic immigrants, resettle in other countries in search
of jobs, farmland, or business opportunities. (See also Refugees).
Indigenous
Can be used to describe particular ethnic groups originating and remaining in a particular region.
The United Nations uses the idea of “indigenous groups” to obtain rights for Aboriginal Canadians and other
groups whose situation has suffered from invading foreign settlers and colonists.
Internalized Oppression
Internalized oppression happens when members of an oppressed group are emotionally, physically, and
spiritually battered to the point that they may believe that their oppression is deserved, is their lot in life, is
natural and right, or that it doesn’t even exist. The oppression begins to feel comfortable.
Minority Group
A term to describe particular groups who have little political power, based on the fact that they are visually
distinctive from the majority group. Sociologically, the concept ‘minority group’ does not refer to demographic
numbers but is used for any group that is disadvantaged, underprivileged, excluded, discriminated against or
exploited. In this context, a minority as a collective group occupies a subordinate status in society. Women,
Aboriginal persons, people of colour, and persons with disabilities are considered minority groups (although,
together, people with these identities would make up the majority of our country’s population!). Dominant or
majority group refers to the group of people in a given society that is largest in number or that successfully
shapes or controls other groups through social, economic, cultural, political, or religious power. In Canada the
term has generally referred to White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, Christian males.
Multiculturalism
An ideology that holds that racial, cultural, religious, and linguistic diversity is an integral, beneficial, and
necessary part of Canadian society and identity. It is an official policy operating in various social institutions
and levels of government, including the federal government.
Prejudice
Prejudice is a body of unfounded opinions or attitudes relating to an individual or group that represents this
group in a specific light. It is an opinion or judgment (usually negative) based on irrelevant considerations or
inadequate knowledge. Prejudice often leads to discrimination.
Race
All human beings belong to one species: Homo Sapiens. The concept of race stems from the idea that the
human species can be naturally subdivided into biologically distinct groups. Race has been used to describe
people who were classified together on the basis of genetic or physical similarities — such as skin colour,
93
shape of eyes, hair texture — and were also frequently thought to share cultural and social traits. In practice,
however, scientists have found it impossible to separate humans into clearly defined races and most scientists
today reject the concept of biological race. Nevertheless, race persists as a powerful social, cultural, and
historical concept used to categorize people based on perceived differences in physical appearance, and
behaviour. Some have felt that it is necessary to put the word in quotations in order to make it clear that
these are social distinctions being referred to rather than biological ones, and to distance themselves from
the original meaning of the term. A racialized minority group can be defined by examining the relationship
between that group and the majority society. If the relationship is one of subordination enforced by the
perception of racial difference, the group is racially subordinated. For more information, please visit the
following website: http://academic.udayton.edu/race/01race/race07.htm
Racism
Refers to a set of beliefs that asserts the superiority of one racial group over another (at the individual as
well as institutional level) and through which individuals or groups of people exercise power that abuses or
disadvantages others on the basis of skin colour and racial or ethnic heritage. Discriminatory practices protect
and maintain the advantageous position of the dominant group(s). The term racism is useful as a shorthand
way of categorizing the systematic mistreatment experienced by people of colour, but should not mislead us
into supposing that human beings belong to biologically different species. Systemic racism is institutionalized
discrimination. For example, hiring and promotion procedures or entrance requirements may have the effect
of excluding various racial groups and supporting members of the dominant group.
Refugees
Although economic immigration accounts for most movements of people between countries, a substantial
number of immigrants around the world are refugees. Refugees flee their countries to avoid racial, religious
or political persecution, as well as wars, political turmoil, and natural disasters. Today, experts calculate that
there are more than 15 million refugees in search of new homes throughout the world.
Stereotypes
Generally speaking, stereotyping refers to mental images which organize and simplify the world into
categories on the basis of common properties. When used in reference to race, the word stereotyping means
forming an instant or fixed understanding of a group of people. For example, ‘Asians are smart’ or ‘Blacks
are good athletes.’ While stereotyping is a basic cognitive strategy used to reduce the amount of diversity to
manageable proportions and/or to simplify decision-making, often stereotyping gives rise to discrimination
and racist behaviour.
Adapted from Source - Youth Forums Against Racism The KIT - a manual by youth to combat racism
through education - http://www.unac.org/yfar/The_KIT.pdf Based on a workshop presented by J.
Skeene and L. Pitman at a Canadian Red Cross Society Youth Commission, Ontario Zone.
94
List Of Personal Action Steps to Combat Racism
• I can choose to not smile when I hear a racist joke.
• I can object when I hear a racist joke/insult, even though it will mean “getting involved” and that might
be scary.
• I can examine the contents of television, film, radio, and newspapers for stereotypes.
• I can remember that there is no “nothing personal” about racism.
• I can know that I am the expert of my own experience, and that I have information that other people
need to hear; I can speak from my own experience.
• I can know that others are the experts on their own experiences, and that I have a lot to learn from them.
• I can assume that, given the right incentive, everyone can change.
• I can share my victories as well as my difficulties.
• I can know that I am good enough, smart enough, and strong enough to fight racism.
• I can educate myself.
• I can create a speakers bureau of persons willing to speak about racism and human rights.
• I will ask for a more diverse racial/cultural representation at my library, the card store, on television, etc.
• I will remember that one of the strongest weapons I have is the ability to share my power/privilege.
• I can network with other groups within my community that are fighting racism.
• I can tell others when I see/hear something that I think is racist.
• I can be inspired by others who have fought against racism.
• I can be critical of those who claim to have “scientific” proof of racial differences.
• I can remember that racism is a human rights issue.
• I can keep hoping that racism will not always exist.
• I can remember that racism is a socially created phenomenon.
• I can explore ways in which different community organizations can work together to promote positive
race relations.
• I can suggest that my community/school/family develop a policy statement against all forms of
racial discrimination.
Source - Youth Forums Against Racism The KIT - a manual by youth to combat racism through education http://www.unac.org/yfar/The_KIT.pdf Based on a workshop presented by J. Skeene and L. Pitman at a
Canadian Red Cross Society Youth Commission, Ontario Zone.
95
Info sheet - Anti-Oppression Frameworks
Having a grasp of anti-oppression theory and frameworks is critical to girls and women meeting across their
differences and working together.
• The world as we know it divides people based on the notion that some are “better than” and some are
“less than.” We are taught to believe that some of us are deserving of privileges and opportunities,
while others are less deserving.
• We are a world divided into camps of “us” and “them.”
• Who becomes “other” is determined by values that define social norms and organize us into social
hierarchies.
However,
• Relational-Cultural Theory sees growth occurring as we work through and towards connection (not
towards separation).
• Understanding relationships as growth-fostering leads us to an ethic of respect and cooperation.
• Traditional psychology sees growth as a process of separation and individuation. · This leads to an
ethic of competition and a division of the world into ‘us and them.’”13
What is Anti-Oppression?
Here’s what working in an anti-oppression framework means to us in establishing and implementing
programmes for girls:
• We guide our work with a multifaceted understanding of power and oppression.
• We recognize that no one is a victim all of the time; rather, all people experience power or lack of
power in different situations. When a man is sexually harassing a girl, he is in the position of relative
power; when this girl is spreading rumours about a classmate, she is in the position of relative power.
• We must acknowledge that many factors can work together to reinforce inequalities and must be
acknowledged. These factors include but are not limited to: socio-economic status, race, class, gender,
sexuality, age, ability, geographic location, refugee and immigrant status, First Nations status and
history of racism, discrimination and colonialism. These same dimensions of identity can also be a
source of pride.
• As programmers, we must acknowledge that these forms of oppression intersect in people’s lives.
For example, someone who is a Latina refugee experiences her gender, her racialization and her
citizenship status all at once, not separately.
• We must appreciate how each participant is different and understand that each girl is affected by
her life-context and background. We can validate each girl’s feelings and views on her life, as well
as allow for a safe(r) space for the girls to share thoughts on and learn about forms of power and
discrimination.
• We must develop a conscious commitment to understanding how all of the intersecting “isms” (racism,
sexism, ableism, classism, etc.) affect us on both individual and collective/community levels.
