Gearing Handbook Outline Final Draft Revisions MK 300622

Handbook for
Creating a Gender-
Sensitive Curriculum
Teaching and Learning
Strategies
Edited by Mary Kitchener

with Anne Laure Humbert
This handbook has been a joint publication between the Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice and the Oxford Centre for Academic
Enhancement and Development (Oxford CAED). Led by Dr Mary Kitchener and overseen by Professor Jackie Potter and Professor Anne Laure Humbert.
The project has been supported and guided by Dr Kate Clayton-Hathway, Dr Heather Griffiths, Irmgard Huppe, Dr Liz Lovegrove, Cathy Malone, Dr Sue
Moron Garcia, Dr Jane Pritchard, Kat Kwok, and Mieke Tyrrell. The project team would like to gratefully thank Chloe Meek, MA in Publishing student at
Oxford Brookes for editing the handbook, as well as Milica Antić Gaber, Jasna Podreka, Tjaša Cankar and Živa Kos at the University of Ljubljana, and
Zeynep Gülru Göker, İlayda Ece Ova and Ayşe Gül Altınay at Sabancı University for reviewing it.
This handbook has been developed as part of the GEARING-Roles project (https://gearingroles.eu/), funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Research and Innovation program under Grant Agreement n° 824536. GEARING-Roles stands for Gender Equality Actions in Research Institutions to
traNsform Gender Roles and consists of a multidisciplinary consortium of 10 European academic and non-academic partners that work together to
design, implement, and evaluate six Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) following the steps described in the GEAR tool (define, plan, act and check). Overall,
the GEARING-Roles project challenges and transforms gender roles and identities linked to professional careers and works towards real institutional
change.
This project is funded by the EU. This publication has been produced with the financial support of the
European Union’s H2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 824536. The
contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and can in no way be taken to reflect
the views of the European Commission.
Contents
Using the handbook 1
Introduction 1
Section 1: Teaching about gender 3
Case Study 1.1 Students as active agents in facilitating gender justice in higher education 4
Case Study 1.2 Gender-neutrality in the teaching of partnered social dance 6
Case Study 1.3 Raising awareness in the geography classroom: gender-sensitive teaching-learning 8
Case Study 1.4 Staging gender in drama education 10
Case Study 1.5 Uncovering multiple layers through ‘The Quilt’ 12
Case Study 1.6 Gender empowerment through legislation: extend the concept, or extend the characteristics of hate crime? 14
Case Study 1.7 Death becomes them 16
Case Study 1.8 Filmic empathy in the inclusive classroom 19
Case Study 1.9 Feminist critical discourse analysis of song lyrics 21
Case study 1.10 Discussing gender-based violence through literary texts 22
Case Study 1.11 Salford Business School Athena SWAN essay competition – theme: ‘Women in 2021 and Beyond’ 24
Case Study 1.12 The legal profession, senior judiciary and gender 26
Case study 1.13 Feminist perspective on International Relations Theory 29

Case study 1.14 Inclusive writing in French (l’écriture inclusive) 30
Case Study 1.15 Museum 32
Case Study 1.16 Women in management: causes and remedies 35
Case study 1.17 Focusing on gender roles in topics of world history through assessment 38
Case Study 1.18 Gender, postcolonialism and positioning: imag(in)ing others 40
Case Study 1.19 Developing gender-sensitivity in Bharatanatyam using the Bechdel test 43
Case Study 1.20 Social work interventions with men and boys 45
Case Study 1.21 Equality, diversity and inclusion week – challenging stereotypes 47
Case Study 1.22 Embedding gender in entrepreneurship curriculum 49
Case Study 1.23 An introduction to gender issues for first-year undergraduate students 53
Section Two: Developing gender-sensitive teaching approaches 55
Case Study 2.1 Building gender-sensitivity awareness and creating ‘brave spaces’ 56
Case Study 2.2 Who am I? Stimulating reflection on gender identities in the higher education classroom 59
Case Study 2.3 Gender justice in social science 62
Case Study 2.4 Practices for gender-inclusive module introductions 65
Case Study 2.5 Creating inclusive culture from the start of your module 67
Case Study 2.6 Let’s get to know each other as we start! Pronominal systems and the pronoun go-round 69
Case study 2.7 A collaborative project addressing gender equality in a problem-solving manner 72
Case Study 2.8 Promoting gender-inclusive engineering and design: the pulsimeter mini-project 74
Case Study 2.9 Designing gender-inclusive teaching materials – the Purple Certificate Program 76
Section Three: Supporting students and staff to be gender-sensitive 78
Case Study 3.1 Careful consideration of portrayed gender stereotypes in university teaching 79
Case study 3.2 Inspiring and supporting women hospitality students through a gender balanced portfolio of guest speakers 81
Case Study 3.3 Salford Business School ‘Future Females’ LinkedIn group and internship 83
Case study 3.4 Gender-sensitive mentoring of modern languages’ women teachers in UK higher education 85
Case Study 3.5 Dimensions of gender in personal tutoring practice: a facilitative tool for exploring practice 88
Case Study 3.6 Supporting the learning of women from Oman and Kuwait studying engineering in an English-speaking country 90
Case Study 3.7 Guides to mainstreaming gender in university teaching 93
Case Study 3.8 The Fairness Project 95
Case Study 3.9 WinECO: Women in Economics 98
Case Study 3.10 “You can’t be what you can’t see”: Improving retention of women students by increasing the visibility and diversity of
relatable role models 100
Section Four: Creating and supporting institutional approaches to embed gender-sensitivity in the curriculum 102
Case Study 4.1 Belle of the ball, or queen of the classroom?: Academic drag as a site of fabulous resistance 103
Case Study 4.2 Right from the start: gender-sensitive induction to first-year economics students 106
Case Study 4.3 Integrating bias aware teaching and learning practices (BATL) in a university’s lecturer training programme 108
Case Study 4.4 Professional development and networking interventions to promote gender equality in a distributed university 110
Case study 4.5 Days of gender equality as a tool for developing institutional and community awareness and building a co-creative
atmosphere for the introduction of gender topics into the curricula 114
Case Study 4.6 Developing new academics’ awareness for gender and ethnicity in curriculum design 117
Case Study 4.7 Mainstreaming gender pedagogy: presences and absences in a humanities department 119
Case Study 4.8 Mainstreaming gender pedagogy: presences and absences in the natural sciences 121
Case Study 4.9 Mainstreaming gender pedagogy: presences and absences in applied social sciences 123
Case Study 4.10 Integrating the gender dimension into research projects/proposals: a training proposal activity 125
Case Study 4.11 Using gender audit as a tool to develop gender-sensitive curriculum in higher education 127
Case Study 4.12 Develop a workplace code of conduct 129
Case Study 4.13 Highlighting gender biases in research policies and processes 132
Case Study 4.14 Hearing trans voices in higher education and pedagogical environments 137
Case Study 4.15 Recognising and responding to the challenges of EDI training 139
Case Study 4.16 Inclusion of gender perspective in teaching 142
Case Study 4.17 Gender on the higher education learning agenda internationally: co-constructing foundations for equitable futures 145
Case Study 4.18 Developing institutional and community awareness to the legitimacy and visibility of gendered topics 147
Contributors 151
Using the handbook
There are four main sections to the handbook. In each section, you will find an introductory paragraph outlining the topic and what is to follow. For each
section, we have selected a range of case studies to reflect how to apply gender-sensitive activities/strategies to online (synchronous and asynchronous)
and face to face teaching environments. You will find that each section is full of practical strategies that you can easily adapt to your teaching practices.
These strategies have emerged from a theoretical basis so you will see references and in some cases further information, that you can also follow up to
find out more.
Each case study includes a separate quick-reference guide with infographics to provide additional context for the initiative or activity. This includes the
discipline the case-study originated from, the cohort for which the initiative or activity was originally designed, the teaching context – typically face-to-
face/in the classroom or online, and size of the group originally involved. This is followed by a visual indicator of whether the initiative or activity can be
conducted in different teaching contexts, with different cohorts, and across different discipline
Introduction
Challenging the so-called gender neutrality of the curriculum has never been as important nor as visible. Unfortunately, if gender neutrality is simply
understood as not looking at the aspects of sex and gender, it does not mean that it will be necessarily gender-sensitive. Instead, it may be that it misses
out on the perspectives of certain groups, and at worse reinforce inequalities within the curriculum. The European Commission recognised the importance
of the gender dimension in research and innovation in its European Research Area 2012 Framework (EC, 2012) as a key objective in working towards
institutional change. The gender dimension is about giving consideration to how sex and gender analysis can be applied to various interdisciplinary areas
(Korsvik & Rustad, 2018). The European Commission also requires the gender dimension to be integrated into all proposals under Horizon Europe and
has made it part of the evaluation criteria (EC, n.d.). The requirement for institutions to have a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) as an eligibility criterion to
access EU funding (EC, 2021) will likely further support greater considerations of the gender dimension in research and innovation.
Universities and other higher education institutions must ensure that their curriculum is gender-sensitive given the fundamental role they play in shaping
not only today’s society, but also that of the future. A gender-sensitive curriculum is a prerequisite to ensure that the different concerns, needs, living
conditions and circumstances of individuals – in all their diversity – are reflected in society. Of course, this should address gender inequalities, and this
beyond a simple binary understanding of sex and gender, and incorporating an intersectional perspective that recognises that different layers of identities
will produce different inequalities. As research and teaching are deeply intertwined, it is paramount to also consider how gender-sensitive research can
be integrated into the curriculum.
But how to go about creating a more gender-sensitive curriculum? That is the topic of this handbook, which provides case studies and illustrations from
across Europe to illustrate how others have successfully managed to strengthen the gender dimension in their teaching practice. The purpose of this
handbook is therefore to inspire its readers. The case studies included here aim to be a starting point for further reflection and action, as invariably they
will need to be adapted for different contexts or subject areas. This handbook is organised into four sections and is based on a self-assessment checklist
for a gender-sensitive curriculum, available here: https://gearingroles.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2002-Gender-mainstreaming-in-education.pdf.
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1. The handbook starts by addressing the need for the curriculum to include gender-sensitive content (the ‘what’). This can mean engaging explicitly
with unequal power relations between women and men but also taking an intersectional perspective by including other grounds of diversity (such
as age, disability, ethnicity, etc) that may intersect with sex and gender.
2. The handbook then focuses on gender-sensitive pedagogy by looking at how to embed gender in different modalities of teaching and learning,
including the potential gender biases both in the knowledge and attitudes of educators, and in their teaching practice (the ‘how’).
3. Next, the handbook looks at the gender-sensitive structures that are needed, such as the gender composition of staff, their knowledge on the
relevance of the sex and gender perspective in relation to their subject area, and their engagement in continuous professiona l development in
that area (the ‘who’).
4. Finally, the handbook looks at the ecosystems that higher education institutions need to put into place for a gender-sensitive curriculum. This
focuses on ensuring that there is institutional commitment at all levels – including senior staff – and is supported by regular assessment, monitoring
and evaluation. This also relies on ensuring that measures are put into place to combat sexism, sexual harassment and gender -based violence
within/between staff and students (the context or ‘where’).
References
European Commission. (2012). A reinforced European research area partnership for excellence and growth. Communication from the Commission to the European
Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, COM (2012) 392 final. Retrieved from https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52012DC0392&from=EN
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, (2021). Horizon Europe, gender equality: a strengthened commitment in Horizon Europe,
Publications Office. Retrieved from https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/97891
European Commission (n.d.) Gender equality in research and innovation - gender equality in Horizon Europe Retrieved from: https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-
innovation/strategy/strategy-2020-2024/democracy-and-rights/gender-equality-research-and-innovation_en#gender-equality-in-horizon-europe
Korsvik, T. R., & Rustad, L. M. (2018). What is the gender dimension in research? Cases studies in interdisciplinary research. Kilden genderresearch. no Norway.
Retrieved from https://kjonnsforskning.no/sites/default/files/what_is_the_gender_dimension_roggkorsvik_kilden_genderresearch.no_.pdf
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Section 1: Teaching about gender
This section sets out examples of gender-sensitive, subject-specific curriculum content that includes a gender equality perspective. Behind each of
the case studies is the importance of being aware of the wider context in which higher education operates and supporting students to become more
gender-aware members of society. Here we see examples of creating the conditions for transformative learning (Mezirow, 2000), for learners to have the
opportunity to look critically at underlying values, beliefs and assumptions, not just their own but within their discipline and wider society. Through these
activities, higher education practitioners have facilitated a gender lens for students to engage in learning opportunities that question the taken-for-granted
assumptions about the world. These lenses can then be used to spotlight inequalities, question assumptions and give space for reflection, discussion
and reimagination.
The following case studies do just that; they utilise a number of techniques to engage explicitly with unequal power relations, not just sex and gender but
also an intersectional perspective to highlight inequalities produced on a number of different axes, and then create the conditions to promote gender
equality. This section includes case studies that use artefacts to facilitate gender-sensitive discussions, while other case studies demonstrate how the
creation of artefacts offers a learning opportunity to raise awareness and question taken-for-granted assumptions about gender. We also have case
studies where gender awareness is embedded into the curriculum. Finally, we have case studies that promote gender-sensitivity in extra-curricular
activities.
References
Mezirow, J. (2000) Learning as Transformation: Critical Perspectives on a Theory in Progress. The Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education Series. Jossey-Bass
Publishers, San Francisco.
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Case Study 1.1 Students as active agents in facilitating gender justice in higher education
Hanya Pielichaty, University of Lincoln, UK
What they did

As part of a gender and business module, postgraduate students were tasked with creating individual conference posters.
This task was formative and its purpose of this was to stimulate student thinking in both a critical and creative manner
which would later assist them in their summative assessment. The aim was to engage students as ‘active agents’ in
Discipline
presenting critical gender-relevant knowledge by providing them with a creative ‘voice’ within and beyond the classroom Business
walls.
Why they did it that way

It was designed this way to empower students through active learning in a creative and purposeful manner. Students,
through this method, formed part of a wider community and contributed to tackling gender injustice in business and more Cohort
Postgraduate
broadly. On reflection, through the process and production of a tangible, visible ‘output’, students contributed to gender
justice (Pielichaty, 2021) through learning. Student work was physically present to provide a visual reminder and example
of how gender inequalities circulate within business spheres. This formative assessment was used to impact knowledge
and actively highlight stereotypes in business. Gender can be thought of as having two dimensions, namely: distribution
(political-economic side) and recognition (cultural-discursive side) (see Fraser, 2007) and students as part of this module Teaching Context
could map these two areas of potential injustice across the assessment posters. It is important that modules of this kind Classroom and
are designed to be activist in nature, seeking to bring about social change. small group teaching
How it went
As part of the evaluation, students were provided with verbal feedback at the conference event and also a short, written
summary of how their poster content could be developed in preparation for their later assessment. The posters also Group Size 14
provided students with project work to show future employers and valuable content to use for their online career profile.
Can be applied to different

Suggestions for use
Teaching contexts ☑
1. Provide students with space to learn independently.
Cohorts ☑
2. Advertise and showcase module work across your institution.
Disciplines ☑
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3. Empower students to co-create in their own learning by giving them the tools and space to excel.
4. Coordinate work in a way that creates an ‘output’ for students to evidence impact.
5. Create an online platform to showcase student work across sites.
References
Fraser, N. (2007). Feminist politics in the age of recognition: A two-dimensional approach to gender justice. Studies in Social
Justice, 1(1), 23-35.
Pielichaty, H. (2020). Embedding gender justice in higher education: an example from sports business management. IMPact e-
journal, 4(1).
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Case Study 1.2 Gender-neutrality in the teaching of partnered social dance
Jamie A. Davies and Katie E. Brooks, University of Edinburgh, UK
What they did

The context is the teaching of social partnered jazz dances (e.g. Lindy Hop, Shag, Balboa, Charleston, Blues) to a
university swing dance society. The teaching is on university premises but not part of any formal curriculum. These dances
all involve a leader and a follower. Students generally arrive with an expectation that these must be women and men
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respectively, and that their learning and experience will be defined by gender. Dance
We challenge this by;

● Explaining at the beginning that the roles do not have to be gendered, and stressing that the jazz age from which
these dances came was an era when people would dance any role and anyone could dance with anyone
irrespective of gender: the strong gendered expectations started only in the 1950s. Cohort
Undergraduate and
● Removing gendered language from our teaching ('leader' and 'follower', not 'woman' and 'man', and avoidance of postgraduate
'she'/ 'he', usually replacing with 'they' so that we are inclusive of non-binary people).
● Giving assurance/ warning that no conclusions about gender or sexuality can be drawn from people's choice of
dance role or gender of partner at any particular moment.
● Including historic videos showing a mix of roles and partnerships in online teaching.
● More advanced pupils help with beginners’ classes, and they show the gender-independent choice of roles (and Teaching Context
Studio
alternation of roles) by example. Extracurricular
● We never force anyone into any role: our emphasis is on freedom from perceived gender norms.

