Ambassadors for Change: Training Course on Gender Equality and Gender Mainstreaming for CoE Gender Equality Rapporteurs

Thursday 2nd December 2021, afternoon

Friday 3rd December 2021, all day

Council of Europe, Agora Room G05, Strasbourg

Trainer: Anne Laure Humbert

Background

Gender equalityis one of the priorities of the Councilof Europe, and essential in fulfilling its mission. The Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023 underlines the importance of achieving gender mainstreaming in all areas of the CoE’s policies and activities. Gender Equality Rapporteurs (GERs) are appointed among the members of the steering committees and other intergovernmental structures of the Councilof Europe (CoE) and play a key role in promoting gender mainstreaming in all policiesand measures. The role of GERs is to provide impetus to the effective integration of a gender equality perspective in the work of their respective steering committee or monitoring body, thereby ensuring that gender mainstreaming progressively becomes an integral part of their work.

Objective of the Training

To enhance the analytical and operational capacity of Council of Europe GERs to mainstream gender equality, intersectionality and women’s rights in their overall work.

Expected outcomes:

At the end of the 1.5-day Training, participants will have:

· Acquired a clear and deeper overview of gender mainstreaming, gender equality and intersectionality-related concepts and policies.

· Acquired a set of gender mainstreaming tools and entrypoints to use in their different areasof work.

· Enhanced their understanding of the key role they play as Gender Equality Rapporteurs and developed compelling arguments to more effectively tackle resistance to gender equality.

Target groups: CoE Gender Equality Rapporteurs

Organisers and support on behalf of the Council of Europe:

- Cécile Gréboval, Programme Manager, Gender Mainstreaming, Gender Equality Advisor, Gender Equality Division

- Evrydiki Tseliou, Administrative assistant, Gender Equality Division

Training Materials

· Council of Europe Handbook for Gender Equality Rapporteurs: https://www.coe.int/en/web/genderequality/gender-equality-rapporteurs

· Gender mainstreaming webpage, including tools and information on different policy areas

· Council of Europe Gender Equality Glossary, March 2016

· Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy 2018 – 2023

· UNDP Let’s Speak Gender: 10 Principles of Gender-Responsive Communications for Development

· Presentations and hand-outs for training course – available online after the training

Programme for DAY ONE: Thursday, 2 December afternoon

(14:00 - 17:30)


14:00 – 14:30	Welcome and introduction - Welcome by Roberto Olla, Head of Council of Europe Human Dignity and Gender Equality Department - Introduction of trainer and supporting team from the Council of Europe. - Explanation of the programme. - Information about group composition. - Roundtable of presentations where GERs introduce themselves.
14:30 – 15:00	Icebreaker: Why gender equality matters Description: This session focus on enabling participants to introduce themselves and get to know the others. It will also enable them to develop convincing entry points/arguments for gender equality in their work. It is based on a collective exercise to get to know colleagues better and develop convincing entry points on gender equality. Method: group work TASKSHEET #1: Practical exercise on how arguments to support the importance of gender equality work Instructions: Reflect in your group for 10 minutes on arguments to be presented on: “Why is gender mainstreaming important for the Council of Europe?” Guidelines: - Break out groups: 3 groups discuss for 10 minutes and agree on key arguments to present in Plenary. - One person per group Reports back in Plenary (3 minutes per group). - Please remember that you will be in the same group for the two days and kindly choosee different Rapporteurs each time
15:00 – 15:40	MODULE ONE: Building common ground as GERs: Clarifying and enhancing knowledge of key gender equality concepts. Description: This session includes an interactive PPT presentation on concepts with concrete examples to show why these concepts matter to the work of the CoE and their added value. - Sex and gender - Gender norms, gender roles and gender stereotypes - “Equal opportunities” - Gender mainstreaming Method: Interactive session divided into four sets of key concepts. Participants will be invited to discuss and share their experiences in working with each four sets of key concepts (successes and obstacles) in plenary.
15:40 – 16:00	Break
16:00 – 16:30	Quiz on facts and figures relevant to gender equality Description: The quiz will establish the need for gender equality by looking at reality through data, and illustrate how data can be used to convince others of the need to work towards gender equality. Method: Participatory quiz in plenary.
16:30 – 17:20	MODULE TWO: Leading by Example: using gender-sensitive communication (language, images, events) Description: Interactive PPT presentation to raise awareness of the need for gender-sensitive communication, the consequences of not doing so, and strategies to embed inclusive communication into own work. - Introduction to the principles of gender-sensitive communication - Illustration of how sexist images and language are problematic for gender equality - Discuss strategies for inclusive communication in your own work Method: PPT presentation on sexism in language/images Participants will be invited to discuss and share their experiences in plenary: - To what extent have you encountered these issues in your work? - What strategies have you employed to increase the use of gender-sensitive communication? PPT on strategies for inclusive communication Warming down exercise before closing in plenary
17:20 – 17:30	Highlights of the day; short wrap up by Trainer and review of Programme for Day Two