• We must commit to building strong actions and to being a part of movements that work to reduce the
causes of oppression and support people’s freedom.
13
96
“Foundational Theory” from Tools for Change http://www.toolsforchange.ca/p_about_this_site.html. retrieved Oct 20, 2007
What Anti-Oppression Means for Designing and Facilitating Girls’ Programs
The goal is to empower girls and young women to find their own identities and sense of understanding
without creating feelings of isolation or of being overwhelmed. It is important that girls also see how they can
work together and be in solidarity with each other.
For PCN and the members of the national network, an anti-oppression approach means being actively
reflective about one’s work. Since we are working in one of the wealthiest regions in the world, anti-oppression
practices must include an understanding that the majority of resources are concentrated in the hands of a
relatively small percentage of the world population. That means that classism – the systematic discrimination
and marginalization of poor(er) people in the community in which one works – must be addressed. As classism
is largely a system of beliefs based on economic status, race, age and level of education, it often works to
“rank” groups of people according to a privileged bias of what is deemed “normal” or “acceptable”.
Working to reduce oppression through our girls’ programs is a constant learning process. As we must cater to
the learning level of our participants, we use a variety of approaches to share knowledge. We achieve this by:
• Using a non-violent approach to pass on anti-oppression knowledge; it is very important to avoid
shaming individual girls in teaching moments.
• Addressing discriminatory behaviour when it happens, but in a way that allows the girls to learn from it,
to not be afraid to challenge themselves and others, and to have the tools to do this in a positive and
effective way.
• Doing awareness-raising on different forms of oppression through workshops on anti-racism, gender
stereotypes, poverty, etc.
• Remembering that we are here to create a girls’ space, so the girls’ needs are a priority.
• Be conscious of your own agenda.
Questions we can ask about how our practices reinforce or help to overcome intersecting forms of
oppression are:
• How accessible is a specific program?
• How accessible is the organization?
• How are we role modelling for the participants?
• Are we allowing for girls and young women to access an analysis that includes their own socio-political
experiences of power and oppression?
How to Educate Yourself about Anti-Oppression:
• Find relevant books, classes, websites, list serves, movies, etc.
• GO TO THE SOURCE: Read books BY people who represent these issues through their own
experience.
• LISTEN to a variety of voices.
• Share the knowledge you have and the knowledge you’ve been given about anti-oppression.
• Go the distance! Chances to increase personal awareness don’t always just come to you. Be proactive
to find the information you need.
• Don’t be judgemental – have compassion when people make mistakes
• Push yourself to act and push your boundaries. Challenge, and allow yourself to be challenged.
• Explore power and oppression in all aspects of your life.
97
• Be involved in groups that deal with and confront issues of oppression.
• Don’t try to make others educate YOU.
• Find COOL people you can discuss these issues with and seek a diversity of opinions.
• Take time to help yourself -- this is tough work!
• Be honest with yourself.
• Know where you stand on these issues but also don’t be afraid to say that you don’t know.
• Think critically about the world around you.
Being Authentic in Relationships
• In a healthy, equal relationship we stay connected to our own experience.
• We do not shape ourselves to fit a particular situation or to fit someone else’s needs.
• We must bring our personal experience into our relationships with others and at the same time we
must be aware of our impact on others.·14
Questions that we need to ask ourselves to create a more inclusive space and a more inclusive movement are:
• Who/what was excluded in your last event/workshop/meeting/etc.?
• How can our organizing be more inclusive?
• Do I feel resistant to something? What are we creating mental blocks against and how do we
change that?
• What are the differences between the girls we are working with, what are their similarities, and how do
we deal with both?
• What are the barriers to empowerment in girls’ lives and how can we address them?
Research: How Intersectional Oppression Affects Girls and Young Women
• “Low-income and homeless teenage girls need the safety of housing and services that are for girls
only. Given the level of male violence that young women face and their marginalization through
poverty, systemic racism, and other forms of oppression, programs and services for girls must
respond to the compounding effects of multiple forms of oppression and repeated male violence”
(Justice for Girls 2006).
• “Aboriginal girls can look forward to being, as young adults between the ages of eighteen and twentyfour, over twice as likely as non-Aboriginal women to live below the low-income cut-off line. The
probability of being poor increases when these young women have children, particularly when they are
the sole providers” (Statistics Canada 2001).
• “Young women growing up in the inner city receive little economic education that could help them
out of poverty, for example learning how to save towards an education or purchase a home. While
programs focused on social issues such as raising healthy children are easy to access in the inner
city, there is a lack of education to improve the long-term economic status of young women in the
community organizations and supports young women access” (Manitoba Research Alliance 2006).
14
98
“Foundational Theory” from Tools for Change http://www.toolsforchange.ca/p_about_this_site.html. retrieved Oct 20, 2007
• “The Working Groups on Girls (WGGs) noted in their report that immigrant and refugee girls also
experience higher rates of violence because of dislocation, racism and sexism from both within their
own communities and the external society. Caught between two cultures, where their own is devalued
and inferiorized, and where cultural scripts in both worlds encode patriarchal values, these girls face a
tremendous struggle in trying to ‘fit’” (Jiwani 1998).
• “Girls need safe spaces where they can talk about how sexism, racism, ableism, poverty and homophobia
impact on their lives. Counsellors from different cultures and backgrounds should staff the spaces”
(Janovicek 2001).
• “The specific interactions between race, class, sexuality, disability, and gender are rarely examined
or acknowledged in most Canadian literature. Nevertheless, as European and American studies tend
to suggest, the interlocking effects of sexism and racism, and/or sexual orientation combined with
disability, racism, and classism, constitute complex interactions of multiple systems of domination.
These systems constitute a form of violence unto themselves, and markedly shape the reality, life
chances, and choices that are available to marginalized girls” (Jiwani et al. 1999, 9).
Other Anti-Oppression Resources
• Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) Resources on Anti-Oppression:
http://www.seac.org/resources/antioppression
• Check out the Youth Action Network’s Anti-Oppression Kit and Fire It Up! A Youth Action Manual:
http://www.youthactionnetwork.org/rac/index.html
• The Centre for Community Organizations (COCo) has a section on “Cultural Competence /
Diversity” in their toolbox: http://www.coco-net.org/resources.html
• Men Against Sexism and Oppression: http://differentkindofdudefest.dead-city.org Click on “Link”
then “further reading” section.
• Upper Class Privilege and Social Class Privilege:
http://wbarratt.indstate.edu/documents/isaa2003/SESPrivilege.pdf
• http://wbarratt.indstate.edu/socialclass/Barratt_Simplifed_Measure_of_Social_Status.pdf
• “The Wonderbreading of Our Country” an article on racism, classism, and colonialism in the USA:
http://www.cwsworkshop.org/pdfs/WIWP2/3Wonder_Breading.PDF
• Heterosexual Privilege: http://www.ncf.ca/ip/sigs/life/gay/oppress/het?
• McGill Equity Subcommittee on Queer People-Recognizing heterosexism and homophobia
http://www.mcgill.ca/queerequity/heterosexism/
• Social Location and Privilege Exercise:
http://sobek.colorado.edu/~crosbyt/SocLocPrivAssignPDF.pdf
• Gender, trans and intersex issues: http://www.eminism.org
• Trans, gender issues and the electronic home of the Boston Trans Community:
http://www.butchdykeboy.com
• Challenging White Supremacy Workshop out of San Francisco, check out the other sections on the
left as well such as “Anti-racist Organizing”:
http://cwsworkshop.org/resources/WhitePrivilege.html
• An amazing anti-racist organizer from Toronto with many things to say! http://www.darkdaughta.com
• Lots of good articles about organizing from Colours of Resistance:
http://colours.mahost.org/article.html
• Intersex Society of North America: http://www.isna.org
99
• A ZNet Page by Tim Wise Director of the Association for White Anti-Racist Education (AWARE) in
Tennessee. Info on racism, white privilege: http://www.zmag.org/bios/homepage.cfm?authorID=96
• A collection of articles by and about Bell Hooks: http://www.allaboutbell.com/
• Youth Resource: http://www.youthresource.com/index.htm
Books
Bishop, Anne. Becoming an Ally: Breaking the Cycle of Oppression in People. New York: Zed Books, 2000.