There is a cultural expectation of gendered roles to be overcome (Dalziel, 2015, Kaminsky 2020). But this is informal Group Size 12 - 200
teaching and pupils are here for their enjoyment, so our approaches had to feel 'natural' and not forced. We focus on
language because it has such a strong subconscious effect on the expectation of who can fill a role (Sczesny,
Formanowicz & Moser, 2016). Historical material is provided to give an evidence base.
Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
6
How it went
Informally, over the 20 years we have been teaching this way, social dances in the City of Edinburgh have gone from
featuring almost only men leading and women following, to including many pairs of people dancing either in the opposite
lead/follow orientation or as same-gender temporary partnerships ('temporary' in the sense that people always dance with
a large number of others in an event anyway, so the partnerships are just snapshots in time). Part of this will be our
influence, and part will be a change in general society.
Suggestions for use

1. Plan! Our approach grew organically over time, due to the informal nature of the course.
2. Use a light touch: people who are happy with what they perceive as gender norms need to continue to feel welcome
(but should not force those norms on others).
References
Dalziel, J. H. (2015). Theirs: Toward dismantling the gender binary in dance (Doctoral dissertation, Mills College).
Kaminsky, D. (2020). Geographies of Gender: Social Politics of the Partner Dance Venue. Dance Research, 38(1), 25-40.
Sczesny, S., Formanowicz, M., & Moser, F. (2016). Can gender-fair language reduce gender stereotyping and
discrimination?. Frontiers in psychology, 7, 25.
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Case Study 1.3 Raising awareness in the geography classroom: gender-sensitive teaching-learning
Maria Helena Esteves, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
What they did

Part 1
- Research participants’ ideas about the topic (for example, a questionnaire about the topic “gender” in syllabuses,
textbooks; syllabus topics that could be worked/researched including the gender dimension and why this is Discipline
important) Geography or any Social
Sciences ITE programme
- Use a tool that allows you to present results.
Part 2 – RAG (Raising Awareness in the Geography) activity

● Divide participants into groups (gender and age-diverse). Cohort Postgraduate
● Group size depends on the number of participants (from 2 to 5/6).
● Create a google doc for each group to be filled by the participants during the training.
● Give each group a teaching pedagogical resource that is usually used in their practice. Different pages from
a textbook were used in this experience.
● Ask participants how the topic of gender could be included in the material presented (ask them to justify their Teaching Context
Online or face-to-face
choices).
● Plenary: groups present their findings.
● For bigger groups, more topics for discussion can be used.
Why they did it that way Group Size ~12

It was an adaptation from the Problem Based Learning (PBL) method – the activity was based on the first three steps 2 groups of 5-6
of the method:
1. Discuss/present the case. Can be applied to different
2. Identify the questions that need to be answered. Teaching contexts ☑
3. Brainstorm what the group already knows and identify potential solutions. Cohorts ☑
In a final step, they present and discuss the findings. Disciplines ☑
8
How it went
In our activity we had different results from the groups - one was focused on language (making it gender-sensitive),
another was focused on the textbook information and proposed exercises/activities (making them gender-sensitive)
and the last one was focused on creating activities for the classroom where gender was present. The first group was
the one that presented fewer interesting ideas, maybe because the participants were not so interested or informed
about the topic (hopefully the activity has raised their awareness). The other groups presented very interesting ideas
and hopefully, they will feel motivated to apply them in their teaching practice.
This activity was carried out on two different days – on the first day, the preliminary questionnaire was introduced
(google forms) – 14 participants were present (3 men and 11 women) – not all of them filled in the questionnaire about
their perceptions (either they were not informed or not interested in the topic); its purpose was explained, yet not
everybody provided information (5 of the 14 did not). On the second day, some participants were absent (all men
participants and some women participants) – this was the important part (discussion promoting gender-sensitive
teaching-learning). Overall, only seven participants did the task.
Suggestions for use

1. Organising all the activities the same morning/afternoon so that participants do not leave before the ned of the
training.
2. Leave time to share results. This is important as sharing ideas, in plenary, is also a learning activity.
3. There are always participants that are not interested or motivated to change their teaching routines. Some may
not know how to do it and/or do not feel comfortable in showing their lack of know-how.
4. Groups should include better-prepared participants in the topic of gender-sensitivity in teaching-learning (acting
as motivators).
References
Problem Based Learning, Maastrict University. Retrieved from https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/education/why-um/problem-
based-learning
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Case Study 1.4 Staging gender in drama education
Arja Lehto, Anne Pässilä and Allan Owens, LUT University, Finland, and University of Chester, UK
What they did

We worked on two levels: first with students, and after this on a second level as learners ourselves. We told a story and
invited participants to step into it through a set of deceptively simple dramaturgical frames in order to collectively reflect
on ‘doing gender’. The story is based on the ancient mythical practice of a grown-up child abandoning their own parent by
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carrying them to a remote desolate mountain place, known as ubasute 親捨て "abandoning a parent" or senicide in Japan. Drama
In this particular version, a son carries his mother up a mountain on his back. The reason is famine in the land, the Emperor
has decreed that on their 60th birthday people must be carried away. During the journey, she stretches out her arms,
catching the twigs and scattering them in their wake, so that her son will be able to find the way home.
After telling this story the leader speaks in the role of the mother: “I'm now sixty but I will not be thrown on the mountain". Cohort
Postgraduate
The next morning while all were asleep, she slipped out of the door and made her way to the town on the seashore to find
work. In this way, she said to herself, she would not burden the family; she might even bring food to them. As she walked
down the long road, she stopped now and then exhausted in the day’s heat as the sun rose. “I will find work,” she thought,
“Even if it will be hard, I do not need much. I can help in any store, I have my skills in finance from when my husband was
alive, my hands are skilled in weaving and creating, I am strong for my age and can even lift and carry and sweep if Teaching Context
needed.” We focus on the scene when she arrives in the town and work through this exercise in 5 steps: Drama Studio
1. Students get into pairs and face each other forming two parallel lines three metres apart. One person, A, is the mother,
one person, B, is the shop trader. A walks to ask B for work, B responds, the conversation starts. Half the group
(keeping in pairs) sit and watch the other half. Then this is reversed. The doing is embodied.
2. Whole group discussion. What did you notice about the way individuals chose to portray the mother? How was she Group Size Variable
represented in terms of gender, body, age, social class?
3. Repeat step 1 in the same pairs but roles are reversed.
4. The walk home: improvise walking the three meters in slow motion. As above let half of the group observe the other Can be applied to different
half, then change round, repeat with role swap staged in the same way as in steps 1 and 3. Teaching contexts ☐
5. Whole group discussion about what has been observed about how gender has been performed (Butler, 1993) - how it Cohorts ☑
has been ‘done’. Disciplines ☐
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This exercise makes gender construction observable and explorable in context (Acker, 1990). Gender issues are complex
and taken for granted, at the same time visible, but not necessarily reflected on. Our activity enables drama educators to
become aware of gender issues - gendered bodies and gendered ways of doing drama. This involves getting a sense of
our own gendered ways of being and teaching (Franks, 2015). In our practical example, the three authors also worked
together to develop this approach; Anne illustrates the process and Arja observes gender issues making notes as Allan
leads the drama pretext session (Olliff, 2001). Afterwards we talk, think and write together about what we have seen and
experienced in this drama exercise. We use Mezirowvian (1991) and Organizing Reflection approaches (Pässilä et al,
2015).
How it went
The group started to critically reflect on their own ‘doing gender’ (as well as age, class etc) and what they observed. We
three teachers, as learners, collectively reflected on the participants’ reflections, and so increasing our own understandings
of doing gender.
Suggestions for use

1. Encourage participants to notice the embodied details of doing gender.
References
Acker, J. (1990) Hierarchies, jobs, bodies: a theory of gendered organization, Gender and Society, 4 (4), 139-158.
Butler, J. (1993)Bbodies that matter: On the discursive limits of sex. Routledge, New York and London.
Franks, A. (2015). What have we done with the bodies? Bodyliness in drama education research, Research in Drama Education: The
Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 20:3, 312-315.
Mezirow, J. (1991) Transformative Dimension of Adult Learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Olliff, S. (2001) Differentiating for Gender in the Drama Classroom, Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre
and Performance, 6:2, 223-229.
Pässilä, A., Oikarinen, T. and Harmaakorpi, V. (2015) Collective voicing as a reflexive practice, Management Learning, February 2015,
46 (1), 67-86.
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Case Study 1.5 Uncovering multiple layers through ‘The Quilt’
Nupur Samuel, OP Jindal Global University, India
What they did

I offered a course on gender and sexuality in India, to first-year undergraduate students of a social sciences programme.
They are students of a residential university, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they were continuing their second-
semester classes through online platforms, and the course was revised to address the requirements of online teaching.
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The course can be modified to be taught as an online and/or classroom, hybrid course, preferably with small groups. There Social science
is an emphasis on small groups as it allows for better engagement, opportunities for students to articulate their thoughts,
and actively collaborate with peers and receive timely feedback from their teachers. The primary text chosen was a
controversial short story, ‘Lihaaf’, written by Ismat Chugtai in pre-independence India, published in 1942 in Urdu. Its
English translation ‘The Quilt’ by Tahira Naqvi and Syeda S. Hamid (1994) was read in class. Chugtai, considered the first
progressive woman writer of Urdu literature, had to face an obscenity trial for writing about women’s sexuality and same- Cohort
Undergraduate
sex relationships. Interestingly, more than the content of the story, the court had grave objections to Chugtai’s own
positionality as an “educated woman of a respectable family” (Chugtai, 2001) choosing to write about taboo subjects. This
text marks an important point in moving away from depicting South Asian women as submissive and vulnerable
(Priyadarshini, 2014); instead, it gives a woman’s perspective on women’s desires and same-sex relationships without
shame or censure. Teaching Context
Online, classroom
Why they did it that way or hybrid
The text ‘The Quilt’ was chosen for its representation of women’s desires and handling of the same-sex relationship with
the express aim of helping students trace the trajectory of women’s position in a patriarchal Indian society, from the 1940s
to the present day. Parallels were drawn between the pre-Independence text and texts published more recently such as
Hellfire (2020) by Bangladeshi writer Leesa Gazi and popular cultures such as Hindi cinema and its problematic depiction Group Size 30
of same-sex relationships.

How it went
The most remarkable aspect of teaching this text was the students’ response to the story. When it was published in 1942,
Cohorts ☑
‘The Quilt’ created a furore for its bold treatment of women’s sexuality. However, in 2021, urban, English speaking, private
Disciplines ☑
12
school educated students, unpacked multiple layers of the text and made the following observations: the story’s treatment
of same-sex relationships is unsettling; the protagonist chose to have sexual relations with a woman only when her
husband ignored her; and also, the depiction of same-sex relations are based only on sexual gratification and exploitation
without any reference to emotional feelings. Students also raised the issue of child abuse of the young girl who is narrating
the story - an aspect completely ignored in the initial responses to the text. Moreover, the outcome showed the
conversation around gender is no longer limited to women-men binaries but more inclusive of other gender representations
and sexual orientations. Since the text was published more than 70 years ago in pre-Independent India, an engaging
discussion about the socio-political and historical climate of those times will help the present readers understand the
challenges the author, Ismat Chugtai, faced in writing this progressive story, allowing students to appreciate the changing
narrative around these gender-related issues. The text helps students in higher education institutions to engage with
contemporary issues of sexuality, acceptance, women’s desires, same-sex relationships, patriarchy and child sexual
abuse (Pandya, 2018; Sharma, 2017).
Suggestions for use

Screening of movies and documentaries as supplementary materials, for instance, ‘Manto’, a 2018 Indian biographical
drama film about the prominent Urdu author and Chugtai’s contemporary and friend, Saadat Hasan Manto, written and
directed by Nandita Das; Ismat Chugtai’s interview on national TV archives.
References
Chugtai, I. (1994). The quilt and other stories (T. Naqvi & S. Hameed, Trans.). The Sheep Meadow. (Original work published 1942)
Chugtai, I. (2001). My friend my enemy: Essays, reminiscences, portraits (T. Naqvi, Trans.). Kali for Women.
Gazi, L. (2020). Hellfire (S. Nadiya, Trans.). Eka. (Original work published 2010)
Gupta, C. (2002). (Im)possible Love and Sexual Pleasure in Late-Colonial North India. Modern Asian Studies, 36(1), 195-221.
Pandya, A. (2019, July 19). Addressing gender equality through higher education. Observer Research Foundation. Retrieved from:
https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/42582-addressing-gender-equality-through-higher-education/
Prasar Bharti Archives. (2019, 21 August). Interview with Ismat Chugtai, Youtube. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlckeuCjaHI
Priyadarshini, A. (2014). ‘Lihaaf’: A Story of the Story. Social Change, 44(1), 67–80.
Sharma, R. (2017). Gender Sensitization: An Appraisal of the Roles of Teachers and Educational Institutions. International Journal
of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 6(6), 38-40.
13
Case Study 1.6 Gender empowerment through legislation: extend the concept, or extend the characteristics of hate crime?
Kim McGuire, University of Central Lancashire, UK
What they did

The activity began with a short PowerPoint presentation (see Slide Deck on Gender Empowerment,
https://bit.ly/3MwWn09) using current England and Wales Law Commission Proposals on Hate Crime. The aim was to
consider that including ‘misogyny’ in ‘hate crime’ legislation, as many advocates argue, would be to extend the concept of
Discipline
this legislation since this is currently based upon an identifiable characteristic of the victim. Law
Misogyny is not a characteristic of the victim, but an internal ‘attribute’ of the perpetrator. However, including ‘gender’
would serve to deal with misogyny in the same way that we do not make ‘homophobia’ illegal, we protect the characteristics
of sexual orientation. Gender would also provide wider protection, inclusivity and empowerment since it includes those
who see themselves as ‘agendered’, and indeed all sexes and genders. However, this presentation and session are Cohort
Undergraduate
focused upon gender-based violence against women, mainly because of the interest in including ‘misogyny’ or gender in
the legislation. Following the presentation, students have the opportunity to ask questions, clarify concepts, legislative
issues, and recount their own experiences in a safe environment.
The activity then moves to group work to consider the most effective way(s) of providing protection against gender-based Teaching Context
violence, and indeed whether this is seen as empowerment. Students provide feedback to the group, with their suggestions Workshop
on A3 sheets, displayed around the room.

The activity was delivered this way in order to both import knowledge of the law, awareness of the gendered issues
Group Size max 20
involved, and stimulate student engagement. The use of visual aids, and individual and group work, enables participation
by a wide range of students with potentially diverse learning styles, whilst recognising that the concept has been subject
to criticism and querying of empirical evidence. Group work has been proven to be effective in promoting collaboration, Can be applied to different
social skills and awareness-raising, particularly in online environments. Sensitive issues such as gendered violence, and Teaching contexts ☑
the potential for some groups to retreat to a defensive attitude, requires a supportive and inclusive environment, and so Cohorts ☑
tutor assessment and mediation is essential. Disciplines ☐
14
How it went
Students demonstrated an engagement with the activity, and greater awareness of the issues. They were able to discuss
current legal issues that are directly relevant to their own lives. Feedback was enthusiastic and positive.
Suggestions for use

1. Include more time for student/audience interaction.
2. Be aware that the case study is still evolving as the Law Commission for England and Wales has not yet reached
a decision regarding whether to include gender or misogyny within the hate crime legislation.
3. There is a need to keep informed of rapidly changing developments to incorporate into this activity, and, if delivered
elsewhere, to be sensitive to the geographical, cultural and political contexts.
4. A follow-up poster activity or a poster competition could be included, with the winning posters displayed around
campus.
15
Case Study 1.7 Death becomes them
Yota Dimitriadi, University of Reading, UK
What they did

A two-week death studies project was offered as an optional Enrichment opportunity on the Secondary Education Teacher
Training Programme. It included a series of activities aimed to engage participants in reflecting upon perceived gendered
approaches to grieving, mourning and bereavement and enabling in that way conversations around self-care, a focus
Discipline
important to all and especially those in caring professions, such as teaching. At the same time, the activities aimed to Teacher Training Education
recognise that there is scope in education to discuss grief and the taboo topic of death more openly in proactive and
intersectional ways, in order to support young people as well as ourselves as educators.
Pre-service teachers (students) were asked to apply in writing, sharing their reasons for wanting to take part in the project.
The project leader also involved subject tutors, who would have been more aware of individual student profiles, to consider Cohort
Postgraduate
whether the project would be appropriate for these students. If personal circumstances were disclosed which could make
the relevant student more vulnerable, such as recent bereavement, the project was discussed with the student in advance
and support options were shared. All participating students were given access to university resources for support and
links were made with counselling services prior to the start of the project. Students were informed that they would be able
to leave the project at any time. All 20 students completed the project. Teaching Context
Hybrid
Both weeks included a combination of collaborative and immersive experiences with input from academics, death Extracurricular
practitioners, local charities and the students themselves. All activities were based on interdisciplinary research around
responses to death, and key themes were selected to be introduced through these activities. It was felt that the selected
themes offered opportunities to combine discussions around gender and postulate these discussions around other social
characteristics like class, ethnicity and race, and disability. Group Size 20
For instance, research around dark tourism was portrayed in our 3D hangman that included a plastic life-size skeleton;
the Great Funeral Bake-off explored international funeral and memorial food traditions; the pottery workshop invited
participants to consider memorialisation and write farewell messages to their dead, embed them in the clay before it was
Cohorts ☑
put in the kiln while a portable room-size (8.5 x 4 metres) floor-based labyrinth offered opportunities to discuss spirituality
Disciplines ☑
16
and explicit discussions around gender and grief. The topic of ‘good death’ was debated through sharing eulogies of
famous and non-famous people and of family pets, and students were invited to write their own eulogies that were
presented as word clouds.
Student-led activities included organising a New Orleans jazz procession, developing a board game in the style of Trivial
Pursuit, and a booklet with factual information about digital legacy, wills and local support information that we distributed
to 250 partnership secondary schools.

While the topic of death is showcased in some curriculum subjects and linked clearly to the past, the reaction to death is
a reactive rather than a systemic and organised approach, linked to the present. As such, preconceptions about
masculinity and response to grief are replicated, as well as inequalities about the portrayal and primary role that women
play in the death processes, are being reproduced. The project acknowledged the intuitive (emotive) and instrumental
(problem-solving) patterns of grief response (Doka & Martin, 2010), associated at times with feminine and masculine
reactions respectively. The project offered a blended approach in recognition of the same research that identifies gender
as one variable in the grieving process and that gender-stereotypical behaviour may be culturally embedded and taught.
The activities were structured around four axes. They were:
● research-informed;
● allowing opportunities for exploring gender as a lens. For instance, a woman who was an ethical taxidermist was
invited to share her work with the group;
● informed by the compassionate cities model (Kellehear, 2005) that advocates for individuals, communities and
organisations to work together to support empathetic communities; and
● organised in levels of emotional exposure. The latter was important in order to give students a choice for participation.
For instance, the visit to the local crematorium was optional for students whose personal circumstances may have
made this exposure more difficult.
How it went
The student evaluations were extremely positive and this project is now offered every year on the Secondary Education
Teacher Training Programme. Funding from the ESRC Festival of Social Science also led two successful family events
on Death education (2017, 2018), now an annual event for our local community. Part of the transformative impact of this
17
work was setting up a multidisciplinary Special Interest Group that is open to the academic, school and local community.
Bereavement training is arranged as an option for the Secondary Education Teacher Training Programme.
Suggestions for use

• Ensure that health warnings are being considered and shared, and that support is in place for students who may be
affected by the topic.
References
Doka, K.J. & Martin, T.L. (2010). Grieving beyond gender: Understanding the ways men and women mourn. 2nd edition.
Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Kellehear, A. (2005). Compassionate Cities. Public health and end of life care. Routledge.
18
Case Study 1.8 Filmic empathy in the inclusive classroom
Phoebe Pua, National University of Singapore, Republic of Singapore
What they did

Screening films that explore topics in gender-sensitive and inclusive ways before beginning lectures or seminar-style
discussions were used. Prior to the screening, there was an evaluation of the narratives encoded in and assumptions
encouraged by these films. If the film contained stereotypical representations, it was used as an opportunity to train
Discipline
students’ capacities for critical textual analysis. Humanities
Social Sciences
1. Students today are more receptive to mediated forms of knowledge transmissions (Willingham 2009).
2. When used as teaching tools, films can encourage students to approach sensitive topics with empathy, thus enabling
them to develop inclusive perspectives (Kornfeld 1992; Blasco and Moreto 2012).
Cohort
Undergraduate
How it went and postgraduate
Students were able to witness the experiences of marginalised and underrepresented groups, and further express high
levels of understanding despite these experiences being foreign to their own.
Suggestions for use

Teaching Context
• Assign brief written reflections before and after screenings and in-class discussions. This would enable the
Online and face-to-face
students to consistently review their own perspectives and track how their positions evolve over time.
• Where possible, it is highly recommended to also host directors’ Q&As with the students.
• This approach is scalable to large lecture-style classroom sizes especially when followed by break-out groups for
discussion.
Group Size 30 - 50
References
Blasco, P. G., & Moreto, G. (2012). Teaching Empathy through Movies: Reaching Learners’ Affective Domain in Medical Education.
Journal of Education and Learning, 1(1), 22-34.
Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
19
Hosseini, A. S., Goh, X. H., Tee, H. S. J., Koh, W. L., Lo K. B., & Nadira, N. (2020). Cisgender Students’ Attitudes and Beliefs towards
Transgender Individuals and Trans-Inclusive Efforts. Singapore: Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Centre and Victim Care Unit
(National University of Singapore). Retrieved from: https://ctpclc.nus.edu.sg/handouts-vcu-transgender
Kornfeld, E. (1992). The Power of Empathy: A Feminist, Multicultural Approach to Historical Pedagogy. The History Teacher, 26(1),
23-31.
Russell, W. B. (2009) Teaching Social Issues with Film. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Walters, A. S. & Rehma, K. (2013). Avenue T: Using Film as entrée in Teaching about Transgender. Sex Education, 13(3), 336-348,
Willingham, D. T. (2009). Why Don’t Students Like School? Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons.
20
Case Study 1.9 Feminist critical discourse analysis of song lyrics
Soraya Alonso, Alconada University of the Basque Country, Spain
What they did

The teacher chose a song and students (whether in a single group or divided into smaller teams) to be analysed through
a feminist critical discourse analysis (FCDA) of the lyrics. First, students focus on the linguistic features of it: focalisation,
audience, figurative language, diction, prosody or syntax, for example. Secondly, they focus on the discourse around it:
Discipline
e.g., theme, context, intention, impact or women’s depiction in the lyrics. Finally, they reflect on a possible set of questions: Arts and Humanities
Are the lyrics inclusive? Do they have a goal? How are women portrayed? Do the lyrics work in favour of equality? Gender Studies
How could sexist lyrics be changed? To develop it more and make the activity more dynamic, students were divided into
smaller groups, so they could also compare the outcomes of their analyses and debate.