Programme for DAY TWO: Friday, 3 December (09:30-17.30)


09:30 – 09:40	Welcome, recap from previous day and programme for the morning
09:40 – 10:10	MODULE THREE: “Ambassadors for Change”: the key role of GERS, and what the CoE recommends with concrete actions, examples and good to know entry points Description: This session will look at key roles of GERs focusing on - The CoE’s key principles related to gender equality - The key role of Gender Equality Rapporteurs - Outline of concrete actions Method: Interactive PPT by Trainer in plenary Concrete actions to be picked up again in MODULE SEVEN
10:10 – 11:40	MODULE FOUR: Walking the Talk: CoE Policy/Strategies to advocate for gender equality and women’s rights into your work, dealing with resistances Description: Interactive PPT by Trainer in Plenary, followed by group discussion on building arguments to neutralise/deconstruct resistance. Objectives: 1. To learn about concrete strategies to integrate gender equality and women’s rights in the respective areas of work of GERs. 2. To develop key arguments for enhanced influence at GER’s level 3. To learn how to deal with resistances effectively Method: Interactive PPT on five main Strategies to promote Gender Equality Group work TASKSHEET #2: How to choose the best strategies to promote gender equality from an intersectional perspective Guidelines : - Work with your respective group. - Look at the Table below and read the eight gender and intersectional problems presented. Each of them describes an unequal situation requiring some action (strategy). - Please choose one problem/issue and for each of them answer the following questions: o Which strategy would be the most appropriate to address this problem/issue? You can choose one or two strategies max. from the Table in Annex. o To whom would this strategy be addressed? Choose two key target group(s) that you could reach out for a response/approach to the problem. o What would be your expected result? Interactive session on building arguments to neutralise/deconstruct resistance
11:40 – 12:00	Break
12:00 – 13:00	MODULE FIVE: sharing good practices/lessons learnt in mainstreaming gender equality in your work Description: This will be a collective knowledge-building session where participants will share their good practices/challenges encountered in mainstreaming gender equality in their respective topics/committees. Method: Presentation by participants Questions and group discussion about gender mainstreaming work as a GER Presentations and plenary discussions will be structured around the following questions: a) what has worked? b) what has not? c) where are the obstacles? d) where are the opportunities for contributing to transformative gender change?
13:00 – 14:30	Lunch break
14:30 – 14:40	Energiser exercise
14:40 –15:40	MODULE SIX: how to do a gender/intersectional scan of our documents Description: Participants will use documents to do gender sensitive/intersectional analysis of these documents. Method: group work TASKSHEET #3: How to integrate gender equality and intersectional perspectives in your work Instructions: Work in groups, and work on the document that was selected for your group. Choose a Rapporteur to present results in Plenary. Go through the document(s) to get familiar with its contents (10 minutes) As a group, select some of the sections of the document/website/tool/video and answer 4 of the 13 questions below, or more if you have time. Discuss your explanations with your group and agree on what you will report (30 minutes). Choose Rapporteur who will share results in plenary (20 minutes)
15:40 – 16:00	Break
16:00 – 17:00	MODULE SEVEN: Design your “Gender Mainstreaming Roadmap” to put your Committee/team in action Description: This session provides an opportunity to reflect on concrete actions that are effective and those to be considered further. This exercise feeds into the design of a Gender Equality Mainstreaming Roadmap. Method: Practical exercise on concrete actions used and to be considered TASKSHEET #4: Practical exercise on concrete actions in the work of GERs Instructions: - Go around the room to have a look at the concrete actions set out in the CoE handbook for GERs - Select THREE concrete actions have you used most effectively in your roles as GER - Select THREE concrete actions you would you like to use more - Review the selections made by other GERs Guidelines: Time for this exercise: 30 mins in total (20 mins reading + selection, 10 mins for review). Design GM Roadmap TASKSHEET #5: Design your “Gender Equality Mainstreaming Roadmap” to put your Committee/team in action Instructions: Design your “Gender Equality Mainstreaming Roadmap” to put your Committee/team in action (15 mins individual work, 15 mins sharing reflections in plenary) Starting from the identification of the main gender mainstreaming needs of the members of your Committee/team, explain a) which key gender mainstreaming action do you intend to take forward and why? b) what would be the expected outcome (gender and intersectionally sensitive result?) c) who would be your targets or allies? d) which tool would you use? (for example: an outreach initiative; a quiz/short video/questionnaire.; a preliminary draft for a public event, a commentary on a Policy, etc.
17:00 – 17:30	Oral Collective Evaluation session and closure by Cécile Gréboval, Gender Equality Division