100
c. Healthy Sexuality
An issue that comes up frequently in girls’ programs is relationships, sexuality and sex. Girls are naturally
curious about these aspects of life and growing up, and often the girls’ group is the safest place they have to
ask questions and learn about relationships and sex. As a facilitator, being comfortable and informed on these
topics is important for modelling an empowered and centred approach to these issues. Modelling this kind of
attitude can provide great incentive for girls to become more proactive about their own health and wellbeing.
Discussions and workshops on these issues can help counter stereotypes that discourage girls from taking
a lead in their own health and being an advocate for friends or family who face challenges such as abusive
relationships. We hope that the activities and information sheets that follow will help girls in developing a
healthy sexuality.
Regarding importance of and ways to avoid abstract language/concepts - after a session touching on
masculinity and femininity, a facilitator stated:
“It was interesting to see how as the session went on and as they shared more and more from
their personal lives, that they progressively decided that the boundaries of masculinity and
femininity were too rigid…. This exercise was far more effective in addressing gender binaries
and the sex-gender distinction than using the explicit vocabulary of sex and gender.”
~ Natalie Kishchuk, PCN external evaluator, “Girls’ Club Evaluation Report 2006-07”
101
Info Sheet - Healthy Sexuality
Sexuality is a central aspect of a girl’s sense of self. It is also an important dimension of girls’ health. We offer
this information to counter stereotypes, to offer options amidst very narrow messages about girls’ sexuality
found in the media and to spark dialogue. We hope you will draw on this information as questions arise. Use
them as a springboard for ongoing learning and empowerment.
Sexual Identity
• Transgender people feel that the gender into which they were born or to which they were assigned at
birth does not fit them.
• You may feel that you are more comfortable expressing yourself as a gender other than the gender you
were born under or assigned to at birth. This gender might be the “opposite” of the gender you were
born under or assigned to, or it might be neither male nor female but something else entirely!
• Being transgender is as normal as being alive. Throughout history, many people have felt they were
transgender. Transgender people are everywhere. They are teachers, doctors, construction workers,
and waiters.
• Being transgender has to do with your gender identity – that is, how you feel about who you are. It has
nothing to do with your sexual orientation, which is about who you are attracted to.
• Transgender people can have a hard time finding safer sex information that speaks in language that
reflects how they feel about their body. Finding information that corresponds to an internal/emotional
body concept can be difficult.15
Sexuality and Desire
• Self-respect is the foundation of sexual health and of healthy sexual relationships. All people are sexual
and it is normal and healthy for women to have sexual desires.16
• Our culture gives women and men very mixed messages about sex. We are often taught that we must be
in love to have sex. We may also be taught that having sex is an important part of being an adult, or that
sex proves we are desirable. Sex can be about all of these things, or it may not involve any of them.
• Sexual desire, in the traditional paradigm, is seen as male, while girls seek love and romance. Girls are
consistently directed and educated away from sexual self-interest17.
• Some women don’t experience orgasm during sex with a partner. Few women will orgasm through
vaginal stimulation alone; stimulation of the clitoris is usually needed. Some women are able to have
several orgasms in a row.18
• A woman’s current or past experiences with sexual assault or domestic violence can make it more
difficult to enjoy sexual relationships. A woman’s sexual responses may be inhibited, if she doesn’t
trust her partner or if she and her partner can’t communicate effectively.19
• By 14 or 15 years of age, 10% of boys and girls have had sexual intercourse.20
102
15
Advocates For Youth, Youth Resource.
16
The New Women’s College Hospital, August 2005
17
Fine, M. Sexuality, schooling and adolescent females: The missing discourse of desire, Harvard Educational Review, 1988 in Girls
and Sexual Health, Girls Inc, October 2001.
18
Public Health Agency of Canada, January 2006.
19
The New Women’s College Hospital, August 2005.
20
Statistics Canada, Health Report, Vol.16 No.3, 2005.
Sexual Health
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI):
The term STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) is now commonly used in the place of STD (Sexually Transmitted
Disease). STI is more encompassing, including infections that may not show signs or symptoms.21
• An estimated 4% of 15-24 year olds who have had sexual intercourse reported having been diagnosed
with an STI22.
• Rates of Chlamydia cases among males and females aged 15-19 increased from 623 to 802 per 100,000
youth between 1991 and 200223.
• The highest rates and increases of STI’s in Canada are in people between the ages of 15 and 2424.
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV):
We are including discussion of human papilloma virus here specifically because so many people become in
infected with it each year and because it has become such a big topic of debate in Canadian health research.
There is currently a controversial campaign to “immunize” girls as young as 10 and 11 for some of the strands
of HPV.
HPV is the name of a group of viruses that includes more than 100 different strains or types. More than 30
of these viruses are sexually transmitted. Most people who become infected with HPV will not have any
symptoms and will clear the infection on their own. The viruses can infect the genital area of men and women
including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina) or anus, as well as the linings of the vagina,
cervix, or rectum.
Some of these HPV viruses are called “high-risk” types and may cause abnormal Pap tests. They may also
lead to cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis. Others are called “low-risk” types, and they may
cause mild Pap test abnormalities or genital warts.25
• HPV is estimated to be one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) in Canada and
around the world.26.
• A vaccine is available to help prevent infection with some types of HPV and offers protection against
HPV types responsible for approximately 70% of cervical cancers27.
• Since the HPV vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV, you are still at risk for infection with
other types of HPV even if you are vaccinated28.
21
Health Canada, Sexually Transmitted Inflections, http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dc-ma/sti-its/index_e.html, accessed Oct 10, 2007
22
Statistics Canada, Health Report, Vol.16 No.3, 2005
23
Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2006.
24
Public Health Agency of Canada, May 2002.
25
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, Genital HPV Infection - CDC Fact Sheet,
http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm, accessed Oct 10, 2007
26
Health Canada
27
Health Canada
28
Health Canada
103
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV):
HIV is a retrovirus that can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a condition in humans in
which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections.29
• Socio-cultural and physiological factors increase girls’ and young women’s risk to HIV infection. A
physiological example includes girls’ vaginal lining being more susceptible to tearing than in adult
women, which increases the risk of the virus entering the bloodstream30. Thus, “When a guy and a girl
have unprotected sex, she’s twice as likely to get HIV as he is.” 31
• Young women globally and in Canada are experiencing higher rates of HIV infection. Among positive
HIV tests for all males and females in 2001 in Canada, females in the 15 to 29 year range accounted
for 44.5% of all positive HIV test reports, an increase from 41% in 2000.32
• Heterosexual contact and injected drug use are the two main risk factors for HIV transmission in
women.33
• Young people know less about HIV/AIDS today than they did fifteen years ago. Youth feel less
susceptible to HIV/AIDS today than they did in 1989.34 Recent surveys conducted in fifteen countries
around the world found that 50% or more of girls aged 15 to 19 do not know that someone who looks
healthy can be HIV+ and transmit the virus to others.35
• 30% of Aboriginal HIV infections are in youth (20-29 years old), compared to only 20% in the nonAboriginal populations of Canada. Socioeconomic factors like colonization, residential schools,
racism, and poverty are socioeconomic factors that increase their vulnerability to HIV.36
Lesbian And Bisexual Young Women And Safer Sex
• Your sexual orientation doesn’t make you immune to sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, in a recent
survey of 504 lesbian and bisexual respondents, 26% of women reported having been previously
diagnosed with an STD (Reuters Health, 1/26). That’s one in four women.
• Lesbians and bisexual women may not receive regular gynecological and medical care because they
fear homophobic responses from health care providers 37.
104
29
HIV, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV, accessed Oct 10, 2007
30
Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development, June 2006
31
Canadian Aids Society,
32
Canadian Aids Society, November 2004
33
Public Health Agency of Canada, “HIV and AIDS Among Women in Canada, August 2006
34
The Canadian Youth, Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Study released September 2003 revealed that approximately 66% of Grade 7
students and 50% of Grade 9 students did not know that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS”. This study has shown that Canadian
youth are largely misinformed when it comes to HIV/AIDS, in part due to inconsistent or absent HIV/AIDS education in Canada’s
school systems
35
Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development, June 2001.