Cohort
The aim of the activity was to analyse the gender stereotypes in music in a critical way. Students developed critical
Undergraduate
analysis skills by applying a feminist perspective. The activity can be adapted as there is not a unique way to carry out and postgraduate
this approach.
Suggestions for use

• Besides, the lyrics’ features that may be analysed are not exclusive and teachers and students may create
Teaching Context
their own particular lyrics analysis table or set of questions.
Classroom or online
• Students themselves may choose particular songs, that would encourage them to participate in the activity.
References
Bradley, A. (2017). The poetry of pop. Yale University Press.
Fairclough, N. (2001). Language and power. Pearson Education. Group Size 5 - 15
Lazar, M. M. (2007). Feminist critical discourse analysis: Articulating a feminist discourse praxis. Critical discourse studies, 4(2),
141-164. Can be applied to different
Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☐
21
Case study 1.10 Discussing gender-based violence through literary texts
Ayten Sönmez, Sabanci University, Turkey
What They Did

In a Turkish Language and Literature course, there are different sections given by different instructors although we all
have to follow the same curriculum. We choose literary texts in various genres on which we discuss political, social and
historical backgrounds. Each semester we select at least one text to discuss gender-based issues. In class discussions
Discipline
I raise questions from a gender perspective no matter what the text concentrates on. One of the texts was the novel, Language and Literature
Antabus, by Seray Şahiner which is related to gender-based violence and domestic violence. We discussed the text,
which is based on a real story, in terms of the choice the main character Leyla has to make - either to murder or to be
murdered.
Why they did it that way Cohort

Undergraduate
In this course I want my students to relate to the literature and current agenda alongside their own daily lives.
and postgraduate
Unfortunately, gender-based violence is one of the most stunning issues in our agenda. Discussing this text with
feminist/activist works and concepts creates awareness about gender-based violence. Discussing this text enables
students to think about different forms of violence (economic, psychological, sexual) and how this violence is normalised
within the discourses of family, marriage and love.
Teaching Context
How it went Classroom or online
This novel is one of the most popular texts on the syllabus. The number of students who actively participate in the
discussions is also quite high compared to other weeks’ discussions. Students usually have a strong reaction to the
prevalence of gender-based violence and striking statistics through tools such as ‘anıt sayaç’, an online counter that
commemorates women who lost their lives due to domestic violence (see http://anitsayac.com/ which is updated daily). Group size 25
Suggestions for use Can be applied to different

Tools such as ‘anıt sayaç’ or online feminist sites like ‘feminist memory’ (https://feministbellek.org/) make class Teaching contexts ☑
discussions more lively and also through these sites students encounter new concepts, such as “patriarchal bargain”. Cohorts ☑
These encounters enable students to think deeply about gender issues in the context of their own lives Disciplines ☑
22
References
Kandiyoti, D. (1988) Bargaining with Patriarchy, Gender and Society, 2(3), 274-290
Şahiner, S. S. Antabus (Turkish Edition) İstanbul: Everest
van Drie, K. (2017, August 25). Why we need to translate Seray Şahiner. Global Literature in Libraries Initiative. Retrieved from:
https://glli-us.org/2017/08/25/why-we-need-to-translate-seray-sahiner/
Zengin, Aslı (2010) An Interview with Veena Das Kültür ve Siyasette Feminist Yaklaşımlar. Issue 10. Retrieved from
http://www.feministyaklasimlar.org/en/issue-10-february-2010/on-life-and-words-an-interview-with-veena-das/
23
Case Study 1.11 Salford Business School Athena SWAN essay competition – theme: ‘Women in 2021 and Beyond’
Katherine Isabel Rostron, University of Salford, UK
What they did

I ran an essay writing competition for students with the theme ‘Women in 2021 and Beyond’. Students had the choice of
five questions designed to prompt evaluation and critique of organisations, systems, and society from the perspective of
gender equality. Questions centred around business and law including topics such as women and leadership, women and
Discipline
law, women and economics, gender diversity and the workplace, and women on boards that broadly address business Business & Law
and law. Two questions addressed intersectionality; one question specifically addressed BAME representation and one
gender diversity.
Here are examples of questions students could choose from:

● In 2021, what are the barriers that prevent women from achieving their economic potential and what solutions do you Cohort
Undergraduate
propose to remove them?
and postgraduate
● Women now make up one in three boardroom roles in top UK firms, but diversity is still a problem. How well-represented
are Black, Asian and minority ethnic women and how can organisations improve in 2021 and beyond?
● How should organisations respond to gender diversity in 2021 to create a happy and inclusive workplace?
I approached the Associate Dean for Student Experience with the idea and gained funding for prizes (tablets and Teaching Context
headphones). I liaised with colleagues in the school to help set questions that would appeal to the students on our Online
programmes. I decided on the start date, the deadline, and the rules. I asked for volunteers amongst colleagues for
competition judges. I created promotional material and liaised with the School’s social media manager about how/when
to promote. I created specific promotions to encourage entries from men. I opened a Teams site and created a code (this
was included in the promotions). I added files including the questions, the rules, the prizes, the judges and the marking Group Size Unlimited
criteria.

I used the general chat function to engage students as they joined. I offered links to relevant sources in exchange for
updates to drive engagement. I added a stream for organisers and judges. I gave the judges simple criteria for judging
Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
24
('Judges will select winning and runner-up entries based on persuasiveness, originality and presentation'). I opened a
submission area and waited for the submission entries.

I chose the essay competition because it provided an opportunity for students to engage, learn and develop an awareness
of gender-sensitivity in the context of business and law. An essay demands research, reading and critical thought on a
specific topic (Fitzgerald, 1994). Secondly, by having the focus on women, Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME)
women, and gender diversity, the activity aimed to engage widely throughout the student body, highlight the School’s
commitment to gender equality, and promote an inclusive school culture (for all students seeing the promotions as well as
those making submissions (Stewart et al., 2020). Finally, some promotions specifically targeted men students, recognising
the key role men play in realising change in gender equality (Flood, 2019).
How it went
We had more than 40 students engage with the competition and the Teams site and 11 students entered the competition.
Women and men students both entered, and one of the four prize winners was a man.
Suggestions for use

• I would embed the competition into students’ weekly ‘programme hour’ – this would provide more support and
perhaps more entries.
• I would build in a more robust strategy to engage men students from the outset.
• Entry requires effort, so the promotion and engagement has to be good, not forgetting of course the prizes.
References
Fitzgerald, M. (1994) Why write essays?, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 18(3), 379-384.
Flood, M. (2019). Gender equality: Engaging men in change. The Lancet, 393(10189), 2386-2387.
Stewart, S., Haynes,C., & Deal, K. (2020). Enacting inclusivity in the preparation of emerging scholars. Learning and Teaching,
13(1), 24.
25
Case Study 1.12 The legal profession, senior judiciary and gender
Kathryn McCormack, University of Central Lancashire, UK
What they did

Activity 1: Senior Judiciary
Ask the class ‘Does it matter that there is underrepresentation of women and ethnic minorities within the judiciary?’. Direct
students to the Supreme Court website: https://www.supremecourt.uk/about/biographies-of-the-justices.html. This shows
that, as of April 2021, there are 11 Supreme Court Justices. Ten of the judges are men and just one is a woman. This Discipline
Law
demonstrates underrepresentation to the students. Ask the Question: Why do you think it is important that we have a
diverse judiciary? Suggested answers:
● Reflect on our diverse society
● Ensure that justice is fair and equal to all: https://files.justice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/06170655/JUSTICE-
Increasing-judicial-diversity-report-2017-web.pdf Cohort
Undergraduate and
Solicitor Apprenticeship
Discussion Point: Share the following article: ‘Why do Women in the Judiciary Matter?’ (Monica Castillejos-Aragon, Konrad
Adenauer Stiftung, 2021).
● On page 4, draw out the points from this journal article (or specific pages) depending upon the audience. If a younger
group, please draw their attention to the chart on page 4. This chart captures statistics to demonstrate how the gender
gap has closed, worldwide. Teaching Context
● On page 6, read out the following quote; “Female judges have also made ground-breaking decisions that have Online and classroom
transformed the criminal justice systems, especially in cases involving rape, sexual violence, and forced marriage.
Women’s participation in the judiciary has also become an essential objective to make the decision-making process
more responsive, inclusive, and participatory at all levels worldwide.” From this quote, reiterate the importance of
gender equality within the law.
Group Size Unlimited
Use resources that showcase ‘women’s voices’, to show students that they too can succeed in the law.
● This short video (https://www.iawj.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=882224&module_id=475491) is taken from Can be applied to different
the International Association of Women Judges. It features the Former IAWJ President, the Honourable Susanna Teaching contexts ☑
Mediana, where she discusses the important topic of ‘Why women judges matter.’ Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☐
26
● Discuss the contribution of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) using the following news article
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/54235799. Ask the following questions: does anyone know who RBG is?; what is
she famous for? Discuss the fact that RBG had a humble beginning, was the daughter of Jewish immigrants, and
through sheer determination, achieved great success. After graduating top of her class, she enjoyed a successful
career at various law schools in the US. In 1993, she became a US Supreme Court Judge, only the second woman
ever to do so.
Activity 2: First Hundred Years Timeline

● Direct the class to ‘The First 100 Years’ site: https://first100years.org.uk/digital-museum/timeline/. This project charts
the journey of women within the law, since 1919.
● This timeline should encourage students to see how far women have come, in relation to legal careers.
● Aim: to promote confidence and help them feel empowered.
Activity 3: Dame Linda Dobbs interview

● Ask the class to watch the following short interview with Dame Linda Dobbs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwigUfQ0SDs
● Whilst watching the video, ask them to consider the following questions and record their answer:
1. Make a note of the struggles Dame Linda faced within the legal profession
2. Do you think things have changed?
3. What suggestions would you make to ensure that the senior judiciary is more diverse?
Once the students’ have perused the above site and watched Dame Linda Dobbs interview, ask them; ‘reconsidering the
Supreme Court Statistics (10 men and 1 woman justice) and the journey of women lawyers over the past 100 years, do
you think that gender is still a barrier to progressing within the legal profession? If so, how could we overcome this?’
Possible solutions
● Educate school-aged children
● Explore legal careers with the younger generation, so they know becoming a lawyer is accessible to all
● Collaborative work between law schools, Inns of Courts, Judicial Appointments Commission and Law Society to
encourage and promote the legal profession to a variety of genders and ethnicities.
27
Overall discussion
● The most important aspect of this activity is to ensure students feel that they are empowered to do well and succeed
within the law
● Ask the students in light of the struggles of Dame Linda Hobbs, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the early women lawyers
within the 100 years timeline, if they can see how important a diverse judiciary and legal profession is?
Finish with a positive quote such as where you start in life, does not dictate your future..’ or a quote from Castillejos-
Aragon (2021: 10): ‘…The more diverse the courts, the better quality of justice can be delivered because women include
different perspectives...' (Judge Nancy Hernandez-Lopez – Justice of the Supreme Court of Costa Rica).

These activities bring the issue of gender inequalities and the law to light.
Suggestions for use

● Review the materials before the session.
● The following short video may help to contextualise the issues that Dame Linda Dobbs faced when commencing
her legal career: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwigUfQ0SDs
References
Castillejos-Aragon, M. & Adenauer Stiftung, K. (2021), A need for change: Women in the Judiciary Matter’, Konrad Adenauer
Stiftung. Retrieved from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/resrep30763.pdf
JUSTICE (2017) Increasing judicial diversity, JUSTICE. Retrieved from: https://files.justice.org.uk/.../JUSTICE-Increasing-judicial-
diversity-report-2017-web.pdf
Susana Medina: Why Women Judges Matter. (2017) [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N220kbOPXNg&t=3s
The Supreme Court, (2021), Biographies of the Justices, Retrieved from https://www.supremecourt.uk/about/biographies-of-the-
justices.html
28
Case study 1.13 Feminist perspective on International Relations Theory
Oya Yeğen, Sabanci University, Turkey
What they did

Using gender as a lens to study international relations (IR), this session provides a general introduction to feminism in IR.
We assume that students may not be familiar with the relevant concepts so we begin the session with a definition of
gender. We then move on to a discussion about how gender can be an analytical tool to understand different issues in IR,
Discipline
but specifically in security and global economy. International Relations
With the help of visual aids, photographs and videos such as the “first ladies” photo at the NATO meeting in 2017 and a
video where an elderly woman confuses Chancellor Angela Merkel for ‘Madame Macron’
(https://www.euronews.com/2018/11/12/watch-elderly-woman-confuses-merkel-for-madame-macron), we discuss how
early feminist scholars in IR concerned themselves with the absence of women in decision-making processes and Cohort
Undergraduate
leadership positions. and postgraduate
Next, we ask students to come up with examples of gendered dimensions of global problems and through examples from
feminist literature in IR, we look at how the conventional definitions of masculinity and femininity create myths in security
and global economy.
Teaching Context
How it went Online and classroom
This session gets slightly revised each year, but it is primarily geared towards introducing students to perspectives beyond
‘malestream’ IR. In order to make it more relevant to contemporary politics, we refer to ongoing issues in the follow up
discussion and also engage with students using the course’s online discussion forum. Students are generally surprised to
see how a ‘gendered lens’ allows us to ask different questions and makes us reconsider the founding assumptions in IR Group Size 25
theory.

References
Sjoberg, L., & Tickner, J. A. (2013). Feminist perspectives on international relations. In W. Carlsnaes, T. Risse, & B. A. Simmons
(Eds.), Handbook of International Relations (2nd ed., pp. 170 - 194). SAGE Publications Ltd. Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
29
Case study 1.14 Inclusive writing in French (l’écriture inclusive)
Loykie Lominé, Open University, UK
What they did

Inclusive writing (l’écriture inclusive) aims to make the French language less sexist. It is not just a way of writing, such as
les étudiant.e.s to refer to both women and men students, but also a way of conceptualising a more equal society. By the
end of this session, students will have: developed their knowledge and understanding of l’écriture inclusive; practiced
Discipline
inclusive writing in French; discussed the arguments of both proponents and opponents; reflected on the topic of gender- French
sensitive writing and on their own culture, values and assumptions.
The two hours session is structured as follows:

● Preparatory task: 20 min initial research before the class itself (including reading one short academic text that I
recommend, as it gives a balanced overview of the topic, see Elmiger, 2018). Cohort
Final year undergraduate
● 5 min introduction (incl. 2 min in small breakout groups of 2-3 students, as a warm-up/icebreaker in order to start and postgraduate
developing a sense of a ‘learning community’ to make it easier to work together later).
● 10 min to brainstorm five key aspects (in the same small groups): what, why, how, who, when.
● 15 min plenary to compare ideas, outlining the premises, context and principles of inclusive writing.
● 10 min short individual activity: rewrite a text using inclusive writing (chosen text: a letter from 1988 from French
President Mitterrand on the topic of gender equality). Teaching Context
Online or face-to-face
● 15 min debriefing: what the ‘revised text’ may be like (and how it felt to do this activity).
● 15 min identifying and discussing arguments for and against inclusive writing (incl. political, ideological, cultural,
linguistic etc).
● 5 min writing personal reflections.
● 20 min individual research online to allow participants to explore one new aspect that interests them personally, for Group Size Unlimited
example, grammatical aspects how this topic became political in France, or how other languages may handle this.
● 5 min to share two points, using post-its or messages on Padlet or similar: (1) the topic explored, (2) a key learning
point. With a small group, this can be done orally by inviting each participant to contribute.
● 5 min debriefing and conclusion (using a ‘visible thinking routine’, for example, “I used to think…. now I think….”).
Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
30
Inclusive writing in French (l’écriture inclusive) is a very controversial topic, with its proponents and opponents
(Charaudeau, 2018; Elmiger, 2018; Szlamowizc, 2021). This session adopts a neutral viewpoint and leads students to
consider both perspectives (for and against) and to draw their own conclusion. The aim is not to convince students that
inclusive writing is a good idea (or not) – but to help them develop their critical thinking skills, at several levels: linguistically,
culturally, and also personally (about their own values). The structure of the session follows the principles (1) of flipped
learning (as students do some initial research to explore the topic and start learning about it) and (2) of good practice in
social constructionist pedagogy (for example using an initial activity to create a sense of a learning community in small
groups, to make it easier to collaborate and discuss together afterwards).
How it went
I have led workshops on this topic many times (in different contexts, for different groups of students); students’ feedback
has always been very positive.
Suggestions for use

The above-mentioned format is the result of previous iterations, with gradual improvements each time (for example, earlier
versions did not have the initial preparatory work; this is now better, as students arrive with some basic knowledge of the
topic). Depending on the students’ level of French, the activity may be done in French, in English, or a mix of both
languages. If participants do not have a solid level of French, the individual task (adapt the text in ‘inclusive writing’) could
be carried out in small groups.
References
Charaudeau, P. (2018). L’écriture inclusive au défi de la neutralisation en français. Le Débat, 2(2), 13-31.
Elmiger, D. (2018) « Les genres récrits n° 4 : Pour ou contre l’écriture inclusive : l’injuste milieu ? », GLAD! Retrieved from:
http://journals.openedition.org/glad/1417
Szlamowizc, J. (2021) Le Sexe et la Langue: Petite grammaire du genre en français. Paris: Editions Intervalles
31
Case Study 1.15 Museum
Alan Greaves, University of Liverpool, UK
What they did

We offered an interactive PDF for our students to use for a self-guided tour of a local museum. Active links in the PDF
took them to external resources about specific artefacts and more general themes that they encountered in the gallery.
This guide provided more academic information than the on-gallery interpretation panels, linked back to lecture content,
Discipline
and raised questions for further personal reflection and class discussion. Archaeology, Classics,
History, Art History
There are a number of excellent museums in Liverpool but timetabling did not allow us to visit all of them with the students.
The self-help guide allowed students to plan their visits (or multiple visits) at times to suit themselves and their own learning
on the module.
Cohort
Students’ attention is drawn to a statue of the ancient Greek deity Hermaphrodite, depicted as intersex with male genitalia
Undergraduate
and female secondary characteristics (breasts, and female figure and presentation):
https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/statuette-of-standing-hermaphrodite.
Links then direct the students to an example of another statue of Hermaphrodite which had its penis and suckling babies
removed during ‘restoration’, turning it into a more standard, yet more sexualised image of a ‘Sleeping Venus’: Teaching Context
(https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/sleeping-venushermaphrodite). Students are asked to reflect on how the In person-lectures,
online or museum
statue’s restoration aligned it to contemporary European concepts of gender as a binary, and on the collecting habits of
antiquarians (Southworth 1991).
Group Size ~60

Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
32
The Ince Blundell Hermaphrodite/Sleeping Venus prior to its ‘restoration’.
Drawing by Charles Townley (between 1769-1805, British Museum Collection).
(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drawing_of_a_sculpture_-_Hermaphroditus_with_three_infants.jpg)

Gender/Sex Binaries: This activity encouraged students to question not just socially constructed gender binaries in ancient
Greece and modern Britain, but also the fact that biological sex itself is not always a binary, and that there are examples
from the ancient world of individuals who were born intersex or changed sex during puberty (Greaves 2012).
Awareness Of Gender Terminology: Students are taught to understand that Hermaphrodite (capital ‘H’) is the name of a
god, whereas the term ‘hermaphrodite’ has a derogatory connotation when applied to intersex individuals (Greaves 2018).
How it went
No formal evaluations were made of this element of the teaching. However, the module and its online resources in
particular received favourable student feedback. In the future I would take the discussion of the statue and its implications
33
back into the classroom or integrate it into an online formative Multiple Choice Quiz to ensure that students had engaged
with it and acquired the necessary language of gender, sex and intersexuality and not just the formal terminology of the
discipline of Classical archaeology, which is the current focus of the online quiz assignment.
Suggestions for use

Historical examples of mis-gendering, when used with sensitivity and caution, can be used to illustrate how social attitudes
have changed, but also leave a legacy on the data sets or prevailing attitudes within a discipline. This in turn can become
a learning opportunity to develop better sensitivity to gender (including non-binary gender) and the appropriate use of
gender terminology.
References
Greaves, A. M. (2012). Partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (reifenstein's syndrome) in the Roman world. The Classical
Quarterly, 62(2), 888-892.
Greaves, A. M. (2018). Putting the ‘T’, the ‘Q’ and the ‘I’ into LGBTQI Classics: An example of museum-based learning. CUCD
Bulletin.
Southworth, E. (1991). The Ince Blundell Collection: collecting behaviour in the eighteenth century. Journal of the History of
Collections, 3(2), 219-234
34
Case Study 1.16 Women in management: causes and remedies
Leire Gartzia, University of Deusto, Spain
What they did

The activity takes place within the context of an organisational behaviour and leadership course in which students learn
about social-psychological organisational dynamics, workplace outcomes, and leadership processes. As part of a course
section in which leadership processes are covered, students are asked to take part in a guided participatory activity
Discipline
covering the specific issue of gender issues in leadership. In particular, students are asked to participate in a structured Organizational Behaviour
debate on whether organisations should be obliged to implement gender quotas to increase the number of women in Business & Law
management positions.
The structure of the debate is reasonably fixed. Students are organised in 8-10 groups within the class and each group is
randomly allocated a role in the debate. Four groups are assigned the position “against” gender quotas and the other four
Cohort
groups are assigned the position “in favour” of gender quotas. Within each group, one student is selected as the Undergraduate,
spokesperson but all students search for the necessary information and data to justify their position, providing facts and postgraduate, staff
examples of the arguments presented and preparing clear explanations to be expressed during the debate, including
supporting reasons and logical points for potential rebuttal of others´ arguments. Groups within each debate position
coordinate with the other group representatives to prepare the debate. The remaining two groups act as time controllers
and debate chairs, guiding the activity during the debate. Groups work during 5-6 hours (in class and with outside work)
Teaching Context
to prepare the debate and find the relevant data in the context of the activity. The debate takes place physically one week
In person
later, during a regular class, with the following structure:
• The debate chair gives a short presentation on the topic to debate

• Each group presents their initial arguments and ideas (4 minutes each)
• Time (12 minutes) is provided for rebutting (giving opposing arguments); there are 12 minutes in total that are divided Group Size 40 – 50
in responses of a maximum of 2 minutes for each group. Can be applied to different
• The debate chair closes the debate and gives concluding ideas. Teaching contexts ☑
• A final open discussion takes place, including evaluation of performance of the different groups. Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☐
35
To ensure quality of preparation of arguments, an evaluation form is made available for students, who are asked to
evaluate the quality of arguments provided by each part after the debate, as well as the chair group. The criteria for these
evaluations are the quality of the overall argument; reliance on research-based facts and examples; the logic of the rebuttal
of the opposing argument; and the overall quality of the presentation. The professor prepares questions and reflections
designed to generate a critical discussion about the arguments raised at the end from an informed perspective of gender
equality.

Increasing the number of women in management is a priority for gender equality and to provide students with attainable
women as role models (Gartzia, Morgenroth, & Ryan, 2021). Gender quotas are one of the most noticeable and straight
mechanisms through which HR policies and political parties have tried to increase such representation of women in
managerial positions (e.g., Bennouria, De Amicis & Falconieri, 2006). In Europe, for instance, a growing number of policies
have been established aimed at ensuring at least 40% of women on the boards of listed companies. However, both
research and teaching experience shows that advancement is still limited because of limited awareness of the problem
(Eagly, Gartzia & Carli, 2014) and because gender action is often negatively rated particularly by men (Flood, 2019;
Gartzia, 2021). The debate format provides an opportunity for students to engage, learn and develop critical thinking and
awareness of gender inequalities in the context of organisational practices that serve to realise that women face a wide
range of organisational barriers to advancement that need to be addressed. Students ultimately become more aware
about the relevance of increasing women’s access to managerial careers and promoting less stereotypically masculine
workplaces that incorporate stereotypically feminine dimensions to improve organisational functioning (Eagly et al., 2012),
promoting reading and critical thought on the topic.
How it went
The debate about whether and how gender quotas should be imposed to firms was not aimed at convincing students
about the relevance of positive action (although it implicitly generated such reflections) but more broadly generated among
students a critical and informed discussion about gender inequalities at work. Such approach facilitates reflection on the
topic and awareness of the problems that women face in management. When credit course is allocated and a healthy
“competition” environment is created within the context of the activity, most students (including men) were actively
engaged in the activity and generated a rich, funny and inspiring atmosphere for reflection about gender inequalities at
work and in particular in management.
36
Suggestions for use
The evaluation form provides motivation to prepare arguments seriously. Activity engagement increases substantially by
allocating extra course credit to the “winning” debate position (allocating a special credit prize for the position -for or
against- that is finally the most convincing). Sometimes groups “against quotas” present relevant information about why
imposition of quotas could negatively influence women (e.g., by generating meritocratic concerns that reduce perceptions
that women are competent), so it is useful to prepare a list of responses/questions in advance (e.g., “why do those biases
emerge”, “can you think of any specific ways to deal with those expected biases and resistances?”). Arguments against
quotas usually capture concerns about meritocracy, organisational freedom and performance, so questions and counter-
arguments centred around these topics are particularly useful to promote critical reflection on positive action and women´s
advancement in managerial roles.
References
Bennouri, M., De Amicis, C. & Falconieri, S. (2020). Welcome on board: A note on gender quotas regulation in Europe. Economic
Letters, 190, 109055.
Eagly, A. H., Gartzia, L., & Carli, L. (2014). Female Advantage Revisited. In S. Kumra, R. Simpson & R. Burke (Eds.), Oxford
Handbook of Gender in Organizations (pp.153-174). England: Oxford University Press.
Gartzia, L. (2021). Gender Equality Actions in Research Institutions to transform Gender Roles: Results from WP5 Leadership.
GEARING-Roles Pairing Committee, Bilbao, Spain.
Gartzia, L., Morgenroth, T., Ryan, M. K., & Peters, K. (2021). Testing the motivational effects of attainable role models: Field and
experimental evidence. Journal of Theoretical Social Psychology, 5(4), 591-602.
37
Case study 1.17 Focusing on gender roles in topics of world history through assessment
Marloes Cornelissen Aydemir, Sabanci University, Turkey
What they did

Gender and (in)equality are usually discussed as a separate topic in our first-year Social & Political Science/ World
History course. We discuss how gender is often overlooked among the major topics in world history. But also, a gender-
bias among scholars has led to a distorted view of world history. Besides these discussions, we have created various
Discipline
assessments that look at gender within major world civilizations and the study of it. One particular assessment that was Social & Political Science
created looked at the role of women in one of the major milestones in world history: the scientific revolution. Most World History
standard course readers, including our own selected reading on the topic, indicate that the role of women was not
completely absent, but highly limited due to men’s dominance and restriction of university access for women. These
course books then indicate usually only one famous woman with her studies on natural philosophy: Margaret Cavendish.
Students were asked to summarise the first text while addressing the role of both women and men’s contribution to the
Cohort
application of the scientific method in the scientific revolution. The students were provided with a second text which Undergraduate
focused on the role of women in the scientific revolution. This author introduced over 10 other important women who
made valuable contributions to the scientific revolution. Students were asked to summarise this text while focusing on
women’s contribution. Finally, students were asked what conclusions could be drawn about gender roles with regard to
our course reading’s presentation of leading figures of the Scientific Revolution and the second text’s analysis of
women's contributions. Teaching Context
In person
1. Why they did it this way
The second reading that discusses women’s contributions to the Scientific Revolution places some of the ‘general
knowledge’ into perspective that was offered in our regular course reading. By asking students first to look at the role of
both women and men contributors in the first reading, and then at the contributions indicated separately by women, they Group Size 30
are step-by-step guided to spot the gender-gap present in their regular course reading. In this manner they are taught
to critically think about and critically read their regular course material. Without resorting into a piece in which they voice
their personal opinion about this issue, students can use the writing skills they have been taught in our course to then
critically write about the topic of gender inequality or a gap in our knowledge about the contribution of women to important
Cohorts ☑
historical events.
Disciplines ☑
38
2. How it went
Most students concluded that there is not necessarily a lack of women’s contribution to the Scientific Revolution, but
rather a gender-biased historiography of the scientific revolution. Students gained a historical awareness with regard to
gender, and they were taught to critically approach their own course readings.
3. Suggestions for use

This assignment can be adapted to the discussion of various major milestones in World History. Critically questioning
where the women are in the discussion of such events and critically looking at a potential gender bias within the
historiography of the events leads to critical thinking and writing in student assessment.
4. References
Merriman, J. (1996) A History of Modern Europe. New York: W.W. Norton, 327-353.
Stearns, P. N. (2006) Gender in World History (Second Edition), New York: Routledge
Zahm, J. A. (1913) Woman in Science, New York: Appleton, 136-166.
39
Case Study 1.18 Gender, postcolonialism and positioning: imag(in)ing others
Jeff Hearn, Hanken School of Economics, Finland
What they did

This session builds on previous session(s) on feminist theory, within broader education on methodology, social theory
and knowledge construction. In a previous session, about one week before, the following handout was distributed:
Discipline
Preparation for the Session: Feminism, Gender and Postcolonialism Social sciences
Building on our previous session(s) on critical theory and feminist theory, we now focus on postcolonialism – as a Business Studies
wide-ranging, growing and varied perspective or set of perspectives on the world (in both senses) – and thus on
philosophy, methodology and methods. It is difficult to give one neat definition of postcolonialism (“poco”), but it
refers to ways of seeing the world in the ambiguous light of history ‘after’ colonialism, even with the continuation of
(neo-) colonialism in various forms, including colonisation of the mind. Issues of ethnicity, nationality and
Cohort
racialisation, along with their intersections with other social divisions, are thereby often highlighted. This particularly
Postgraduate
involves considering the world from non-Western perspectives and not from the perspectives of the North (of the
world). Knowledge, and thus methodology, is, in this view, linked to history, place and positioning, and indeed
multiple and contradictory positionings.
See these three informative websites: Teaching Context

http://postcolonialstudies.emory.edu/ Classroom, face-to-face
http://www.postcolonialweb.org/poldiscourse/discourseov.html
http://english.chass.ncsu.edu/jouvert/
As preparation for this session: Groups size Unlimited

● discuss with a colleague student your own various forms of positioning in relation to your research/study;
● write short notes on this discussion – both the contents and the process;
● note the main variations, tensions, ambivalences, contradictions, border crossings, resistances in and between
your positionings;
Cohorts ☑
● consider the most significant differences between you and your colleague.
Disciplines ☑
40
As a guide, consider these forms of positioning, and how they are related to your research/study:
● gender positionings: including sex, gender, sexuality;
● social division positionings: including your age, class, domestic situation, ethnicity/racialisation, sex/gender,
sexuality, and their intersections – and their relevance for your research/study;
● geopolitical positionings: including your nationality, language(s), cultural identification, geographical
place/location, and their intersections – and their relevance for your research/study (for a start you may not be
writing in your own first language);
● research/study positionings: including the various different positions you occupy, have occupied or may occupy
in the future in doing your research/study, and their intersections (these might include student, researcher,
research assistant, employee, departmental position, teacher, trade unionist, consultant, business professional,
client, colleague, ex-colleague, peer, parent, mother/father on parental leave, retired person, person on sick
leave).
When you have done this, it can often be educational to do a “thought experiment” of imagining what it would be
like to do your research/study from the “opposite positioning”, or at least some aspects of it.
Don’t worry if doing all this seems unfamiliar at first; that’s part of the exercise, especially for those in the West and
North! Happy talking, writing and reading.
In the taught session, the information gained in the pre-session work can be reflected in different ways. In a small group,
I would go round with each person speaking on what they wish to share. In a slightly larger cohort, working in groups of
two or three may be better, timewise. In a larger group still, some short self-writing might be the safest option. As a health
warning: this exercise can also generate Eureka moments, as well as intense emotions of various kinds. These need to
be monitored and addressed appropriately.
The relation of positioning in gender equality, feminism(s) and postcolonialism can be returned to in a subsequent session.
Depending on the student context, this can include discussion of the different meanings and uses of the concept of
positioning, for example, in argumentation, in feminism and gender equality, in discourse, and of the notions of other(s)
and othering.
41
This has been built up over many years, as a way of bringing difficult political, academic and theoretical issues down to
earth in concrete ways. Also, the session(s) allows participants to engage with these, at times, difficult and complex issues
with different focuses and different degrees of investment and personal disclosure.
How it went
I have used this activity many times, usually with postgraduates, and usually with very lively, positive reflections, including
on the relations of feminism, gender and postcolonialism, amongst other issues.
In some contexts, it is better to offer fewer alternatives, and focus for example on only one or two of various positionings
like gender, social divisions, geopolitical or research/study. This means that the emphasis is more fully on the “thought
experiment” and subsequent discussions. One issue is to what extent the session(s) are accompanied by relevant reading.
There are of course many relevant texts (to mention names like Brah, Fanon, Mohanty, Spivak), and the texts used should
be appropriate to the participants. Use of the websites listed in the handout provides an ‘easy access way’ into readings.
Suggestions for use

The activity can be adapted and indeed simplified in many ways, for different groups.
References
Butt, H. (2011). The limits of unlearning: Liberal feminism from the postcolonial perspective. E-International Relations. Retrieved
from:https://www.e-ir.info/2011/06/24/the-limits-of-unlearning-liberal-feminism-from-the-postcolonial-perspective/
Castaing, A. (2014). Thinking the difference: On feminism and postcolony South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic
Journal/Association pour la recherche sur l’Asie du Sud. Retrieved from: https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/3689
Navarro Tejero, A. (2013). Postcolonial feminism: teaching how to avoid prejudices about Muslim women in an ESL classroom.
Retrieved from: https://helvia.uco.es/bitstream/handle/10396/14873/II-5.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Shefer, T., Hearn, J., Ratele, K., & Boonzaier, F. (Eds.). (2018). Engaging youth in activism, research and pedagogical praxis:
Transnational and intersectional perspectives on gender, sex, and race. Routledge.
42
Case Study 1.19 Developing gender-sensitivity in Bharatanatyam using the Bechdel test
Giridhar Raghunathan, University of Roehampton, UK
What they did

Bharatanatyam is an Indian classical dance form. Sadir, the precursor of Bharatanatyam, was prevalent in South India,
particularly in Tamil Nadu until the mid-20th century. Over the last few decades, Bharatanatyam has expanded globally
with popularity in India and its global diaspora (O’Shea, 2007). Bharatanatyam was brought to the UK around 180 years
Discipline
ago, and its has been substantially growing in the country ever since. The theme of the traditional Bharatanatyam Dance
performance is usually the love of the heroine (portrayed by the dancer) towards her hero (a Hindu masculine god). The
compositions are based on situations where the heroine laments the separation from her hero and seeks the help of her
friend (another woman). She tries to send her friend as her messenger to bring her beloved to her. This conventional
theme has been repeated in Bharatanatyam performances over centuries, and it is still at the centre of the repertory.
Cohort
Undergraduate
The Bechdel test, also called the Bechdel-Wallace test, measures the representation of women in fiction and movies. To
pass the test, the work should feature at least two characters that are women, who talk to each other, and where the
subject of conversation should not be a man (Bechdel,1985). Although this test has been used to examine the portrayal
of women in Indian cinema (Kapoor et al, 2015), the present work is the first of its kind where it is deployed in
Bharatanatyam.
Teaching Context
th
The activity uses Sakhiye intha jaalam, a traditional 20 century Tamil varnam, a dance-music composition by K.N. Studio
Dandayudhapani Pillai (1921-74). The Tamil lyrics translate to ‘Oh friend! Why do you play such mischief? Please ask my
beloved Lord to come to me now!’. It is evident that this song does not pass the Bechdel Test, opening the discussion on
why it is essential to choreograph and present more dance pieces that represent the ‘actual’ voice of women, addressing
them and their strengths, challenges and issues. Group Size 10

Teaching the entire choreography to the students can help them understand the lyrics, thematic and the expressions.
Embodying the movements can be a better strategy to empathise than a mere classroom discussion about the dance
Cohorts ☑
piece.
Disciplines ☑
43
How it went
After learning the choreography, the students are invited to engage in a discussion about the Bechdel Test. The
conversation includes questions such as ‘Why do we need to test the representation of women in dance?’, ‘Can
Bharatanatyam represent women as more than just love-stricken women?’. Then the students are encouraged to apply
the ‘new’ knowledge to the piece they learnt, and they are asked to identify new themes that could be experimented with,
and which could pass the Bechdel test. This exercise aims to enable students to recognise the possibility of creating and
choreographing women protagonists with qualities such as strength, optimism, and determination. They can also identify
challenges and how women can step up to address them.
Suggestions for use

The traditional Bharatanatyam repertory consists of numerous songs and dances based on love and devotion. Songs
exploring contemporary secular themes need to be composed, choreographed, and included in the repertory, owing to
concerns of relevance, globality and inclusiveness within the dance-form.
References
Bechdel, A. (1985) ‘The Rule’ [Cartoon]. Dykes to Watch out For. Retrieved from https://lithub.com/read-the-1985-comic-strip-that-
inspired-the-bechdel-test/
Kapoor, H., Bhuptani, P, H., Agneswaran, A (2015). The Bechdel in India: gendered depictions in contemporary Hindi cinema. Journal
of Gender Studies, 26:2, 212-226
O’Shea, J. (2007). At Home in the World: Bharata Natyam on the Global Stage. Wesleyan University Press
44
Case Study 1.20 Social work interventions with men and boys
Liz Clarke and Wesley Powley-Baker, Oxford Brookes University, UK
Social work students need to undertake 30 University-based ‘skills’ days as part of their undergraduate and postgraduate
degree courses. A few members of staff have been mindful of two issues relating to gender and social work:
1. Representation and attainment: We recruit very few men as social work students; they fare less well academically
(degree outcome); a higher proportion of men who are social work students fail placements; social work as a Discipline
profession is predominantly a feminised occupation (Furness, 2012). Social Work
2. There has recently been no emphasis within the Social Work degree courses on teaching what social work
interventions are possible with men and boys. This is a problem, as social work students will graduate and practice
as social workers, and they might not feel skilled or equipped in working with this neglected group within the social
care population. There is evidence that men and boys are neglected in social work interventions, see for example Cohort
Baum (2016) and Serious Case Reviews (https://www.scie.org.uk/safeguarding/children/education/serious-case- Undergraduate
reviews). and postgraduate
As a way of starting to counter these issues, we decided to hold an on-line asynchronous skills day on Moodle, exploring
‘Social Work Interventions with Men and Boys’.
What they did Teaching Context