36
HIV AIDS Prevention: Messages for Canadian Aboriginal Youth Final Report, March 2004.
http://www.caan.ca/english/grfx/resources/publications/youth_prevent.pdf, p. 3
37
The New Women’s College Hospital, August, 2005.
• If a woman only has sex with other women, she does not need birth control, but she is still at risk of
some sexually transmitted diseases. The following infections may result from sex between women:
o Herpes
o Genital warts
o Crabs
o Trichomonas
o Bacterial vaginosis
o Yeast infections
o Very rarely, HIV may also be transmitted from one woman to another
o Sharing needles to inject drugs also increases a woman’s risk of infection, regardless of her
sexual orientation. 38
Guidelines for Healthy Sexuality
• “Self-respect is the foundation of sexual health and of healthy sexual relationships. All people are
sexual and it is normal and healthy for women to have sexual desires.”39
• “Sex partners should always:
o have one another’s consent
o be able to talk honestly to each other
o treat each other with respect
o care about their partner’s pleasure
o protect each other against physical and emotional harm, unwanted pregnancy and sexually
transmitted infection
o accept responsibility for their actions.”40
Guidelines for Safer Sex
Oral Sex: Unprotected oral sex can put you at high risk for STD infection and may carry a risk of HIV infection.
If you’re having oral sex (oral contact with a partner’s vagina or anus) use a dental dam or another latex barrier,
such as a unlubricated condom cut down the middle. A dental dam is a square piece of latex about five
inches on each side available at dental and medical supply stores. And since it can be hard to find dental and
medical supply stores, you can also use plastic wrap, available at your local grocery store. If you’re having oral
sex with a guy, be sure to use an un-lubricated condom.
Touching: If you’re touching someone with your hands, use a latex barrier like surgical gloves (you can buy
these really cheaply at a drug store!). That’s especially true if you have a cut or rash on your hands.
Sex toys: If you’re sharing a sex toy with your partner such as a dildo make sure to put a condom on the toy,
and change condoms in between partners. Or, if you have a toy made of silicone, you can boil it for 3 minutes
to sterilize it in between partners.
38
39
The New Women’s College Hospital, August 2005
40
105
Vaginal Sex with Men: Always use a condom to prevent getting an STI and the transmission of HIV. According
to statistics, about one in four young people who reported multiple sexual partners did not use a condom the
last time they had sexual intercourse.41
• Your male partner can use a condom, or female condoms are available without a prescription where male
condoms are sold. In Canada, the female condom is a strong, soft, clear sheath made of polyurethane.
It is placed inside the vagina before sex and protects against pregnancy and STI (including HIV)42.
Birth Control
• Pregnancy rates among girls aged 15-19 years declined from 43 to 36 per 1,000 girls between 1997
and 200143.
• Lesbian teens are twice as likely as their heterosexual peers to experience unwanted pregnancy.
Contrary to popular belief, self-identifying as lesbian or gay does not mean that someone will never
have sex with a member of the other sex. Young lesbians are in the unusual position of often needing
to educate their doctors about their reproductive health needs44.
Self Advocacy
• Educate yourself.
• Focus on practicing communication skills, as opposed to sharing facts about safe sex. Young women
are most likely to say that they need more information about negotiation and communication skills and
how to deal with the emotional consequences of being sexually active.45
• Help to implement peer education programs. A recent Canadian study showed that the majority of
teenage girls will first go to their peers for advice if they think they have a sexually transmitted infection
instead of asking a parent, teacher or doctor for help.46 Peers are well placed to model positive social
behaviors, establish new norms for sexual health, and refer youth to professionals they might not
otherwise approach.47 Peer counselors produce greater attitude changes in teens’ perception of
personal risk of HIV infection, and improve teens’ inclination to take steps to prevent transmission
than adult-led education programs.48
106
41
Statistics Canada, Health Report, Vol.16 No.3, 2005
42
Public Health Agency of Canada, May 2002. “Condoms” http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/prod/condom_e.html, accessed Oct 7, 2007.
43
Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2006
44
Saewyc EM et al . Sexual intercourse, abuse and pregnancy among adolescent women: does sexual orientation make a difference?
Fam Plann Perspect 1999; 31:127-131.in Advocates For Youth, Youth Resource, “Young Women Who Have Sex with Women:
Falling through Cracks for Sexual Health Care”, http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/iag/ywsw.htm.
45
Girls and Sexual Health, Girls Inc, October 2001.
46
European Commission, World Health Organization and International Planned Parenthood, 1998 & Canadian Youth, Sexuality and
HIV/AIDS Study, Council of Ministers of Education Canada with Health Canada, Toronto, 2003.
47
Head & Hands, Montreal, “Peer Education : Why It Works for Sex Education.”. http://www.headandhands.ca. accessed Oct 7, 2007
48
A.R. Mellanby, R.G. Newcombel, J. Rees and J.H. Tripp “A comparative study of peer-led and adult-led school sex education.”
Health Education Research, Vol. 16, No.4, 481-492 Oxford U. Press. In Head and Hands, Montreal, “Peer Education : Why It Works
for Sex Education.”. http://www.headandhands.ca. accessed Oct 7, 2007
• Approach talking and learning about sex from a sex-positive perspective.
o A World Health Organization review of 35 sex education programs around the world documented
the relative ineffectiveness of abstinence-only education in stemming the spread of STI’s.49
o Abstinence-only programs are detrimental to LGTB youth; these programs largely ignore
homosexuality except as a context for HIV transmission.50
o Studies have shown that youth in gay-sensitive sex-education tend to engage in risky sexual
behaviors less frequently than youth in abstinence-only programs.51
• Consider the factors of what makes HIV/AIDS prevention programs for youth effective:
a) The program must be based on a theory of learning and behaviour change.
b) Incorporate community or cultural aspects of the target group.
c) Include skills training on topics such as negotiation and communication.
d) Address systemic barriers such as racism, sexism and poverty.52
Other Resources on Healthy Sexuality
• Canadian Aids Society: http://www.cdnaids.ca
• Youth Resource: http://www.youthresource.com
• Girls Inc.: http://www.girlsinc.org
• Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN): http://www.glsen.org
• Curve Article – Lesbians and HIV? http://www.curvemag.com/Detailed/375.html
• Public Health Agency of Canada: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca
• Canadian Health Network: http://www.canadian-health-network.ca
• The Canadian Aboriginal Aids Network: http://www.caan.ca
• Sex Information and Education Council of Canada: http://www.beststart.org
• Because I’m a Girl: http://www.plan-international.org/pdfs/becauseiamagirl.pdf
• SIECCAN: http://www.sieccan.org
• Canadian Association for Adolescent Health: http://www.acsa-caah.ca
• HIV/AIDS legal network: http://www.aidslaw.ca
Videos
• “Tough Guise”
49
Baldo, M. et al., 1993. “Does Sex Education Lead to Earlier or Increased Sexual Activity in Youth.”
50
Advocates for Youth, June 2002, “Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Education: Abandoning Responsibility to GLBTQ Youth”.
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/safespace/abstinenceonly.htm, accessed Oct 7, 2007
51
Ibid, Advocates for Youth
52
Models of HIV/AIDS Youth Programs in Canada, Canadian Aids Society, 1998.
107
Sample activity - Healthy Sexuality Quiz
This quiz can be done as a silent written exercise or out loud, with group members’ raising their hands to
indicate their answer. You can alter this to reflect information important to your group. Ultimately the goal is
to generate dialogue on the issue.
1. You may feel that you are more comfortable expressing yourself as a gender other than the gender you
were born with or assigned to at birth. This gender might be the “opposite” of the gender you were
born or assigned, or it might be neither male nor female but something else entirely. True or false?
2. You can get pregnant the first time you have intercourse without using a condom or other form of birth
control with a guy. True or false?
3. It is normal and healthy for women to have sexual desires. True or false?
4. If you get a sexually transmitted infection you will know. True or false?
5. There is no cure for HIV or AIDS. True or false?
6. Lesbian teens are twice as likely as their heterosexual peers to experience unwanted pregnancy.
True or false?
7. Unprotected oral sex can put you at high risk for STD infection. True or false?
8. If someone wants to have sex with you it means that you are sexy. True or false?
9. If a woman only has sex with other women, she does not need birth control, but she is still at risk of
some sexually transmitted diseases. True or false?
10. Sex partners should always have one another’s consent and care about their partner’s pleasure. True
or false?
Other workshop ideas
• Watch movies or TV shows together. Talk about, critically question and if need be counter, the messages
that are being conveyed about women’s sexuality.
• Have someone who works in reproductive and sexual health come and answer girls’ questions (an
anonymous question box can be a great tool for this).
• Girls can make a ‘zine or collage about their feelings about their sexual health.
108
d. Violence prevention
Girls can experience violence in complex and intersecting ways beyond the traditional forms of physical abuse.
Girls require preventative approaches that address these multiple forms of violence without perpetuating a
climate of fear that can be intimidating and silencing. In all activities and conversations, it is key to intersperse
time for processing these difficult issues with time for celebrating the ways we are strong!
109
Info sheet - Violence Prevention
Some Definitions of Violence
• The use of physical force against persons that potentially causes fear, injury or death. This includes
threats of physical force, abusive language and harassing actions.53
• “The kinds of violence that Canadian girls encounter span the entire continuum - from verbal, physical and
psychological abuse, to sexual violence, homophobia, racism, classism, and poverty” (Jiwani, 1998).
Forms of Violence
a. Physical Violence involves contact intended to cause pain, injury or other physical suffering or harm.54
b. Psychological/emotional or verbal abuse is a form of abusive behaviour involving the use of language.
Verbal abuse is different from profanity in that it can occur without profanity. Verbal abuse, although
not physically harmful and having no visible signs, is damaging nonetheless, as it affects the selfesteem and confidence of the victim. Verbal abuse is arguably the most common type of abuse, and
yet at the same time not looked at or taken nearly as seriously as the many other forms of abuse.55
c. Neglect is the most frequently reported form of child abuse and the most lethal. This form of abuse
is defined as the failure to provide for the shelter, safety, supervision and nutritional needs of the
child. Child neglect can be physical (such as abandonment, expulsion from the home, refusal to
allow a runaway to return home, or inadequate supervision), educational (such as allowing a child to
chronically skip school), or emotional neglect (such as inattention to the child’s needs for affection,
refusal of or failure to provide needed psychological care, spousal abuse in the child’s presence, and
permission of drug or alcohol use by the child).56
Gender Specific Violence
In a 1995 Canadian Women’s Health Test done on 1000 women, 36% of women 15 years of
age or over had experienced emotional abuse while growing up; 43% had experienced some
form of abuse as children or teenagers; and 39% reported experiencing verbal/emotional
abuse in a relationship within the last five years. 57
There is a lot of attention given in the media to the way in which girls are victims, or to the way in which
they victimize each other. At POWER Camp National / Filles d’Action we know that violence is a gendered
experience. We also know that there are a lot of ways in which girls are strong, support each other and lead
the way to positive change in the world. We provide this information to help name and to foster a culture
of awareness where it is okay to talk about and strategize on how to support girls in dealing with their
experiences of violence.
1. Self-Inflicted Violence
The degree of self-inflicted violence correlates with the degree to which young women and girls have become
disenfranchised through poverty, sexism, a history of colonization, racism and discrimination. Self-inflicted violence
is a serious health problem that affects some young women more than others because of their social location.
110
53
Violence, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence, accessed Oct 9, 2007
54
Physical Abuse, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_abuse, accessed Oct 9, 2007
55
Verbal Abuse, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbal_abuse, accessed Oct 9, 2007
56
MedicineNet.com (1999). Retrieved Oct 21, 2007, from the World Wide Web:
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=8359.
57
From a 1995 Canadian Women’s Health Test done on 1000 women
a. Self-harm/ self-injury is deliberate injury inflicted by a person upon his or her own body without
suicidal intent.58
b. Substance abuse refers to the use of substances which are harmful to the individual’s physical health
or which cause the user legal, social, financial or other problems including endangering their lives or
the lives of others. Substance abuse can also include the use of legal substances which are bought
or prescribed.59
c. Eating disorder is a term used to describe a complex of compulsions to either eat in ways that are
excessive or limiting, or not to eat in a way that disturbs physical and mental health. The eating disorder
may include normal eating punctuated with episodes of purging, cycles of binging and purging, or the
ingesting of non-foods.60
2. Bullying Amongst Girls
There is currently no legal definition of bullying. Bullying happens when a person is exposed, often repeatedly
and over a period of time, to negative actions directed by one or more other persons. These negative actions
involve intentionally inflicting injury or discomfort upon another person, through physical contact, through
words or in other ways.61
• “Schools are a primary site of violence for girls. Intercultural tensions among young people are seldom
understood as a manifestation of racist and patriarchal relations. Instead, media and teachers focus on
finding remedies for ‘bullying’” (Janovicek, 2001).
• “Without intervention, bullying behaviours in young children tend to persist throughout adolescence.
Girls who are bullied are more likely to feel sad or miserable than angry. They more often discuss their
distress with their friends than with a teacher or another adult” (Health Canada, 2002).
How Bullying Happens:
• Relational violence between girls often occurs under the guise of friendship.62
• This aggression between girls is often tainted with racist, classist, ableist and homophobic beliefs that
can lead to life-threatening forms of physical violence.
• Girl bullies tend to manipulate social groups by name-calling, verbal abuse and by spreading rumours
to damage friendships among others or to exclude selected girls from social interaction. Thus, girl
bullies tend to use non-physical aggression more than physical violence.
• Most recently, girls are reported to be using the Internet to harass their peers.
3. Dating/Relationship Violence
Although dating violence happens across genders, girls and young women face very specific forms and
higher frequency of abuse at the hands of their partners. Justice Canada’s 2005 research review indicates that
young women are more likely to be abused by a partner, be victimized more frequently, and to experience
more severe consequences from dating violence.63
58
Self-Injury, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-injury, accessed Oct 9, 2007
59
Substance Abuse, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substance_abuse, accessed Oct 9, 2007
60
Eating Disorders, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_disorders, accessed Oct 9, 2007
61
Dan Owelus Bullying, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullying, accessed Oct 9, 2007
62
Helene Berman and Yasmin Jiawai, “In the Best Interests of the Girl Child Phase ll Report”, as quoted in Power Camp National’s Best
Practices Guide, p.20.
63
Department of Justice Canada, “Dating Violence: A Fact Sheet”, as quoted in Power Camp National’s Best Practice Guide, p. 21.
111
Sexual and dating violence is heavily affected by the intersectional nature of women’s lives, with Aboriginal
girls being perhaps the most at risk for sexual abuse.
• In Canada, 75% of Aboriginal girls under the age of 18 have been sexually abused. Aboriginal girls are
hospitalized for attempting suicide at twice the rate of boys.64
• Twelfth-grade girls had the highest prevalence of dating violence. Girls who were victims of dating
violence were more likely to be involved in other violent behaviours, to report extreme sadness and
suicidal actions, to use illicit substances, and to engage in risky sexual behaviour. 65
• 12% of young women 18 to 24 reported at least one incident of violence by an intimate partner
in a year period, compared with the national average of 3% of all married or cohabiting women.66
Furthermore, “women under 25 are also at greatest risk of being killed by their male partners.”67
4. Sexual Violence
Sexual violence is any physical contact of a sexual nature without voluntary consent. Sexual assault can take
place by anyone and anywhere. While associated with rape, sexual assault is much broader and the specifics
may vary according to social, political or legal definition.68
• “More than half (54%) of girls under the age of 16 have experienced some form of unwanted sexual
attention, another 24% have experienced rape or coercive sex, and 17% have experienced incest.”69
• Females were victims in approximately 8 out of 10 sexual assaults committed against children and youth.70
• Children and youth make up 61% of reported sexual assault cases. Of this, girls and young women
represent 79%.71
• Perpetrators are most commonly male and known to the victim.72
• Rates of stalking/criminal harassment are highest for young women. This is consistent with patterns of
other kinds of violence against women. 58% of stalking survivors are under 34 years old.73
5. Systemic Violence
Programs that deal with violence as it is mediated by homophobia, racism, classism, and
ableism are scarce. Just as most programs tend to be gender-neutral, existing programs
tend not to account for the specificities of the experiences of the interlocking effects of race,
class, ability, sexual orientation, and gender. Instead the realities and needs of Aboriginal,
112
64
Yasmin Jiawai, “The Girl Child: Having to ‘Fit’”, as quoted in Power Camp National’s Best Practice Guide, p.21.