We created a section on our ‘skills’ module page in Moodle. We then uploaded a narrated academic PowerPoint Classroom and online
presentation on involving men and boys in social work interventions. We added a simulation task – a film of a father
(member of staff) and one film of a son (child of member of staff), role playing two people in a family where there is
domestic abuse perpetrated by the mother. Students were asked to complete an exercise assessing issues, and to upload
the completed assessments to Google Drive. We uploaded teaching and learning resources on this topic to the module
Group size Unlimited
page and added links to library resources. Finally, we asked students to add comments to a discussion forum on their
experience of this.
Why they did it that way Teaching contexts ☑
Due to Covid-19, the teaching and learning needed to be online. This was one of the skills days, and simulation was Cohorts ☑
chosen as a suitable method for learning a skill online. Disciplines ☑
45
How it went
There were some very interesting feedback and comments from students on the discussion forum and in the assessments
they completed. Many students (both women and men) spoke positively of this day, they found it very informative in terms
of how they will go on to practice, as well as how they reflected more on themselves as developing professionals. Next
time, we would like to do this in the classroom with ‘live’ actors.
References
Baum, N. (2016). The unheard gender: The neglect of men as social work clients. The British Journal of Social Work, 46(5), 1463-
1471.
Furness, S. (2012). Gender at work: Characteristics of ‘failing’ social work students. British journal of social work, 42(3), 480-499.
46
Case Study 1.21 Equality, diversity and inclusion week – challenging stereotypes
Dr Rachael Bullingham, Ben Moreland, Dr Pauline Williams, University of Gloucestershire, UK
What they did

We ran an online equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) week, supplementary to and in line with, the students’ curriculum.
We invited guest speakers to challenge a range of social issues in and around sport. We tried to work within protected
characteristics of the UK Equality Act (2010), with a specific focus on gendered issues and the gender binary in sport,
Discipline
whilst ensuring diversity across our speakers. The speakers related to some aspects that were also being taught within Physical Education
the curriculum, and additionally they offered the opportunity to examine ‘real-life’ examples. We had speakers who Coaching/Sport
challenged the status quo, for example a diversity and inclusion representative from a national governing body, a high -
level woman rugby coach, and a triple world champion in women’s hockey. Additionally, we engaged with some Early
Career Researchers (ECRs), who presented their initial PhD findings around non-binary and transgender issues.
Cohort
Why they did it that way Undergraduate
We believe there is a need to bring to life the topics we present within sociological lectures. While we cover the content,
students often lack real life examples and fail to identify the complexity of the issues from reading and lecture content. As
Riebe et al. (2013) suggest, guest speakers can provide an insight into the real world for students. They can highlight the
importance of key employability skills that students require within their transition into the working world. Likewise,
Metrejean, Pittman and Zirzeski (2010) note the use of guest speakers within and around the curriculum has multiple Teaching Context
benefits, beyond the student experience. Zorek et al. (2011) acknowledge that the impact of guest speakers not only Online and classroom
highlights potential employment options but also allows students to recognise individual professional responsibility. This
is key within the sporting landscape where practice is often replicated and reproduced in line with previous experiences.
Having real-life individuals who have challenged the status quo allowed students to see how speakers navigated the Group Size Unlimited
sporting landscape. Sport as an institution was designed by and for the development of men (Anderson, 2010), and the
ramifications are still evident today. Inviting diverse speakers during EDI week allowed students to hear examples of
complexities found in the sporting environment. The intersectionality of speakers also encouraged students to
acknowledge that some issues are multifaceted. This is essential as within sport sociology, important issues are often
Cohorts ☑
taught as a stand-alone lecture, like for example gender, race and ethnicity, and age. As Rajaratnam and Campbell (2013)
Disciplines ☑
47
argue, the use of guest speakers can help contextualise issues for students. This is key in particular when students move
towards higher levels and look to critically evaluate issues within sport for their assessments. The team recognises that
inviting guest speakers is not something new in higher education and within sports courses. However, running the
sessions online allowed guest speakers to present across consecutive days and it reduced the limitations of access to a
great diversity of speakers. It enhanced the overall continuity of the sessions and of student thinking.
How it went
While Covid-19 has clearly impacted teaching and learning, we used the opportunity to use online delivery to our
advantage. We managed to get a diverse range of speakers that logistically would have been very difficult to invite for
sessions taught on campus. Being able to invite a multitude of high-quality speakers had a strong impact, and as there is
clearly value in this format, we are going to use it in the future. The outcome for students was positive in different ways.
Not only could they use sessions as continuous professional development (CPD) hours, placement hours and internal
university employability awards, but the method also had a personal impact for students. Furthermore, the sessions
supported staff new to the higher education environment. For future runs we intend to timetable directly in or after sessions
to allow an introduction, and for students to join sessions straight from the lectures.
Suggestions for use

Start planning early and engage with the student cohort on what issues they want to examine.
References
Agha-Jaffar, T. (2000). From Theory to Praxis in Women's Studies: Guest Speakers and Service-Learning As Pedagogy. Feminist
Teacher, 13(1), 1-11. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40545928
Anderson, E. (2010). Inclusive masculinity: The changing nature of masculinities. Routledge.
Metrejean, C., Pittman, J., & Zarzeski, M. T. (2002). Guest speakers: reflections on the role of accountants in the
classroom. Accounting Education, 11(4), 347-364.
Rajaratnam, K., & Campbell, A. (2013), Enhancing students’ learning through practical knowledge taught by industry professionals.
International Business & Economics Research Journal, 12(6), 717–724.
Riebe, L., Sibson, R., Roepen, D., & Meakins, K. (2013). Impact of industry guest speakers on business students' perceptions of
employability skills development. Industry and Higher Education, 27(1), 55-66.
Zorek, J. A., Katz, N. L., & Popovich, N. G. (2011). Guest speakers in a professional development seminar series. American journal
of pharmaceutical education, 75(2).
48
Case Study 1.22 Embedding gender in entrepreneurship curriculum
Sukanya Ayatakshi-Endow, Bournemouth University, UK
What they did

The following activity pertains to the unit Entrepreneurship and Business Ventures, a student enterprise development unit
in the final year of six Business School Programmes at Bournemouth University. Each year, this module has approximately
110 students. The entire curriculum is underpinned by a commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG),
Discipline
with a strong focus on Goal 5 Gender Equality, due to the factors affecting women in entrepreneurship, see for example Business Studies
‘The five barriers to women in business’ (Rebecca Burn-Callander, The Telegraph, 25 March 2019,
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/women-entrepreneurs/five-barriers/). This is in line with PRME, the Principles for
Responsible Management Education (Flynn et al., 2017). It is globally recognised that women entrepreneurs struggle with
a number of intrinsic and extrinsic barriers, like a lack of networks, mentors, accessibility to external funding as outline in
the Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship (Rose, 2019), including traditional sources of finance and venture Cohort
Undergraduate
capital (Kanze et al., 2018), having to balance home and business responsibilities (Ayatakshi-Endow and Steele, 2021),
and the psychological fear of failure (Camargo et al., 2018). These result in the entrepreneurial journey for women being
fraught with impediments, resulting in lower representation of women in entrepreneurship.
The students on this unit went through ideation sessions and support similar to that of a pre-accelerator programme. The Teaching Context
entire curriculum was designed as a pre-accelerator programme to help students learn about building a product, service, Online seminars
business, funding strategy, organisation, brand and pitch deck. To achieve this, the following set of activities over a 12 - and lectures
week period were used:
● A series of workshops and masterclasses with industry experts and entrepreneur guest speakers.
● 1:1 and group coaching, as well as mentoring sessions.
● Introduction to relevant networks including signposting to local Accelerators. Group Size 110
● Pitch Challenge at the end of 12 weeks to a live panel of external entrepreneurs and experts including funding bodies,
business mentors.
Of the total 12 weeks, two weeks were dedicated – including lectures/seminars/guest speakers – to UN SDG Goal 5 to
Cohorts ☑
highlight the barriers and bias women entrepreneurs face, and how entrepreneurial solutions can support gender equality
Disciplines ☑
49
(Amatucci, 2019). These two weeks also involve the Global Entrepreneurship Week. In 2019 and in 2020 we organised
the events of this week around Women in Entrepreneurship:
(https://bournemouth.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Embed.aspx?id=ff3321ec-16f7-4a7d-8aa9-ac760116c17b).
The topic was introduced via lectures, and on the online learning platform. There was a focus on a number of resources
such as the Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship (Rose, 2019), Caroline Criado Perez’s book Invisible Women
(2019), and academic journal articles, for example Kanze et al. (2018) and Brush et al. (2018) (summarised for ease of
understanding), and short videos, like Ashwini Amburajan’s TED talk ‘How cryptocurrency can help start-ups get
investment capital’ on blockchain-based entrepreneurial finance:
(https://www.ted.com/talks/ashwini_anburajan_how_cryptocurrency_can_help_start_ups_get_investment_capital).
When we met at the seminars, most students were already at a level where they were interested in and engaged with the
topic. Student testimonials provided the much-needed feedback:
● ‘This module has unlocked my ambitions and made me see I can affect change’.
● ‘I grew up thinking gender issues are relevant to only public policy and too limited to developing countries…
fascinated by the talks and interactions’.
● ‘Criado Perez’s book had a huge impact on me, everywhere I look now I can see how the world is not the same
for women even in the West. Enterprise solutions can balance it again…’.
After an initial 15 minutes summarising the lecture, the seminar group was broken up into three to four breakout rooms
(depending on student numbers) with the task of looking at the various examples of start-ups and big businesses set up
by women. Students were asked to first research the business and then create a short presentation for the rest of the
class.
This unit was assessed via a student entrepreneurial elevator pitch and a detailed report. This included a dozen students,
women and men, presenting original ideas ranging from healthcare technology to home economy for empowering women
and mitigating gender inequalities. The message of how entrepreneurship can resolve gender inequalities was strongly
communicated in those pitches.
50
This exercise in combination with the preceding discussions and the pre-reading, videos and two whole weeks spent on
Goal 5 helped students gain a nuanced understanding of gender issues in entrepreneurship. Each week, there was a 2-
hour lecture and a 2-hour seminar, and resources on the online learning platform. The 2-hour seminar was structured as
follows:
● 20 mins – summarising the lecture which was on UN SDG 5; focusing on different issues facing women in business
from external support to cultural issues; highlighting a global context to the problem and then providing a more
local focus.
● 30 mins – researching the example provided to each room.
● 5 mins to feed back to the main room – i.e. about 20 minutes for four groups in total, plus peer feedback.
● 20 mins in total for concluding remarks from one student of each group, highlighting how they felt the topic and
the activity undertaken met the learning objectives.
The assessment on this unit is aligned to the objectives of the SDGs. Marks are awarded towards the development of a
business idea underpinned by commitment to SDGs; pitch deck development; live pitch presentation; written
documentation including business plan with detailed background research with information on the market viability of the
idea and links to the SDGs; other financial details including forecasts and cash flow statements.

In line with PRME guidelines and other scholarship (Amatucci, 2019) to embed sustainability in the curriculum , it is very
important to engage with the topic by research; presentation to develop a nuanced understanding of the root issue.
How it went
The outcome of the activity was informal and formative feedback on in-class presentations that students created.
Suggestions for use

This activity works best over two weeks with week 1 focused on understanding the nuances and week 2 on application.
51
References
Amatucci, F.M. (2019). Embedding Sustainability in the Entrepreneurship Curriculum. In: Amaeshi, K., Muthuri, J., Ogbechie, C.
(Eds) Incorporating Sustainability in Management Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Ayatakshi-Endow, S., & Steele, J. (2021). Striving for balance: women entrepreneurs in Brazil, their multiple gendered roles and
Covid-19. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. 13(2), 121-141
Brush, C., Greene, P., Balachandra, L., & Davis, A. (2018). The gender gap in venture capital-progress, problems, and
perspectives. Venture Capital, 20(2), 115-136.
Criado Perez, C. (2019). Invisible women: Exposing data bias in a world designed for men. Random House.
Flynn, P.M., Haynes, K. & Kilgour, M.A. (Eds.). (2017). Integrating Gender Equality into Business and Management Education:
Lessons Learned and Challenges Remaining. NY: Routledge.
Kanze, D., Huang, L., Conley, M. A., & Higgins, E. T. (2018). We ask men to win and women not to lose: Closing the gender gap in
startup funding. Academy of Management Journal, 61(2), 586-614.
Kleine, K., Giones, F., Camargo, M., & Tegtmeier, S. (2018). Building technology entrepreneurship capabilities: An engineering
education perspective. In Entrepreneurial universities (Eds) Ferreira, J.J., Fayolle, A., Ratten, A., and Raposo, M., Edward Elgar
Publishing.
Ogbechie C. (eds) Incorporating Sustainability in Management Education. Palgrave Macmillan: Cham.
Rose, A. (2019). Review of Female Entrepreneurship. Retrieved from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-alison-rose-
review-of-female-entrepreneurship
52
Case Study 1.23 An introduction to gender issues for first-year undergraduate students
Fiona Mcneill, University of Edinburgh, UK
What they did

I delivered an annual lecture on gender issues to our whole Computer Science (CS) first-year cohort. The lecture included
interaction (getting students to vote on issues and guess answers) and videos. It consists of:
• A story about a computer scientist and a cleaner, which revealed the implicit assumptions we make.
Discipline
• An introduction to five types of issues women face: (1) sexual harassment and abuse; (2) intentional bias; (3) Computer Science
gendered language; (4) stereotype threat; (5) unconscious bias. The first three were covered briefly; the main focus
was on the last two, including clear explanations of what they are and highlights of studies exposing them, some from
a CS context.
• A brief exploration of socialisation and the root of these problems, including images of toys/books that boys and girls
are encouraged to engage with, and studies showing the gendered ways people interact with children. Results of Cohort
Undergraduate
studies on gender bias in school classrooms and in adult life were also included.
• A section on what we can do about this, including discussing our women@cs group, misconceptions around why
such groups exist, and an explanation that they are really about trying to level the playing field. There was also a
brief discussion on the difficulties of being in a minority (women in CS).
• A section on who is to blame for this, emphasising that people are responsible for their conscious behaviour, but they Teaching Context
are not to be blamed for societal-induced unconscious behaviour. The emphasis is that this is not about ‘women v In person lecture
men’ as women also display unconscious (and conscious) bias, and everybody in society suffers from enforced
gender roles.
• Suggestions of steps women can take to help level the playing field for themselves (including attending the
women@cs group) and steps we all can take to mitigate our inherent bias.
Group Size ~150
• A short discussion of how gender bias is one of many biases, that there are reasons why gender tends to be focussed 85% men
on more (e.g. 52% of the population affected; much more data to understand the problem) but that all kinds of bias
are a problem.
• Brief introduction of the video game analogy to get them to begin to think a little about intersectionality, and to Can be applied to different
understand that even if you have many privileges life can still be hard, and this does not mean that privilege does not Teaching contexts ☑
exist. Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
53
I was inspired by success stories in the US (see for example Frieze & Quesenberry, 2015), where the importance of
cultural change and women support networks is stressed (Frieze et al, 2006; Dasgupta, N, 2011). From this, I set up
women@cs, based on the research I did amongst women and men undergraduate students, which showed a significant
lack of understanding about initiatives to support women, some hostility to such initiatives, and a lack of understanding of
any bias issues outside of harassment and abuse.
How it went
Informally, many women students said it helped them understand the situation and encouraged them to join the group,
and that they felt men students were more understanding after the lecture. Some women students who had not been
aware of these issues found the talk difficult.
Suggestions for use

Keeping up with current research is crucial, and I would make it more interactive if I could find space in the timetable to
deliver it in such a way in the future. Try to find research that is relevant to your students, starting with the subject the y
are studying.
References
Dasgupta, N. (2011). Ingroup experts and peers as social vaccines who inoculate the self-concept: The stereotype inoculation
model. Psychological Inquiry, 22(4), 231–246.
Frieze, C., & Quesenberry, J. (2015) Kicking Butt in Computer Science: Women in Computing at Carnegie Mellon University. Dog
Ear Publishing.
Frieze, C., Hazzan, O., Blum, L. & Bernadine Dias M (2006) Culture and the environment as determinants of women’s participation
in computing: revealing the “women-CS fit”. SIGSCE Bull. 38(1),22-26.
54
Section Two: Developing gender-sensitive teaching approaches
This section sets out examples of gender-sensitive teaching approaches in higher education. In 1970, there 700 million adults worldwide attending
secondary or post-secondary education. This number is now projected to increase to 7 billion people by 2100 (Roser and Nagdy, 2013). Alongside this,
a growing number of women now participate in higher education, to the extent that they now represent more than half of students in many parts of the
world. It is thus important to ensure that our teaching approaches better represent the gender composition of the student body. Each of the following
case studies represent activities that can support students to become more gender-aware members of society. They also foster a sense of belonging
and aim to provide space and the place for all participants to be their authentic selves in a supportive and caring environme nt. In this section, we find
case studies that create inclusive module cultures, with also gender justice in social science and a pulsimeter mini-project. By selecting learning resources
and situating learning in a manner reflecting those generating and consuming knowledge as well as reflecting differing voices, perspectives and
experiences, the learning environment acts as a space to drive change and further inclusion within wider society.
References
Roser, M. & Nagdy, M., (2013) Projections of Future Education. Online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/projections-of-future-
education'.
55
Case Study 2.1 Building gender-sensitivity awareness and creating ‘brave spaces’
Yuhui Gao, Dublin City University, ROI
What they did

To build gender-sensitivity and awareness, three steps for preparation:
1. Getting familiar with the concept of gender-sensitivity and its general implications in higher education. LinkedIn
Learning courses such as Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging and similar training provided by own institutions are
good starting points. Discipline
2. Carrying out a self-reflective scan (Ravitch, 2021). Ravitch’s method of "5 Reflexive Scans to Identify Your Own Marketing
Invisible Logics" is a very helpful tool (https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/equitable-teaching-takes-time-and-
practice-here-are-strategies-to-help).
3. Assessing ‘Annex 5: Checklist on Examining My Own Educational Practice’, in the UNESCO publication ‘Gender
Sensitizing’ (Heng, 2010, see p.25 in the pdf version). This checklist provides a comprehensive set of self-reflective
Cohort
questions on how educators can become gender-sensitive in classrooms. Undergraduate
Creating ‘brave spaces’ for students’ preparation: The necessity of creating brave rather than safe spaces for students
has been highlighted in the literature (e.g., Arao & Clemens, 2013; Lawrence & Sinkey, 2021; Cook-Sather 2016). Real
learning not only requires some risk and discomfort (Cook-Sather, 2016) but also involves ‘the pain of giving up a former
condition in favour of a new way of seeing things’ (Boostrom, 1998, p. 339). The brave space pedagogy helps educators Teaching Context
better prepare students to engage in authentic and equitable dialogues with socio-culturally diverse groups (Ravitch, 2020; Online
Arao & Clemens, 2013).
I applied Arao and Clemens’ (2013) ‘brave space’ framework in an online marketing ethics discussion forum. Before the
online discussion forum, informal class exercises were carried out to create a brave learning environment, where open, Group Size 100
honest and authentic views were valued. For instance, students were asked to think of some examples of challenging
classmates’ views in a respectful manner. Students were also asked to include their pronouns in their communications.
The objective was to help students interpret challenging views and differentiate these opinions from acts of disrespect.
Using word association techniques, students were encouraged to come up with factors that might influence their views on
Cohorts ☑
ethics in marketing research. This aimed to facilitate students to explore different perspectives rather than establishing
Disciplines ☑
56
the right answer. These pre-assignment exercises helped to establish a brave discussion space. One of the discussion
forum topics was ‘How to create a gender question in a survey design?’. Students’ contributions on what had been
perceived as a simple survey question ended with very diverse and thought-provoking discussions, which in turn raised
the students’ gender awareness and the broader issue of diversity and inclusivity. Selective case studies in the area of
gender-sensitivity were provided to the students prior to the assignment (e.g. see Harvard Business School Publishing in
the section ‘Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging: Resources for Educators).

Gender-sensitivity refers to ‘the ability to acknowledge and highlight existing gender differences, issues and inequalities
and incorporate these into strategies and actions’ (Heng, 2010, p.1). As educators, our understanding of gender-sensitivity
and intersectional identities will, consciously or unconsciously, influence our curriculum design and pedagogical
approaches. The motivated commitment to gender-sensitive practice will not happen unless we have developed gender-
sensitivity and awareness both in our mind and in our heart. Ravitch (2021) highlights that equitable teaching requires us
to build self-awareness, to practice, and to reflect.
Apart from cultivating self-awareness, continuous self-development is also important. Studies on gender-sensitivity in the
context of higher education are scarce (Esen, 2013). The lack of pedagogical guidelines or established professional
development training in this area makes gender-sensitive teaching even more challenging for third-level educators.
Activities such as compiling a repository of useful materials and joining learning communities that engage in resource
sharing (for example Harvard Business School Publishing) can be very useful for self-development (Ravitch, 2020).
How it went
Students were much more engaged and appreciative of the discussions on issues such as gender-sensitivity, equality,
and diversity.
Suggestions for use

I would suggest including some of the literature in this area as part of the course reading list. Also, commitment from the
course to embracing a gender-sensitive pedagogy is critical.
57
References
Arao, B., & Clemens, K. (2013). From safe spaces to brave spaces: A new way to frame dialogue around diversity and social justice.
In L. M. Landreman (Ed.), The art of effective facilitation (pp. 135-150). Stylus Publishing, LLC.
Boostrom, R. (1998). ‘Safe spaces’: Reflections on an educational metaphor. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 30(4), 397-408.
Cook-Sather, A. (2016). Creating Brave Spaces within and through Student-Faculty Pedagogical Partnerships. Teaching and
Learning Together in Higher Education, 1(18), 1–5.
Esen, Y. (2013). Making Room for Gender Sensitivity in Pre-Service Teacher Education. European Researcher, 61(10–2), 2544–
2554.
Harvard Business School (2021), Gender, Educator resources section. Retrieved from: https://www.hbs.edu/gender/educator-
resources/Pages/default.aspx.
Heng, C. L. (2010). Gender sensitizing. Reorienting teacher education to address sustainable development: Guidelines and tools.
Bangkok: UNESCO. Retrieved from: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001890/189054e.pdf.
Lawrence Z. & Sinkey A. (2021). Start the semester inclusively. Harvard Business School Publishing. Retrieved from
https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/7-inclusive-ways-to-set-all-students-up-for-success-on-day-one.
Ravitch, S. M. (2021). Equitable teaching takes time and practice. Here are strategies to help. Harvard Business School Publishing.
Retrieved from: https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/equitable-teaching-takes-time-and-practice-here-are-strategies-to-help.
Ravitch, S. M. (2020). Why teaching through crisis requires a radical new mindset: Introducing Flux Pedagogy. Harvard Business
School publishing. Retrieved from: https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/why-teaching-through-crisis-requires-a-radical-new-
mindset.
58
Case Study 2.2 Who am I? Stimulating reflection on gender identities in the higher education classroom
Tania Fonseca, Kingston University, UK
What they did

The aim of this activity was to help participants to identify factors that may hinder gender equality in learning and teaching
in Higher Education. This is a one-hour, three-part activity.
Discipline
Part 1 (10min): Mapping the self. Participants are asked to identify points that best describe ‘I am’, ‘I am not’, and ‘How Educational Development
students see me’. The facilitator then discusses theoretical frameworks on gender identities and positionality in Higher in Higher Education
Education, and how these shape our experiences and perspectives on the world, what and how we teach; and how they
act as part of the hidden curriculum (see for example Cotton et al., 2016; Francis et al., 2010; Haye and Corrie, 2020;
hook, 2003; Leathwood and Read, 2008; Mirza, 2009). The facilitator shows demographic data on the institution and
gender trends by discipline. A dialogical approach fosters discussion about intersectional impacts of gender, social class,
Cohort
and ethnicity in Higher Education.
Doctoral Students
Part 2 (20min): A group activity where participants discuss how aspects of their identities may inform/shape how they
teach and interact with students; affect how students see them; contribute to a more/less supportive learning environment.
Afterwards, each group shares key points with everyone and discusses how, for example, gender identities and biases
can reinforce gender stereotypes, and how these can impact students’ learning experiences. Teaching Context
Classroom
Part 3 (15min): Returning to their groups, participants create a short action plan to minimise the impact of gender biases
in their module (for example with regard to reading lists, language used, in-class examples, and feedback strategies).
Why they did it that way Group Size 25

To improve gender-sensitivity by:
• Addressing learned gender stereotypes, or how students’ learning experiences can be affected by communication
and attitudes towards them based on their gender identities (Simon et al., 2016; Cassese and Bos, 2013).
• Countering women students’ tendency to be less self-confident and to underrate their abilities (Cornell et al., 2020;
Cohorts ☑
Irvin, 2017).
Disciplines ☐
59
• Fostering change in learning and teaching practices by acknowledging sources of the hidden curriculum and
exploring how educators’ positionality may advantage some students over others (Verge, 2018).
How it went
It is difficult to measure the activity’s impact on participants’ practices. However, some men participants asked for further
support to change the gendered language in their subject, aerospace; and women doctoral students with teaching
responsibilities approached the facilitator for support in addressing how men students disregarded them as teaching
assistants. From the session feedback sheets, this activity also allowed participants to share experiences with others and
think about the effects of identity/personality on their relationship with students. In hindsight, some improvements could
be achieved by giving more time to explore deeper personal meanings; and emphasising that these reflections are not
limited to the activity time but are a continuous part of the programme.
Suggestions for use

To foster deep reflection about positionality and personal biases, it is important to:
• recognise our own biases and positionality.
• find comfort in facilitating difficult conversations.
• model openness and honesty about gender biases.
• listen to understand, not to judge or respond.
• use neutral and respectful language during discussions.
• ensure men and non-binary participants do not feel excluded by the language used.
• provide examples from different disciplines and contexts.
References
Cassese, EC, Bos, AL (2013) A hidden curriculum? Examining the gender content in introductory-level political science textbooks.
Politics and Gender 9(2): 214–223.
Cornell, B.; Hewitt, R. and Bekhradnia, B. (2020). Mind the (Graduate Gender Pay) Gap. HEPI Report 135, pp 58. Higher Education
Policy Institute: Oxford
Cotton, D.R.E.; Joyner, M., George, R., & Cotton, P.A. (2016). Understanding the gender and ethnicity attainment gap in UK higher
education. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 53:5, 475-486.
60
Francis, B., Read, B., Melling, L., and Robson, J. (2003). University Lecturers' Perceptions of Gender and Undergraduate Writing.
British Journal of Sociology of Education, 24:3, 357-373.
González, M.J. (2018). Resistance to mainstreaming gender into the higher education curriculum. The European Journal of
Women's Studies, 25(1), 86-101.
Hayes, C. and Corrie, I. (2020). Learner-centred pedagogy framing authentic identity and positionality in Higher Education. In:
Inoue-Smith, Yukiko and McVey, Troy, (Ed.) Optimizing Higher Education learning through activities and assessments (pp. 77-95).
IGI Global.
hooks, b. (2003). Confronting Class in the Classroom. In A. Darder M. Baltodano and R. Torres (Ed.), The Critical Pedagogy Reader
(pp. 142-50). New York: Routledge Falmer,
Irvin, A. L. (2017). The Female “Confidence Gap” and Feminist Pedagogy: Gender Dynamics in the Active, Engaged Classroom. In
Eddy P., Ward K., Khwaja T. (Ed) Critical Approaches to Women and Gender in Higher Education (pp 259-276). Palgrave
Macmillan, New York.
Leathwood, C. & Read, B. (2008). Gender and the Changing Face of Higher Education: A Feminized Future? Berkshire. England:
Open University Press.
Mirza, H. S. (2009). Race, Gender and Educational Desire: Why Black Women Succeed and Fail. London: Routledge
Simon, R. M., Wagner, A., & Killion, B. (2016). Gender and choosing a STEM major in college: Femininity, masculinity, chilly
climate, and occupational values. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 54(3), 299–323. Verge, T., Ferrer-Fons, M., &
61
Case Study 2.3 Gender justice in social science
Serena Natile, University of Warwick, UK
What they did

This case study addresses an important question in feminist pedagogy: How do we use assessment to provide students
with the opportunity to practically engage with gender justice in social science? Teaching modules on gender and the law
allows to discuss a number of important topics – from sexual violence to reproductive justice to socio-economic rights –
Discipline
and to provide students with various analytical and methodological tools to investigate these topics. During my Law
postgraduate module Gender & Human Rights at Brunel Law School, students started reflecting on various possibilities
to apply their theoretical learning/unlearning and contribute to gender justice. For this reason, I decided to add a more
practical element to the module as formative assessment. I contacted the university’s Student Wellbeing team and I found
out that the Student Equality and Diversity manager was about to start developing new University policies including one
on sexual violence and harassment. In close collaboration with her, I set a formative assessment on reimagining the law, Cohort
Undergraduate
asking students to work together to rewrite the university policy under her guidance. The ‘Sexual Violence and Harassment and Postgraduate
Policy’ for students and staff was officially adopted by the University in January 2020 and students organised its launch
campaign. Considering the positive feedback received from students and the importance to provide some reward to
students for their work, I made this exercise of legal reimagination a summative assessment (30%) for the postgraduate
module, I added it as formative to the undergraduate Gender module that I was teaching at Brunel, and I have now
introduced it in my new Labour Law module at Warwick. Teaching Context
Online and Classroom
There are three lessons learned that I would like to highlight:
1. Feminist approach to assessment: the teaching of gender is not just part of the module content and reading list, but
also needs to be embedded in classroom (physical or virtual) dynamics, feedback and assessment. Very often,
assessment is simply considered a way of measuring students’ knowledge. However, this case study demonstrates Group size Unlimited
how assessment can be an instrument to encourage students to become self-reflexive learners, learning about how
they learn while discovering new ways of learning.
2. Collaborations: this case study is built on collaboration with a non-teaching/academic support colleague (in this case
the Student Equality and Diversity Manager) and encourages collaboration between students and staff; the
Cohorts ☑
commitment to fight against ‘sexual violence’ became a collective goal that brought all of us together, fostering
Disciplines ☑
62
belonging and purpose, generated through reciprocal recognition and collective effort to make the university a space
of commitment to social justice.
3. Imaginative thinking: Teaching should provide students with tools to interrogate assumptions and develop new ways
to look at the world with insight and originality. In bell hooks’ words ‘the classroom remains the most radical space of
possibility in the academy’ and we should open our minds and hearts to create new visions that ‘make education the
practice [and not just the theory] of freedom’ (1994, p. 12).
These three elements are all very important to build gender-sensitivity in and through assessment. This collaborative and
re-imaginative approach to assessment can be initially introduced in addition to standard assessment methods such as
coursework and exam, and it can be given different weight depending on subjects and cohorts. In the long term this
approach would not only train students’ contextual and critical thinking about gender norms and relations, but also
contribute to lay the foundations for a broader change to the teaching of gender, not just as a cosmetic intervention but
as a commitment to social justice.

This case study is inspired by the idea of ‘teaching for justice’ as theorised by feminist and critical pedagogy scholars. In
particular, I drew upon Freire’s (1970) dialogic approach as co-construction of knowledge and reciprocity, bell hooks’
(1994) idea of engaged teaching as activism and healing, and Alexander’s (2006) idea that we all have ownership of a
vision of justice that should be ‘collectively imagined, collectively guarded and collectively worked out’ (p. 133). These
ideas aim to connect students’ learning beyond utilitarian concerns, such as employability and knowledge transfer. They
consider learning as transformative so that students learn to think more critically about the law and social equity in the
material world, and to use their education to bring about meaningful social change.
How it went
The insights on sexual violence and harassment written by students contributed to the Sexual Violence and Harassment
Policy that was formally adopted by the university in January 2020 (https://www.brunel.ac.uk/life/supporting-
you/documents/pdf/Sexual-Violence-and-Sexual-Harrassment-Policy-December-2019.-Final-docx.pdf) and for which the
students organised a launch campaign with flyers. This idea was developed dynamically in a dialogical relationship with
students. In adding a component on ‘reimagining the law’ to the assessment, I am now building different forms of ‘engaged
support’ for students (like a workshop on policy writing, activities on critical-creative thinking, and similar), and formulating
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the learning outcomes accordingly. In the long term this approach will contribute to infuse gender-sensitivity in students’
overall academic experience and encourage collaborations between different areas of study and institutions.
Suggestions for use

Listening to students is a key suggestion. Also, be conscious that building engaged pedagogies is a continuous and
dialogical process of learning and experimentation.
References
Alexander M. J. (2006) Pedagogies of Crossing, Duke University Press.
hooks, b. (1994) Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom, Routledge.
Freire P. (1970) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Penguin Books.
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Case Study 2.4 Practices for gender-inclusive module introductions
Jennifer Fraser and Francis Ray White, University of Westminster, UK
What they did

We have three specific practices that we use to engage in gender-sensitive module introductions.
Practice 1: We bring a box of reusable name badges, colourful markers and pronoun stickers with us to the first class. We
Discipline
invite everyone to make a name badge and include as many pronoun stickers on it as they like. We ask students to wear Social Sciences
their badge every week. They can take them home or leave them in the box, which we bring back and forth to class. We
also leave new badges, markers and pronoun stickers in the box so that anyone can make a new one or change their
stickers at any time.
Practice 2: We ask each student to introduce themselves to the class. We ask them their favourite ice-cream flavour, and Cohort
Undergraduate
if they collect anything. We also ask them to share the name that they would like to be called, if they have specific pronouns
that they use, and for any other information that will help everyone support their full participation in class.
Practice 3: We ask students to consider two questions:

1. What do you need from others to feel supported/included? Teaching Context
2. What are you able and willing to give to others to help them feel supported/included? Face to face or online
In a physical classroom we hand out post-it notes in two different colours for students to write down their answers and to
put them up on two different areas of the wall. In the virtual classroom we use either a virtual whiteboard or Padlet for
students to post their answers. We ask students to read all answers, and subsequently we engage in a discussion about
Group Size 15 - 60
them and how we will collectively hold space for everyone in the class. We also digitise the answers and put them in the
main class space in the virtual learning environment, so that we can all return to them over the course of the semester,
and keep them present in our classroom discussions. Can be applied to different
Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
65
These practices have developed iteratively over our years of teaching and through our conversations with one another.
They are grounded in the research that we have done together in the Non-Binary Genders in Higher Education: Lived
Experiences, Imagined Futures project (www.nbinhe.com) and they are also part of our wider commitment to queer
pedagogy (Waite, 2017). We are motivated by a desire to create spaces for students which allow them to bring as much
of themselves as they would like to the classroom (hooks, 1994). We have therefore designed practices that allow
recognition of multiple and intersecting aspects of who students are. These practices do not single out gender, which
might put non-binary and trans students under pressure to ‘come out’. Instead, gender is integral to these practices (Miller,
2019). Finally, we also know from our research that trans and/or non-binary students need and want their gender and
their pronouns recognised and honoured in classroom (Fraser, 2020; see also Lawrence and McKendry, 2019). These
practices form part of our approach to creating gender-inclusive and diverse classroom atmospheres.
Suggestions for use

We are mindful that we are both queer non-binary educators, teaching subjects in which we ask students to think about
identity, subjectivity and structures of oppression. This means that when we ask students to reveal things about
themselves, they may be more forthcoming because we are also committed to engaging in those same practices of
vulnerability. To adapt these practices will require considering your own positionality in the classroom and in relation to
your students.
References
Fraser, J. (2020). The struggle to imagine higher education otherwise: The transformative potential of diverse gender knowledges.
feminists@law, 10(2).
hooks, b. (2014). Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. New York and London: Routledge
Lawrence, M. & Mckendry, S. (2019). Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary Students and Staff in Further and Higher Education:
Practical Advice for Colleges and Universities. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Miller, sj. (2019). Introduction: The role of recognition. In sj Miller (Ed.), Teaching, Affirming, and Recognizing Trans and Gender
Creative Youth: A Queer Literacy Framework. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Waite, S. (2017). Teaching Queer: Radical Possibilities for Writing and Knowing. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.
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Case Study 2.5 Creating inclusive culture from the start of your module
Tab Betts, University of Sussex, UK
What they did

Eight different activities to create an inclusive culture.
1. Asynchronous community introductions: I set up collaborative PowerPoint, which learners could edit in real-time via
a link. I created slides to introduce myself and invited learners to create 1-3 slides introducing themselves, indicating
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their preferred pronouns and anything which would help support the way that they think and learn. Education
2. Inclusivity welcome video and statement: I posted a welcome video and a note about our attitude to diversity on our
Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
4. Teacher acknowledgement of influences on biases: When introducing myself, I made a point of highlighting things
which might contribute to my biases (such as being white, a man, my age, where I grew up, having lived in China)
and I emphasised my aim to celebrate all kinds of diversity. I stated that I would do my utmost to defend every Cohort
individual’s right to feel included and not be discriminated against. Postgraduate
5. Explicit request for feedback (with anonymous option): I invited learners to suggest ways we could support them
better and allowed them to provide feedback anonymously using Microsoft Forms.
6. Shared responsibility for equality in discussions: I also asked everyone to be mindful of ensuring that everyone can
contribute to discussions and cited research on discussion patterns (for example men learners dominating seminar Teaching Context
discussions; international learners having different conversation turn-taking cues). Online or Face to face
7. Roles in group work: I agreed and assigned roles for each learner during group work. To add an element of fun, we
titled the roles as ministers (for example Minister of Note-Taking). One key role was Minister of Equality, who was
there to ensure that all learners have an equal opportunity to participate, and that discussions/content produced
represent a diversity of viewpoints.
Group Size 150 – 200
8. Circle of Voices: During group work, we used Circle of Voices (each person has a fixed time to speak uninterrupted) 20 per group
to ensure that no one member dominates and everyone has the equal chance to contribute (Brookfield & Preskill,
2012; Gibbs et al., 2019). Can be applied to different
9. Regular one-to-one check-ins with students: I included quick check-ins with students every couple of weeks. I did Teaching contexts ☑
this by copying and pasting an individual message to them via email or instant message. Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
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Making pronouns, neurodiversity preferences, potential biases and attitudes explicit during a module makes learners
feel safe to express themselves and establishes a culture of inclusion. Lecturers often assume that this is the norm, but
many learners have negative experiences of not feeling included/supported/valued in educational contexts. These
interventions go a small way to addressing this.
How it went
I had very positive feedback from students. One student who has synaesthesia opened up to tell the group about their
experiences. They said they had never felt comfortable to do this before and it was because of the way that I had set
up the classroom culture. I also received many positive comments, including:
● ‘Tab is a fantastic teacher and I felt 100% listened to and respected...he was open to suggestions and very
adaptable.’
● ‘I thought Tab did an excellent job at engaging all of us, especially considering we were a very diverse group.’
● ‘It's a great idea to check in with your students (I am making mental notes of all your inclusive teaching practices for
my own teaching beginning next week).’
Suggestions for use