65
E Howard and Min Qui Wang (2003), “Risk profiles of adolescent girls who were victims of dating violence.”
66
Johnson, 1996, Dangerous Domains: Violence Against Women in Canada, p. 148.
67
Morris, Marika, CRIAW Factsheet: Violence Against Women and Girls,
http://www.criaw-icref.ca/factSheets/Violence_fact_sheet_e.htm, March 2002.
68
Sexual Violence, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_violence, accessed Oct 9, 2007
69
Jiwani et al. (1999), the Canadian Federation of University Women, Report on the Girl Child, p.4
70
Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children (METRAC). “Frequently Asked Questions on Violence,
Girls and Young Women”. Retrieved Oct 3, 2007.
71
Statistics Canada, 2004, Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, p. 1.
72
RESOLVE Alberta (2002), School Based Violence Prevention Programs: A Resource Manual,
http://www.ucalgary.ca/resolve/violenceprevention/English/reviewprog/childsxintro.htm, accessed Oct 9, 2007.
73
Statistics Canada, 2004, Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, p. 9, 15.
immigrant/refugee, racialized girls, young lesbians, girls with disabilities, girls in foster care,
and poor or working class girls tend to be collapsed and universalized into a homogenous
category of “girls” or “children” (Jiwani et al. 1999, 10).
Although systemic racism can be subtle, it needs to be publicly recognized as a serious abuse of power that
can have damaging repercussions for girls and young women in Canada. Poverty, racism, classism, sexism,
homophobia and other oppressions are rooted in public policy and social systems. This type of violence
disproportionately effects disadvantaged peoples based on their race, class, gender, sexuality, ability and
other identity markers.
However, to a certain extent systemic violence is legitimized to the point of invisibility and affects most
Canadian girls. It is often implicit and goes unrecognized.
a. Racism has many definitions, the most common and widely accepted being the belief that members of
one “race” are intrinsically superior or inferior to members of other “races.”74
o “Being young, being female, and being a person of colour are all factors that can serve to
disempower and thereby lead to feelings of helplessness and low self-efficacy.”75
o The intersection of marginalized identities make young women of colour feel isolated and
misunderstood, thereby placing them at risk for depression, eating disorders, substance abuse,
and unwanted pregnancies. 76
o 80% of Aboriginal girls under the age of 8 in the Northwest Territories have been sexually assaulted. 77
o Young women and girls from marginalized communities also have difficulties accessing culturally and
linguistically appropriate services. Too often, violence and isolation that newcomer young women,
young women of colour, and Aboriginal young women face is stereotyped as a “cultural” or “religious”
issue particular to certain ethno-racial communities, rather than a result of structural inequalities. 78
o Relational violence between girls adheres to systems of power maintained by a white patriarchal
culture that seeks to erase differences to the point of justifying racist murder79, as in the following
example:
“Reena Virk could not ‘fit in’ because she had nothing to fit in to. She was brown in a predominantly
white society. She was supposedly overweight in a society, which values slimness to the point of
anorexia, and she was different in a society, which values ‘sameness’ and uniformity. And those
who considered her difference an affront to their sense of uniformity killed her. Their power and
dominance, legitimized by and rooted in the sexism and racism of the dominant white culture
and its attendant sense of superiority, was used to force her into submission—a submission that
amounted to her death and erasure from society” (Jiwani, 1997).
74
Racism, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism#Sociological_Definitions, accessed Oct 9, 2007.
75
Boyer et al., 1997; Fernando, 1991; Henry et al., 1995; Turner, 1995.
76
Taylor Gilligan and Sullivan (1995) in WHWH 2003.
77
Gurr, Mailloux, Kinnon, and Doerage, 1999, Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence Against Women: A Resource Guide.
78
Razack, 1998, cited in National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, 2002, In the Best Interests of the Girl Child,
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfvcnivf/familyviolence/pdfs/Girl_Child_E.pdf, p. 52.
79
Yasmin Jiwani “Reena Virk: The Erasure of Race” The FREDA Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children,
December 1997. http://www.harbour.sfu.c/freda/articles/virk.htm.
113
b. Disability
o The rate of sexual abuse for girls living with disabilities is four times that of the national average. 80
c. Classism is any form of prejudice or oppression against people as a result of their actual or perceived
social class (especially in the form of lower or higher socio-economic status).81
o “Poverty is one of the major contributing factors to the violence experienced by girls. In the hierarchy
of industrialized countries, Canada’s child poverty ranks second to other nations. In Canadian cities,
1 out of every 3 children is raised in a home with an income below the poverty line. In rural areas,
the rate is 1 in 5” (Welsh, et al., 1995).
o Poverty itself constitutes a form of violence, but the particular pressures of living in a society that
values consumption and material wealth compound violence. Poverty and homelessness facilitates
the sexual exploitation of girls and young women” (Jiwani 1999).
d. Sexism is commonly considered to be discrimination and/or hatred against people based on their sex
rather than their individual merits, but sexism can also refer to any and all systemic differentiations
based on the sex of individuals.82
o “Family violence, the sexual objectification and abuse of female bodies, dominance of one gender
over another and the stereotypical characterization of males and females are pervasive and lie at
the root of violent action. As a result of this reality, young women and girls from across Canada
have a similar experience. Often they accept the assumption that they are stupid and the inferior
sex. They often bear the brunt of sexist jokes and this sexism defines how they must behave in their
families and at their schools” (National Council of Women of Canada 1999, 9).
o “In order for minority adolescent females to feel comfortable in leadership positions, they must
be given skills to cope with racism, sexism and cultural barriers that can limit their leadership
aspirations” (Weiler 1997, quoted in Ahluwalia 2007).
• Homophobia is the fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals. It
can also mean hatred, hostility, disapproval of, or prejudice towards homosexuals, or homosexual
behaviour or cultures.83
o “While overt discrimination based on race was rare at both schools, homophobia was an openly
declared prejudice in the peer groups that were studied. Words like ‘fag’ and ‘queer’ were used
casually as epithets; gossip about students’ sexual orientations were a way of marking the social
outcastes” (Durham 1999b).
Tools for Self-Advocacy
• Maintain a safe(r) and open space in your girls’ program to help girls connect with their peers and
express themselves.
• Encourage critical thinking in order to locate and diffuse systemic violence.
• Promote dialogue about violence and how it occurs in girls’ lives. Efforts to understand and prevent
sexual violence help girls find greater agency and self-worth.
• View self-injury as a health issue instead of undermining it as teenage rebellion.
• Find opportunities to raise awareness for girls and their parents.
114
80
Razack, 1994, “From Consent to Responsibility, from Pity to Respect: Subtexts in Cases of Sexual Violence involving Girls and
Women with Developmental Disabilities”, Social Inquiry 19, 4: 891-922.
81
Classism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classism, accessed Oct 9, 2007
82
Sexism, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexism, accessed Oct 9, 2007
83
Homophobia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophobia, accessed Oct 9, 2007
• Affirm that girls need to be aware and do not need to feel like victims.
• Be aware of provincial disclosure of violence laws and be sure to include these policies in your facilitator
training (see the Sample Program Policy on the Resource CD)
Other Resources for Violence Prevention
• Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children (METRAC)
http://www.metrac.org
• Gurr, Mailloux, Kinnon, and Doerage, 1999, Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence
Against Women: A Resource Guide
• Razack, 1998, cited in National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, 2002, In the Best Interests of the
Girl Child, http://www.phacaspc.gc.ca/ncfvcnivf/familyviolence/pdfs/Girl_Child_E.pdf
• Yasmin Jiwani “Reena Virk: The Erasure of Race” The FREDA Centre for Research on Violence
Against Women and Children, December 1997. http://www.harbour.sfu.c/freda/articles/virk.htm.