Try using video or audio introductions using Flipgrid or Padlet.
Talk openly about attitudes and listen to your learners.
References
Alvermann, D. E., Commeyras, M., Young, J. P., Randall, S., & Hinson, D. (1997). Interrupting gendered discursive practices in
classroom talk about texts: Easy to think about, difficult to do. Journal of Literacy Research, 29(1), 73-104.
Brookfield, S. D., & Preskill, S. (2012). Discussion as a way of teaching: Tools and techniques for democratic classrooms. John
Wiley & Sons.
Crombie, G., Pyke, S. W., Silverthorn, N., Jones, A., & Piccinin, S. (2003). Students' perceptions of their classroom participation
and instructor as a function of gender and context. The journal of higher education, 74(1), 51-76.
Gibbs, J., Hartviksen, J., Lehtonen, A., & Spruce, E. (2019). Pedagogies of inclusion: a critical exploration of small-group teaching
practice in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 1-1.
Lewis, M. (1990). Interrupting patriarchy: Politics, resistance, and transformation in the feminist classroom. Harvard educational
review, 60(4), 467-489.
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Case Study 2.6 Let’s get to know each other as we start! Pronominal systems and the pronoun go-round
Tommy Mayberry, University of Alberta, Canada
What they did

After sharing my pronouns when I introduce myself as the teacher/facilitator for the class/workshop, I put up a slide that
invites my students/participants to introduce themselves as well, using the following introductions slide:
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Transdisciplinary
Cohort
Undergraduate
and Postgraduate
Teaching Context
Various
The slide, which I read aloud at the beginning of the introductions activity, includes an example of pronouns in action
as well as descriptions of what pronouns are and why it can be respectful and inclusive to share our pronouns, including
not using pronouns and just using a person’s name as the pronominal system. With this activity I aim to ease anxieties Group Size 25
around not-knowing about pronouns as well as to get ahead of cisnormative jokes about pronouns by setting up the
respect and inclusivity inherent in doing this. Can be applied to different
When setting up this activity and the introduction circle with the ‘pronoun go-round’ (as this activity is sometimes called), Cohorts ☑
I take the opportunity for a brief discourse about gender equity, biases, and assumptions to say aloud while this slide Disciplines ☑
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is up: ‘We often think we can know how to refer to someone by how they look, but this is making an assumption based
on visual appearance and socially constructed cues. Just because someone visually presents in a way that we have
culturally coded to be binary-men or binary-women does not mean we can know how to respectfully refer to each
person. So, we can ask/choose to share how to be respectfully referred to.’
I also double-down on the ‘if you are comfortable’ part of the slide to remind/underscore that this is not mandatory –
and can never be mandatory – for a plethora of reasons which, apart from comfort in our group space, include safety
as well as self-understanding, with each of us being on our own journeys with our identities, and that we are all
constantly learning, unlearning, and relearning about ourselves and about society.
In workshop settings, I also use tent cards for participants to write their names on, and I invite everyone to include their
pronouns/pronominal systems, too. I also model this by having my own name tent card filled out like: “Tommy
(he/she/they)”.

In any teaching and learning context, it is important to consciously work toward making the space safer for everyone to
be respected in, and this is one small – yet powerful – way of starting those conversations and working to create and
maintain that safer space.
When working with people who teach, I make this metacognitively part of the introductions activity, too – i.e., I share
with them the research and evidence-informed perspectives as well as my motivations for doing the introductions this
way. I get them to reflect on the practice and to share affordances, constraints, hopes, and fears for doing this in their
own classrooms, too.
How it went
I have not formally evaluated this activity. From circumstantial evidence and my own reflections on the many times I
have done it in my teaching and workshop facilitations, it can be awkward at the start, but very rewarding as the time in
the group space goes on. I have had learners follow up with me after classes and sessions to thank me for setting the
tone and establishing a safer space to the room, and I have seen participants self-correct in the moment with pronouns
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and names as they engage together. This activity evolves as my students/participants change and grow, so I am always
listening and self-reflecting to keep it relevant and respectful.
Suggestions for use

Be brave, and be open and honest: this vulnerability, as bell hooks says, is needed to ‘eliminate […] the possibility that
we can function as all-knowing, silent interrogators,’ and ‘[i]t is often productive if professors take the first risk’ (1994, p.
21).
And if you are someone who uses a binary series of pronouns, please do still share and get ahead of letting your
students/participants assume your pronouns. There is so much power in this modelling, even if (or, especially if!) it
comes across to some folks as stating the obvious. To some, perhaps, it is obvious (although we know that is not true);
but to others, it will make them feel incredibly “seen”, and valued and respected.
References
Halberstam, J. (2018). Trans*: A Quick and Quirky Account of Gender Variability. Oakland, CA: University of California Press.
hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. New York, NY: Routledge.
Spade, D. (2018). We Still Need Pronoun Go-Rounds. Deans Spade. Retrieved from http://www.deanspade.net/2018/12/01/we-
still-need-pronoun-go-rounds/
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Case study 2.7 A collaborative project addressing gender equality in a problem-solving manner
Meltem Aygüneş, Sabancı University, Turkey
What they did

Gender Equality was one of the five UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) chosen for the course (the others were
global poverty, quality education, reduced inequalities and justice & peace). Students in groups were expected to do
research to define the problem (the SDG they have chosen), its possible causes and run a study to suggest possible
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solutions. The results of the studies and research were delivered in the form of written research reports and Social Sciences
presentations which are followed by class discussions. Since the SDGs are all linked to each other, an intersectional
analysis is necessary. That is why, the other groups working on global poverty, quality education, reduced inequalities
and justice & peace could also refer to gender inequality as a category of analysis. To put it another way, gender
inequality is widely mentioned as one of the major drivers of inequality, poor education, poverty, and justice issues.
Cohort
Undergraduate
Why they did it this way
Students were given the autonomy to choose the subject they wanted to work on and the team members they want to
work with. When students choose the research topic, they were more willing to work on it. After a short introduction of
the topic given by the teacher, students were expected to carry out the research on their own and find their own
supporting ideas. Working as part of teams of four gave them an opportunity to learn from each other as well. When Teaching Context
different SDGs presented by different groups referred to gender inequality as one of the main causes of the topic at Online
hand, they became aware of the importance of gender inequality on different subjects.
How it went
Students mostly found it difficult to study in a group and prepare a collaborative project and complained about it.
Group Size 4 – 20
However, they also mentioned how they learned from each other and how important this practice would be in their
future lives. During the presentations and class discussions, students became aware of the importance of gender
equality and how important it was in maintaining the other SDGs. Can be applied to different
Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
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Suggestions for use
• Give autonomy to your students to choose their own study area
• Provide your students the skills and space to excel in their own learning
• Make your students work in teams and prepare collaborative projects; this is what they will be doing in their future
lives
• Create an online platform where your students will be meeting their team members and presenting their work
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Case Study 2.8 Promoting gender-inclusive engineering and design: the pulsimeter mini-project
Lois Gray, The University of the Highlands and Islands, UK
What they did

The mini-project runs for three weeks, then each group presents their design of a pulsimeter (shared equally between
group members) and individuals critique the designs of the other groups – in terms of technical achievement and usability.
This formative activity has been designed for a third-year undergraduate module in Control and Instrumentation, which,
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being cross-disciplinary, lends itself well to a multi-modal group approach. The facilitation and assessment methods are Engineering
key to gender-sensitive inclusion. Whilst some literature advocates women-only groups (Girls Who Code, 2019), this
exclusivity can be alienating. Ensuring that each group includes at least one or two women, is preferable. This determines
the number of groups and group sizes. Ensuring groups contain students from different backgrounds (such as full-time,
part-time unemployed, part-time working, mature and young) and geographical locations, helps avoid cliques that can
engender “laddishness”. Cohort
Undergraduate
To facilitate individual learning, groups are required to regularly hold meetings, in accordance with their pre-approved
project plan. Supervisors are asked to scrutinise meeting minutes for clear evidence of participation by all members.
Groups give progress presentations at strategic milestones, where their inter-group cooperation is critiqued by their
supervisor, with direct feedback encouraging improvement; even with formative activities, most groups strive to perform Teaching Context
well in front of peers, particularly if competition is encouraged. Various

Coming from a patriarchal environment, and teaching men-dominated classes for 15 years, I was aware that ‘laddism’
(Jackson, Dempster & Pollard, 2015, p. 300) was prevalent and off-putting for my women student minority. The advent
Group Size 50
of a fourth industrial revolution and Criado Perez’ (2020) book ‘Invisible Women’, convinced me that I had to eliminate
this in order to convince graduates that women engineers are crucial to the success of the industry. I thus devised a
class activity that takes a three-pronged approach: Can be applied to different
1. Mckinsey’s (2020) agile working method dominates Industry 4.0 skills requirements and embraces the feminine Teaching contexts ☑
attributes of collaboration, tolerance and supportiveness (Smith et al., 2018). Emphasising these qualities in a group Cohorts ☑
activity allows women to ‘shine’, without advocating positive discrimination.Building on the University of Zurich’s Disciplines ☑
74
(2017) discovery that, neurobiologically, female brains are more sensitive to pro-social rewards than male brains, I
chose a case study problem with solutions that would benefit the UK’s National Health Service.
2. Personal observation has shown that women particularly enjoy engineering ergonomics. Gearing the problem for an
equally technical and ergonomic solution is more engaging for women but does not unduly spotlight gender
differences. It explicitly highlights the need for products to cater for gender diversity and, importantly for pulsimeters,
ethnic diversity.
How it went
I have observed that in previous similar group activities, all students, including the women, have engaged well with the
activity and presented realistic designs. I think that third-year students have the maturity to recognise the value of group
activities like this. I hope that, after this project, students will have a good appreciation of the importance of diversity
considerations when designing products.
References
Agrawal, M., Eloot, K., Mancini, M., & Patel, A. (2021) Industry 4.0: Reimagining manufacturing operations after Covid-19.
Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/industry-40-reimagining-manufacturing-
operations-after-covid-19
Criado-Perez, C. (2020) Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men. London: Vintage Publishing
Girls Who Code (2019) Advocacy Report: The State of Girls in K-12 Computer Science Classrooms: Making the Case for Gender-
Specific Education Policies. Retrieved from https://girlswhocode.com/about-us/public-policy
Jackson, C., Dempster, S., Pollard, L. (2015) “They just don’t seem to really care, they just think it’s cool to sit there and talk”:
laddism in university teaching-learning contexts. Educational Review. 67(3), 300-314.
Smith, D., Rosenstein, J., and Nikolov, M. (2018) ‘The Different Words We Use to Describe Male and Female Leaders’ Harvard
Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2018/05/the-different-words-we-use-to-describe-male-and-female-leaders
Soutschek, A, Burke, C., Raja Beharelle, A., Schreiber, R., Weber, S., Karipidis, I., ten Velden, J., ... Tobler, P. (2017). The
dopaminergic reward system underpins gender differences in social preferences. Nature Human Behaviour. 1(11), 819-827.
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Case Study 2.9 Designing gender-inclusive teaching materials – the Purple Certificate Program
Implemented by Emirhan Deniz Çelebi, written by İlayda Ece Ova, Sabancı University, Turkey
What they did

At SU Gender we organise the Purple Certificate Program for teachers and faculty of education students which aims to
raise awareness on gender equality and how to create a gender-inclusive learning environment. The program involves
a range of disciplines and cross-cutting topics and materials, including STEM, psychology, political science, law, literature
Discipline
and disability. As a part of this one-week training, we organise sessions on designing educational material where Faculty of Education
participants are informed about creating gender-inclusive teaching materials.
The session begins with a presentation which includes information on the following:
- what inclusive education is
- what gender-inclusive education means Cohort
- why gender-inclusion in the classroom is an important dimension of education Undergraduate
- how teachers can review their teaching processes in terms of gender-inclusive classroom practices
- the consequences of not having a gender-inclusive perspective in learning environments
- the practical ways teachers can create inclusive learning environments
- how teachers can stand in solidarity with each other when gender equality work becomes emotionally consuming Teaching Context
- the basic principles of creating classroom materials. Classroom and online
Deriving from the slogan “Everything around us can be a teaching material!” participants are then grouped into 5-6 people
and given 25 minutes to use toilet paper as the main object to create gender-inclusive teaching material of any sort,
based on what they have learned throughout the training. They are allowed to use whatever they want such as stationary
Group Size 10 - 60
tools, digital tools, videos and voice recordings. They are also expected to write a lesson plan for the use of this material.
Each group then presents their materials and receive feedback from the other groups. The session ends with a plenary
style ‘harvesting’ discussion on what participants have learnt and are taking with them from the training. Can be applied to different
Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
76
In Turkey, teachers are trained to create educational materials during their undergraduate studies in education faculties.
However, a gender-inclusive perspective is not taken into consideration within the official curriculum. By doing this time-
constrained, collective and creative exercise of designing gender-inclusive material, teachers and students of education
faculties embrace the idea that designing gender inclusive material does not have to be a complicated and long process
and also feel encouraged to go back to their classrooms and work on the curricula they teach from a gender-inclusive
perspective.
How it went
Participants’ feedback of this 2.5-hour workshop has been very positive for more than four years, as they mention that
first, this exercise reminds them that it can be fun to be in the position of students again – working together to come up
with ideas of how to make an object as irrelevant as toilet paper into a gender-sensitive teaching material. Secondly,
they highlight that being able to design a new teaching material that is gender-inclusive in a very short period of time
challenges the idea that designing teaching materials is a very long and demanding process.
Suggestions for use

It is of utmost importance to use a gender-inclusive language throughout to be an example for the participants in the
session. The training is attended by teachers and students from different disciplines and backgrounds so it is vital to
design the presentation and material production parts in a way that every participant can work with each other.
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Section Three: Supporting students and staff to be gender-sensitive
This section sets out examples of supporting students and staff to be gender-sensitive. Important in each of the case studies, is being aware of the
wider context in which higher education operates and supporting students to become more gender-aware members of society. This includes paying
attention to the gender composition of staff, their knowledge on the relevance of the sex and gender perspective in relation to their subject area and
engagement in continuous professional development in that area. The case studies presented below also aim at fostering a sense of belonging and aim
to facilitate a supportive and caring environment. In this section, we find case studies that promote the visibility of diverse role models and underpin
support systems for staff and/or students.
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Case Study 3.1 Careful consideration of portrayed gender stereotypes in university teaching
Becky Lewis, University of East Anglia, UK
What they did

I took on responsibility for the organisation of two large postgraduate modules. I realised that for one of these modules,
although I was the organiser, with lots of administration responsibilities, I had no teaching. All the teaching was to be done
by three lecturers, who were all men. I did not wish to reduce the teaching of these men, as they are all excellent educators,
Discipline
but I was concerned that the module was portraying science as a masculine role, and administration as a feminine role. Biology
To remedy this, I asked two women colleagues to each teach a small number of hours on this module. These sessions
were complementary to the existing lectures, but specifically covered real-world applications of the science.

I chose to recruit other women, rather than to do the additional teaching myself because by adding more women to the Cohort
team contributed to a more balanced teaching team. Lecturers are the role models presented in this module. I was careful Undergraduate
with my choice of sessions to be led by women. Men are perceived to be more analytical and independent than women
(Carli et al., 2016), so I ensured that the additional sessions challenged these stereotypes, and I focused on less typically
‘feminine’ sub-disciplines. In addition to challenging stereotypes, my intention was to prevent women students from being
subconsciously discouraged from pursuing careers in the areas covered by this module. Evidence shows that exposure Teaching Context
to successful women in a given field can encourage more women to join that field compared to when women role models Online Lectures
are absent (Porter & Serra, 2020). Finally, there is evidence that exposure to a woman role model can improve women’s
achievement in tests in the field of mathematics (Marx & Roman, 2002). This module focuses on biology, though includes
a reasonable amount of mathematics, so by having women teaching as well as men, I hope to improve performance.
Group Size ~150
How it went
The students gained experience of more styles of teaching, the students got better value from the module as additional
taught sessions were added, and women and men are equally represented (in terms of number of people, although Can be applied to different
admittedly, not through teaching load yet). Teaching contexts ☑
Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
79
Suggestions for use
Next year, I would like to keep the new sessions that I have added this year, but also I would like to take on more of the
teaching myself to further balance the teaching load between genders. Promoting gender diversity within a module doesn’t
have to include major change, it can be as simple as adding in a guest session.
References
Carli, L., Alawa, L., Lee, Y., Zhao, B., & Kim, E. (2016). Stereotypes about gender and science: Women ≠ Scientists. Psychology of
Women Quarterly, 40(2), 244-260.
Marx, D., & Roman, J. (2002). Female role models: protecting women’s math tests performance. Personality and Social Psychology
Bulletin, 28(9), 1183-1193.
Porter, C., & Serra, D. (2020). Gender differences in the choice of major: the importance of female role models. American Economic
Journal: Applied Economics, 12(3): 226-254.
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Case study 3.2 Inspiring and supporting women hospitality students through a gender balanced portfolio of guest speakers
Sumeetra Ramakrishnan, University of Surrey, UK
What they did

The proposed activity aims to create a portfolio of guest speakers that is gender balanced, for an undergraduate final year
hospitality module. A second objective is for the speakers to be part of a networking forum that enables mentoring
opportunities amongst the guest speakers and with the students to address some of the key barriers to women’s
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aspirations and career progression (Dashper, 2020). The starting point was to review the range of current speakers and Business Studies -
their contribution in terms of expertise in the subject area, job role/position, networking opportunities and demographics. Hospitality and Tourism
Following a discussion with the module team, a decision was made to retain some of the (mostly men) speakers, whilst
seeking new women guest speakers who would bring in the requisite expertise whilst offering mentoring support as well
as networking opportunities. A decision was made to focus on some priority areas to start with. First, to consider the
career aspirations of the women students in the cohort (through an informal focus group at the start of the term), and
Cohort
second, to prioritise areas in the sector that are traditionally dominated by men (for example operations management,
Undergraduate
revenue and asset management) and provide inspirational role models (Lockwood, 2006).
In previous years, guest speakers were invited through networks and contacts, with some legacy relationships. Having
identified potential women speakers, the module team aims at creating a list of speakers that reflect gender diversity, with
an eye towards other intersectional factors. Besides the networks and contacts, the team is also reaching out to women Teaching Context
centric professional organisations in hospitality and tourism as well as women industry leaders through online networks. Online or face-to-face
So far, the response has been very positive, particularly the potential for networking opportunities with other speakers.
Moving forwards, the plan is to create an online module networking forum for speakers who would engage with each
other’s guest sessions, and together provide great learning opportunities for the students.
Group Size 140
Hospitality and Tourism programmes typically have higher intakes of women at both undergraduate and postgraduate Can be applied to different
levels; however, the balance shifts to a greater representation of men as careers progress (Deiana & Fabbri, 2020). Guest Teaching contexts ☑
speakers, quite often senior sector leaders, typically tend to be men, middle aged and white. To challenge this norm and Cohorts ☑
bring in the wider benefits of a more gender balanced and inclusive representation, a project is being undertaken to Disciplines ☑
81
increase the number of women guest speakers. The long-term aim is to create a portfolio of women and men guest
speakers who will support, mentor and provide networks that are of benefit for both students and speakers.
Suggestions for use