• Razack, 1994, “From Consent to Responsibility, from Pity to Respect: Subtexts in Cases of Sexual
Violence involving Girls and Women with Developmental Disabilities”, Social Inquiry 19, 4: 891-922
• Jiwani et al. (1999), the Canadian Federation of University Women, Report on the Girl Child.
• RESOLVE Alberta (2002), School Based Violence Prevention Programs: A Resource Manual,
http://www.ucalgary.ca/resolve/violenceprevention/English/reviewprog/childsxintro.htm.
115
Sample Activity - Body Mapping
Help girls to see the connections between personal issues and societal issues
Create opportunities for girls and young women to build their strength, discover their power and gain confidence
Approach:
Collective art and conversation
Length of time suggested: 40 min - 1 hour
Number of participants suggested: As many as are in group. Make sure there are no more than 10
participants per paper/drawing, so there is room for everyone to draw.
Materials needed: large sheets of paper, drawing materials (pens, markers, crayons, etc)
1. Self portrait: one person lies on the floor on a large piece of paper and the rest of the participants trace
their outline.
2. All the girls then write/draw on the diagram on the outside of the form of the body, responding to the
question -- What are issues/forces outside us that are acting on us/our lives?
3. Then, all the girls write/draw on diagram on the inside of the form of the body, responding to the
question -- What are the effects that these issues have on us internally? How do we feel about them?
4. Everyone take a moment to look at the collective drawing and admire.
1. Ask for participants to highlight any contributions to the drawings that they have made.
2. Open up the discussion to allow the girls to ask questions to their peers about any parts of the drawings
that other girls have made.
3. Ask for observations about the connection between inside and outside.
4. Ask what could be done to start to change this picture.
• Participants are seeing the common issues they share.
• Participants are not feeling alone in what is affecting them in their lives
• Participants are beginning to feel they can act together to change this picture.
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Sample activity - Media /Music Deconstruction
Girls to see the connections between personal issues and things that happen outside themselves in the
larger society.
By creating opportunities for girls and young women to build their strength, discover their power and
gain confidence
Approach:
Listening to music/watching music video and conversation
Length of time suggested: 40 min - 1 hour
Number of participants suggested: As many as are in group!
Materials needed:
• Music video or song
• Lyrics printed out
1. Find a popular song and/or video with lyrics that are either oppressive to women, empowering for
women or anywhere in between. Ideally, this should come from music girls listen to!
2. Listen to it together and discuss what the lyrics mean.
• Did you know what the words were before we did this?
• What is your reaction to learning the words?
• How do these lyrics make you feel?
• Participants are seeing the common issues they share.
• Participants are not feeling alone in what is affecting them in their lives.
Other suggested workshop topics to counter gender-specific violence:
• Building good communication skills: theatre based workshops, role playing,
• Self defence workshops: a good self-defence workshop will offer confidence building and
assertiveness training
• Workshops on healthy relationships and healthy dating
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For more resources on this topic, see Resource List on the CD in this binder
“Positive body image was a key theme for Girls’ Club, addressed in multiple activities and
through various media. For example,“The girls learned to create digital collages that
represented positive body image … not only did they learn a new skill using a different
medium, they also demonstrated a new form of communication.” Zine making was also used
as a means of self-expression that is outside the mainstream of regular media channels. Girls’
Club addressed body image issues through activities designed to have girls articulate social
expectations of beauty and body image, and then critically reflect on these.”
~ Natalie Kishchuk, PCN external evaluator, “Girls’ Club Evaluation Report 2006-07”
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–4–
Strategizing, Planning and Taking Action
I ask youth what they want, what are some things that they see in their community, that they wish
were different but don’t know how to fix it, or don’t know who to turn to. If they don’t know, I
give them suggestions to help them, and then develop programming that is of interest to them.
~ Bev Walker, Millbrook Family Healing Centre, Truro, Nova Scotia
We attempted to get the girls involved in outside opportunities, build their confidence from
feeling respected in a girl-centred space, and our eventual intention was to have them help cofacilitate after they had completed the program.
~ Joanne Cave, Ophelia’s Voice, Sherwood Park Alberta
Strategizing and planning for action means thinking of options you and the group have
for making the situation better; brainstorming and trying out different ideas (for example,
thinking of how you can talk to girls about the negative effects of cliques).
The action phase of the process is very important. It offers hope and possibility and
engages girls in working together and building team skills. It is a very important step in
engaging the broader community. Girls have the opportunity to share their learning and awareness with their
peers and their community. The girl program community can have an important impact for positive change
on their broader community. This step also provides girls with an important opportunity to practice their self
expression and self advocacy and share their thoughts and ideas. This is an important part of confidence and
self-assertiveness and advocacy building.
Applying what’s been learned and taking action can mean doing a letter writing campaign, organizing a
workshop, making a ‘zine or talking to friends. (For example, girls could decide not to be mean to other girls
and tell their friends about it, creating a ‘zine about why girls should support each other.)
The following are some suggestions of activities that could happen in the strategizing aspect of the popular
education spiral.
119
Sample activity: Marching Against Poverty
• To create knowledge about poverty
• To act against poverty
• To demonstrate the power of action, voice, and protest
• By giving girls the tools they need to participate fully in society
• By building a movement of active, engaged young women and organizations across Canada
Approach:
This activity requires 2 locations: the program space and a marching route in the community. Group discussion,
creative activity, physical activity and community action are all a part of this activity.
Length of time suggested: 2 sessions of approximately 1-2 hours.
Number of participants suggested: As many as possible!
Materials needed:
• Poster board
• Paint, markers, and other art supplies
• Scrap wood from hardware store (free)
• Statistics and information on poverty
• Noise makers (whistles, drums, etc…)
• Staple gun
• Healthy snacks
Session 1: Making Protest Posters
1. Discuss poverty in a group setting and give participants information and statistics.
2. Process Questions:
a. What does poverty look like?
b. Who does poverty effect?
3. Distribute poster boards and art supplies and encourage the participants to write down how poverty
affects them and what their demands are. If needed, be prepared with slogans and statistics as
examples such as:
a. “Make Poverty History”
b. “Stop Poverty Now!”
c. “Help Eliminate Poverty”
120
4. Attach scrap pieces of wood to each poster with a staple gun for each participant to have throughout
the march.
Session 2: Logistics and Planning for Your March
1. Depending on the age of the participants, parent/guardian permission and/or transportation may be
needed. Be sure to have all permission slips before leaving!
2. Have a healthy snack before leaving, as the participants will need energy.
3. Map out a route and make it clear to each facilitator and volunteer.
4. Ensure that there are enough facilitators/volunteers to match the number of participants.
5. Start your march: scream, chant, and cause some ruckus!
• What other actions would achieve this objective?
• What are the pros and cons of other tactics?
Key Tips and Suggestions:
• When thinking of doing an action such as this, ensure that the participants have a sense of ownership
of the action by having a brainstorming session around a theme or action (such as poverty).
• Dress according to the season. In the winter, facilitators should come with extra hats, gloves, and scarves.
• For a louder impact, you can gain access to a megaphone, but be aware of any legalities associated
with such actions.
• Make use of volunteers, depending on the size of the group.
• It’s important to do your research on the community in which you’re protesting, while keeping in mind
the limits that may be in place.
• Girls have fun!
• Lots of people come out for the march!
Some other action-based activities you may want to try are:
• Organizing an event to display artwork created by girls on key issues.
o Organizing a fundraising event to support efforts on key issues girls want to take action on.
• ‘Zine making and distributing.
o Exploring with the girls ways in which they influence their community for positive change.
• Organizing a demonstration in the community on issues the girls want to take action on.
• Creating a banner and displaying it in a public space.
• Public chalk writing.
• Connecting with local MP’s around issues that the girls are concerned about.
121
–5–
Reflecting on practice: Evaluation
Evaluation is best when it is useful and participatory. If you don’t know how to do evaluation,
try getting help from an external advisor. Factor evaluation into budgets and reports – it
is a great way to add legitimacy to your work.
Our key tips around evaluation are:
• Evaluation should be FUN and RELEVANT
• Don’t be afraid of it
• Use it to your advantage: Use it to inform the practice of the organization and to build legitimacy.
There are different innovative approaches to evaluation. At PCN, we found that the traditional, linear,
outcome-based approach to evaluation didn’t really make sense, especially since our programs tend to
change in unpredictable yet exciting ways as we learn and grow. So we adopted a new form of evaluation
called Developmental Evaluation. Michael Patton writes about this kind of evaluation in his book, UtilizationFocused Evaluation. He defines it as:
Evaluation processes and activities that support program, project, product, personnel and/
or organizational development (usually the latter). The evaluator is part of a team whose
members collaborate to conceptualize, design and test new approaches in a long-term, ongoing process of continuous improvement, adaptation, and intentional change. The evaluator’s
primary function in the team is to elucidate team discussions with evaluative data and logic,
and to facilitate data-based decision making in the developmental process (Patton, 1994: 317).
This is exactly how we have used our evaluation results. What you learn from evaluating and reflecting on your
girls’ program gets recycled right back into how you facilitate and how you plan the programming. Patton
explains that developmental evaluation is for program designers who
never expect to arrive at a steady state of programming because they’re constantly tinkering as
participants, conditions, learnings and context change. They […] aspire to continuous progress,
ongoing adaptation and rapid responsiveness. No sooner do they articulate and clarify some
aspect of the process than that very awareness becomes an intervention and acts to change what
they do […] they expect to be forever developing and changing – and they want an evaluation
approach that supports development and change. […] From a development perspective, you do
something different because something has changed –your understanding, the characteristics of
participants, technology, or the world. Those changes are dictated by your current perceptions,
but the commitment to change doesn’t carry a judgment that what was done before was
inadequate or less effective. Change is not necessarily progress. Change is adaptation. […]
(Patton, 1994: 313).
122
Evaluation can seem boring, but you can transform into a really useful and interesting opportunity to help you
improve your programs and strengthen your legitimacy in the eyes of funders. Use it to your advantage!
Here is an example evaluation method:
1. Collect your data!
The following methods are simple and useful. The written materials or notes from reflection sessions become
the “data” for your evaluation reports. Remember that you don’t have to use all of these suggestions – just
use the methods that work for you and fit your program.
• After each workshop with your girls group, write down one or a few anecdotes – stories of things girls
said or did that demonstrated their learning during the workshop.
• Facilitate reflection sessions with the girls halfway through the program and near the end. Ask them
what they learned in the program, how they see themselves differently now (if at all), what they liked
best and least, if they act differently in school or at home or with friends now, etc. Have a co-facilitator
take notes and write these answers up.
• Ask the girls to fill out evaluation questionnaires. For younger girls, there are some simple ways to get
at answers to the above questions. See the following sample workshop evaluation sheet.
• Do interviews with parents, school staff or community centre staff to see if they have observed any
changed behaviours or attitudes in the girls (e.g. more confidence, speaking up, or dealing creatively
with conflict situations). Write down their answers – this can be a great way to demonstrate the impacts
of your program!
2. Analyse your data.
Once you have collected some “data” (often near the end of a season or year), you do the analysis.
This means reading through all the questionnaires, interview notes, reflection session notes, and your
facilitator’s notes. Do this with your advisory committee, or with your co-facilitators, co-workers, supervisor,
or friends. (It is good to have different people’s perspectives to add to the mix.) Give everyone a copy of
your program’s objectives.
Have a discussion about what you have read. What are the themes emerging from the girls, from parents
and from facilitators? What is most striking or interesting about what people have said? Go through your
objectives and find examples in the data that show how you are moving towards your objectives. Take special
note of new or unexpected outcomes (things you didn’t expect to happen, but did – for the benefit of the
girls or the program). Also take special note of the important learnings you will take into your program next
time around.
3. Write a report or write up your notes
Write an evaluation report or if you don’t need to do this formally, just write up your notes from the analysis. In
an evaluation report, say how you collected the data and say what the outcomes of your girls’ program were.
A good format is to write your first outcome in a box and then underneath write quotes from girls or parents or
facilitators that give examples of that outcome. Do the same for each of your outcomes (2 to 5 are enough!).
You can also write a section called “observations” that say what you have learned about the program, and
some of the refinements you will make to the program next time.
123
Example Workshop Evaluation - Head Heart Hands
This can be used as a personal/anonymous evaluation, done on a sheet of paper (attached). Alternately, the
same questions can be posted on flip chart paper and participants can write on the flip chart or write their
responses on post-it notes to post on the chart. In either case you give the opportunity to those who would
like to share their responses to speak up.
124
Head, Heart, Hands Worksheet
Head - What are you thinking? What new
ideas have you learned?
Heart - How do you feel?
Hands/Feet - What are you going to do
now, or next?
125
126
� � �
� � �
� � �
Why?
Why?
Why?
Engaging participants?
� Yes � No � What would have helped you?
� � �
� � �
� � �
Key areas:
*Knowledge & understanding of violence issues
*Critical thinkingotes:
you address it?address? nd howe to fill this gap eir
digitath from under-represented cultth girls and young
women, most
*Social & communication skills
*Personal & social action
How did the girls demonstrate their learning today in one (or more!) of the program’s key areas?
Examples of things girls said or did.
Information/preparation? � Yes � No � What would have helped you?
Time?
Workshop location:
Why?
Why?
Why?
Getting the workshop’s message across?
How successful was the activity, in terms of:
Workshop date:
Did you have everything you needed in terms of:
Materials? � Yes � No � What was missing or would have helped you?
3rd
2nd
1
st
Which activities did you do?
Workshop name:
ABC GIRLS’ PROGRAM: FACILITATOR EVALUATION FORM (page 1)
127
Notes:
What interventions did you do today? What challenge did you address? How did you address it?
Was ABC Girls’ Program a safe space for all participants today? � �� Explain:
ABC GIRLS’ PROGRAM: FACILITATOR EVALUATION FORM (page 2)
Bringing it all together
Throughout this resource we have outlined various aspects of a girls’ program and activities you may want to
consider using. To help bring the whole picture together we offer this final loom design tool, which models
what a possible session could look like, weaving in various pieces mentioned previously. We wish you luck
in creating your program!
128
129
30
10
15
40
3:30
4:00
4:10
4:25
3:00
TIME
OBJECTIVE
To look at the meaning
behind songs that we like
Establish starting place for
session
Establish atmosphere of fun,
energize group
Set-up space
30 Touch base for session
Session Plan:
3. Self expression!
Large group
Go around
Energizer
Set-up
Check in
METHOD
2. Reinvent the images you would like to see in the media
1. Explore the meaning behind media images or lyrics
Session Objectives:
- Listening to music can involve dancing too!
Music deconstruction (see previous activity outline)
· How they are feeling right now
· How their day was
Invite each participant to share (choose or make up
question)
· How their week was (or whatever length of time it
has been since you last met)
Elephants and giraffes (see previous activity outline)
· Post other charts
· Put up agendas
· Get snacks ready
· Bringing forward any other concerns
· Consideration for any safety procedures
· Delegating of tasks and facilitation based on
collective decision making
· Defining and clarification of the day’s activities
Copies music lyrics
DVD of music videos
Billboard paper
Agenda on flipchart
Markers
Snacks
STUFF
(Who leads?)
(Who leads?)
Facilitators
Facilitators
WHO
130
Relax
5
20
10
10
5:05
5:15
5:20
5:40
5:50
Evaluate session
Wrapping Up
To make your own meanings,
or alternate songs or images
(Re) energize group
OBJECTIVE
10
TIME
BREAK
Large group
Head hearts hands
Sharing our images/lyrics
- Create a poem or picture - or whole zine on the
topics
- Act out an alternative music video
Small groups Break into small groups - through an activity or let
girls decide
- Write alternative lyrics to the same tune
Energizer
METHOD
Copies of hand outs
Makers
Paper
Magazines
Glues
Glitter
Snacks
STUFF
WHO

and Programs - Girls Action Foundation

Transcription

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