Create a shared purpose that will make it appealing for guest speakers to be part of the network. Consider having a range
of speakers for the module, to tailor to the needs of student cohorts each year. Reach out to industry leaders and
inspirational speakers.
References
Dashper, K. (2020) Mentoring for Gender Equality: Supporting Female Leaders in the Hospitality Industry. International journal of
hospitality management, 88, 102397.
Deiana, M., & Chiara F. (2020) Barriers to the Success of Female Leaders in the Hospitality Industry. Research in hospitality
management, 10(2), 85–89.
Lockwood, P. (2006) ‘Someone Like Me Can Be Successful’: Do College Students Need Same-Gender Role Models?” Psychology of
women quarterly, 30(1), 36–46.
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Case Study 3.3 Salford Business School ‘Future Females’ LinkedIn group and internship
Katherine Rostron, University of Salford, UK
What they did

I run a LinkedIn group for students and professionals interested in women in leadership and recruit MSc students (all
gender identities welcome) to intern and contribute to the promotion and engagement in the group. Salford Business
School (SBS) ‘Future Females’ aims to increase women students' career confidence, help them begin building a network
Discipline
of professional connections, and engage men students in conversations around women in business. The content and Business & Law
discussion challenges gender stereotypes and questions society and systems that may cause gender imbalances.
Content is created and/or shared in order to inspire, empower and educate on the subject of women in business.
I liaised with the university communications coordinators and school’s Social Media Manager to create a LinkedIn group
called SBS ‘Future Females’. At the same time, I worked with the employability team to write a brief for an internship Cohort
Undergraduate
aimed at MSc Digital Marketing students and recruited interns. Prior to joining the LinkedIn group, students receive advice
and Postgraduate
about using LinkedIn during taught sessions on professional development. Once the LinkedIn group had started I began
creating/sharing content regularly. The interns work on promotion of the group to students, work with the Alumni team to
connect with inspirational alumni, identify content, create content, and they update the Promotion and Engagement
Strategy. As interns rotate, I coordinate the post/share content and manage the group.
Teaching Context
Why they did it that way Online and work placement
Working with the idea that social media engagement is an identity building activity which supports critical maturation, the
‘Future Females’ group’s home is the professional networking platform LinkedIn (Junco,2014). LinkedIn was chosen as
women’s leadership potential is limited by confidence and professional contacts (KPMG, 2019). The platform enables
both these factors to be addressed as students and professionals operate with equal status, and membership of a group Groups size ~200
over time may increase confidence due to the community element and the positive nature of the feed. The group actively
seeks to engage men students, providing them with the opportunity to be educated and inspired alongside women
students and recognising the important role men play in change (Flood, 2019). The internship, an option in the Industry
Collaboration Project module, provides a professional context for SBS students to gain skills and experience working in
Cohorts ☑
industry on real projects. In this case, students also have the opportunity to engage with the inclusivity and diversity
Disciplines ☑
83
agenda, issues of engagement, intersectionality and feminism. Students are empowered by their own insight and expertise
in engaging their peers and knowledge of social media platforms.
How it went
In the first six months, close to 200 members joined the group, with around an equal split of professionals and students.
Engagement in the group is growing. I have just recruited our second set of interns. I am learning about what our students
care about, reaching out when news stories are hard to hear, and the students are starting to share their own stories. I
am still learning all the time. In the future I would build in a more robust strategy to engage men students from the outset,
and I am planning to provide advice for students on how to conduct themselves in this professional social media
environment.
Suggestions for use

Do not be put off by initial low engagement – finding out what works has meant learning more about my students.
References
Junco, R (2014) Engaging Students Through Social Media : Evidence-Based Practices for Use in Student Affairs, John Wiley &
Sons, ProQuest Ebook Central.
KPMG (2019) KPMG Women’s Leadership Study, ‘Risk, Resilience, Reward Mastering the three “R’s”: The key to women’s
success in the workplace’. Retrieved from: https://info.kpmg.us/content/dam/info/en/news-
perspectives/pdf/2019/KPMG_Womens_Leadership_Study.pdf.
84
Case study 3.4 Gender-sensitive mentoring of modern languages’ women teachers in UK higher education
Marion Coderch, Durham University, UK
What they did

The activity took place within an institutional mentoring scheme, in which any member of academic staff at or above a
certain professional grade (equivalent to “lecturer” or “assistant professor”) can act as a mentor, as long as they have
passed their probation. Since there is no formal training for mentors, the approach to mentoring is reasonably flexible.
Discipline
Mentors are assigned mentees in similar roles or areas of work. Every newly appointed member of staff is automatically Modern Languages
assigned a mentor, regardless of professional experience. In addition, the mentoring scheme is available on a voluntary
basis to all staff beyond probation. In the context of this activity, the mentees had been working at the institution for periods
of time ranging between 9 months and 9 years.
This approach to mentoring focused on the specificity of women’s experiences in modern languages’ teaching Cohort
departments, which are defined by the low expectations placed on them by colleagues and managers and by frequent Staff
challenges to their leadership. The aims of the mentoring meetings were:
● to help women teachers identify opportunities for career development and progression
● to provide psychosocial support in the process of establishing their professional identity within the department.
Teaching Context
The action focused on the two first stages of the ‘feminist algorithm’ proposed by Chandler (1996, pp. 96-97) to help Online
improve the professional lives of women in academia:
● name the problem (acknowledge the specific difficulties faced by women in academic departments)
● raise the consciousness level (provide a space for the discussion of women’s experiences in these departments).
Group Size 2
The discussions held during mentoring meetings were guided by Lunsford’s recommendations with regard to mentoring
of women in academia: mentoring should focus on affirming the identity of mentees both as professionals and as women.
The three dimensions of mentoring identified by Lunsford (psychosocial support, career support, personal growth; 2020: Can be applied to different
p. 151) were taken into consideration during interactions with mentees. Teaching contexts ☑
Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
85
The academic work of women teaching staff has long been associated with service activities, or with the ‘caring script’,
as Acker and Feuerverger put it (1996, p. 401; see also Guarino and Borden, 2017). The work of women teachers is often
perceived as being vocational rather than academic, with the implication that serving and caring for students, or for other
members of staff, will fulfil their professional ambitions. The prevalence of this notion, based on traditional gender
stereotypes, results in low expectations towards the professional aspirations of women in teaching roles: since it is
assumed that caring for others will make them happy, there are no opportunities for them to progress academically, or to
develop leadership skills. As a consequence, women are often left out of the circuits of promotion and progression, or
simply not given the choice to take on more challenging assignments, on the assumption that they must already be either
satisfied or overwhelmed with their existing duties of teaching or low-level administrative work.
In addition, there is reluctance among colleagues (women and men) to accept women in leadership roles. In the field of
modern languages’ teaching in UK Higher Education, where women teachers are predominant, women who aspire to
occupy positions of leadership are often faced with the resistance of their less experienced colleagues, who refuse to
acknowledge their authority (Eagly and Carli, 2007). There is little hope for these aspiring women leaders to gain support
from other women members of staff in senior management positions, too, as these often tend to reproduce the existing
gender hierarchy to protect their own perceived characteristics as the only representatives of a minority group (Derks,
Van Laar & Ellemers, 2016).
How it went
It is too early to formally assess the impact of this approach to mentoring, as the development of the professional profiles
of the staff involved will have to be monitored over the course of months or years. Informally, though, the women teachers
involved in the mentoring discussions said these had allowed them to gain a wider perspective of their potential for growth
in the academic communities where they belong.
References
Acker, S., & Feuerverger, G. (1996). Doing good and feeling bad: the work of women university teachers. Cambridge Journal of
Education, 26(3), 401-422.
Chandler, C. (1996). Mentoring and women in academia: reevaluating the traditional model. NWSA Journal, 8(3), 79-100.
86
Derks, B., Van Laar, C., & Ellemers, N. (2016). The queen bee phenomenon: why women leaders distance themselves from junior
women. The Leadership Quarterly, 27, 456-469.
Eagly, A. H., & Carli, L. L. (2007). Through the labyrinth: the truth about how women become leaders. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard
Business School Press.
Guarino, C. M., & Borden, V. M. H. (2017). Faculty service loads and gender: are women taking care of the academic family? Research
in higher education, 58(6), 672-694.
Lunsford, L. G. (2020). Mapping your mentoring network. In V. L. Baker (Ed.), Charting your path to full: a guide for women associate
professors. (pp. 136-161). New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
87
Case Study 3.5 Dimensions of gender in personal tutoring practice: a facilitative tool for exploring practice
Roger Dalrymple and Sara Hannam, Oxford Brookes University, UK
What they did

We started from the position that personal tutoring practice is itself a teaching practice and increasingly involves a body
of craft knowledge and deliberative interventions. Rather than representing ‘time out’ from pedagogic interactions where
the focus is put on purely pastoral or pragmatic concerns, effective personal tutoring is increasingly a dynamic pedagogic
Discipline
context, requiring facilitative techniques, bespoke knowledge of tutees, adept use of learning analytics data, and the Education Studies
provision of personalised and differentiated strategies in order to support students to navigate the much expanded and
diversified landscape of contemporary higher education.
Accordingly, as part of an ongoing project at the intersection of research, evaluation and continuing professional
development, we have been piloting a number of fictionalised tutoring scenarios in focus groups convened of academic Cohort
staff with at least three years’ experience of personal tutoring. Five scenarios have been presented to focus group Undergraduate
and Postgraduate
participants in an exploratory context with encouragement to indicate how a more personalised and detailed knowledge
of a tutee’s characteristics might influence their interactions, engagements and tailoring of support for that student. The
five scenarios prompted participants to reflect on and identify the specific needs of:
1) A woman, eighteen-year-old care leaver who currently has no fixed address for university holidays.
2) A nineteen-year-old man, international student who was unable to get home during the March 2020 Covid-19 Teaching Context
‘lockdown’ and who is being supported by the institutional hardship fund. Face-to-face and online
3) A 21-years-old woman from a ‘low participation in higher education’ area and from an ethnic minority background.
4) An eighteen-year-old gay man who is also registered with the University Disability Services.
5) A twenty-three-year-old transgender student (they) from a traveller background.
Group size 25
Gender-sensitive personal tutoring practice in respect of these examples would clearly include cognisance of a number
of intersectional features of the students’ identities and backgrounds, and it would show attunement to such questions as Can be applied to different
the social model of disability; preferred pronouns for expressing gender identity; and the widely varying ‘home’ settings Teaching contexts ☑
and backgrounds of the different students. Focus group participants remarked on the challenges but also the profound Cohorts ☑
importance of developing and maintaining this degree of attunement. With particular reference to the scenarios focused Disciplines ☑
88
on gender characteristics, the participants reported that increasingly they were engaged in comparable discussions with
students around these areas of identity and intersection. Some participants also expressed a wish to develop a position
of greater diversity-confidence, thus affirming the need for ongoing training of this kind.

Our approach was informed by a number of sector initiatives including the suggestion by the UK Advising and Tutoring
Council that effective personal tutoring practice increasingly needs to consider the wealth of learning analytics data
available for contemporary student cohorts, and needs to be cognisant of where students might identify as belonging to
populations who might benefit from targeted support in respect of transition, success and progression (Lochtie et al, 2018).
How it went
The value of these fictional scenarios was widely remarked in the focus groups which we have subsequently evaluated in
detail in a forthcoming peer-reviewed practitioner volume for personal tutors. A further cycle of focus groups is also
planned and will be subject to comparable evaluation and reporting. We are increasingly seeking to theorise our findings
so that we can support personal tutors to develop this area of their practice.
Suggestions for use

Our experience suggests that fictionalised case studies of this kind are a useful stimulus to a discussion in this area and
can be constitutive of a ‘safe space’ for conversation. They moreover promote good practice in terms of directing the
conversation to hypothetical and fictional examples and thus mitigating the risk of tutors sharing details of individuals who
might be recognised by ‘jigsaw’ identification. The rapidly changing environment around conceptions of gender (including
the increasing valence of the terms ‘non-binary’ and ‘gender queer’) as explored, for example, in the foundational work of
Butler (2006) and others, are of key importance to many students. Staff may thus benefit from specialised training
opportunities in order to better understand generational shifts in how gender is conceptualised by ‘Generation Z’.
References
Butler, J. (2006) Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, rev edn (London: Routledge).
Lochtie, D, McIntosh, E, Stork, A and Walker, B. (2018), Effective Personal Tutoring in Higher Education (St Albans: Critical
Publishing).
89
Case Study 3.6 Supporting the learning of women from Oman and Kuwait studying engineering in an English-speaking country
Shannon Chance, Bill Williams and Inês Direito, Technological University Dublin, Republic of Ireland
What they did

Interviews were carried out to track the evolution of the student experience and attitudes over three years of the
undergraduate course.
Discipline
Why they did it that way Engineering
We were informed by work that shows how engineering stereotypes, and ‘homogenous male engineering teams’ (Ihsen,
2005, p. 487) can create hurdles for women students. Pawley (2019) observed that engineering schools often characterise
‘the ideal student’ as a young, single white man. Assumptions about who engineering students are, can negatively impact
students from women student groups and other underrepresented groups. We set out to address two questions:
Cohort
• What is it like to study engineering in Ireland when you are a woman and you come from a country which has different Undergraduate
social customs and norms?
• What unique challenges do these students face that may be invisible to us as educators?
How it went
Based on our study data and on a related study by Fowler and Su (2018) we summarise below our recommendations for Teaching Context
engineering educators working with women international students such as those in our study who came from Oman and Face-to-face
Kuwait, though these apply to wider groups of international students too.
Student support: The students in our sample experienced somewhat different challenges and support systems than other
students studying in the same college. Being women from Oman and Kuwait, they reported issues with the foreign
Group Size 8
language, working with men colleagues for the first time, teachers with very little knowledge of their country, and
assumptions by some classmates or teachers that they were slacking off or lacking appropriate knowledge. We
recommend educators aim to reduce the distance between student and teacher, by discussing when, where and how Can be applied to different
students can get various types of guidance and mentoring, encourage students to take risks, and see failure as a step Teaching contexts ☑
toward success. Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
90
Team formation: It is important to recognise that minority students typically feel uncomfortable asking other students to
be in their group for team assignments. All participants in our sample wanted to work with native English speakers but
often found themselves grouped with others like themselves. Initiating diverse groups was not easy for them. We
recommend providing some group assignments where the group is selected by the teacher, and others where students
select their own groups. As indicated by Fowler and Su (2018) and Hirshfield (2018), it is a good idea to monitor student
engagement by observing teams in action and provide feedback on team dynamics. Teachers can model good decision-
making practices and identify best practices regarding collaborative work. Teachers also can promote collaborative
learning by helping the students conceptualise their cohort as a team and view their classroom as a laboratory for learning
together. This is tied to what Fowler and Su recommend for setting goals and encouraging a mastery orientation. Teachers
may want to consider how their classrooms can become more interactive, and what opportunities exist for students to
teach each other some of the content.
Content delivery: The way teachers communicated in the classroom frequently caused stress for the Omani and Kuwaiti
women in our study, starting on day one. In a first-year classroom, a participant explained, “the teachers speak quickly
and sometime[s] we can't understand it, but we try to focus on it, and we take the main point from what he say[s] ... When
I was in my country, I [took] these subjects, in my language. … I understand the calculation things, but when he speak[s],
I didn't understand it”. In a third year classroom, a participant said, “sometimes, when the teachers say a [word that is new
to me], I have to take my phone and search what this word is. And I miss everything he said after that”. Moreover, “they
write something too fast and it’s like a drawing. … I have a lecturer this semester that, sometimes when he writes on the
board, he didn’t complete the word. Just make a few letters of it and just complete the others. And I have no idea what
that word is. Maybe the Irish… from the sentence, would know what that word is. But for me, no”. This also flags a recurring
problem of tacit knowledge – knowledge the teacher assumes all students already have and thus fails to mention. Many
of the challenges faced could be eased for future students if teachers were to check for understanding before moving on.
It is a good idea to pose concept questions at the outset of a lesson to check that students have the necessary background,
understand foundational concepts and that they can connect new ideas to prior knowledge or prior experience. Related
to delivering content, we recommend teachers enunciate clearly and project a sense of approachability and availability to
answer a wide range of questions. It is important to consider choice of words, and to answer questions using a variety of
terms since students need to connect new content to prior learning. They may have encountered drastically different
vocabulary in the past. Teachers can help students make the connection by providing a range of examples and word
selections. Teachers make many assumptions about what comes naturally to people – what is already known. The
91
abbreviations, symbols, graphics, and methods of representation used in the English-speaking world will be new to many
international students. It is also important to recognise that international students may need to use electronic devices to
translate a term or ask a friend to help make the connection. Furthermore, the teacher could watch for points of confusion,
using some form of muddiest point activity (Neto and Williams, 2014) and address these with the group. In addition,
international students mentioned they sometimes need more definition regarding an assignment than home students, who
may more readily understand that the teacher is expecting a report, for instance, as opposed to a model or a strategic
plan. Although faculty at Technological University (TU) Dublin did begin to implement the recommendations above, the
upheaval caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has meant that we have not been able to systematically assess results.
References
Chance, S. M., & Williams, B. (2020, April). Here you have to be mixing: Collaborative learning on an engineering program in Ireland
as experienced by a group of young Middle Eastern women. In 2020 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON)
(pp. 1787-1794). IEEE. Retrieved from https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9125207
Chance, S. M., Williams, W., & Wagner, A. (2017). A longitudinal study of Middle Eastern women’s experiences studying
engineering abroad. UK & Ireland Engineering Education Research Network Symposium 2017 in London. Retrieved from
https://arrow.tudublin.ie/engschcivcon/111/
Chance, S. M., & Williams, W. (2018). Preliminary findings of a phenomenological study of Middle Eastern women's experiences
studying engineering in Ireland. American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). Retrieved from
https://arrow.tudublin.ie/engschcivcon/108/
Fowler, R. R., & Su, M. P. (2018). Gendered risks of team-based learning: A model of inequitable task allocation in project-based
learning. IEEE Transactions on Education, 61(4), 312-318.
Hirshfield, L. J. (2018). Equal but not equitable: Self-reported data obscures gendered differences in project teams. IEEE
Transactions on Education, 61(4), 305-311.
Ihsen, S. (2005). Special gender studies for engineering? European Journal of Engineering Education, 30(4), 487–494.
Neto, P. V., & Williams, B. (2014) From word-clouds to video: IT tools in the service of learning, Proceedings of the 42nd Annual
SEFI Conference, Birmingham, UK.
Pawley, A. L. (2019). Learning from small numbers: Studying ruling relations that gender and race the structure of US engineering
education, Journal of Engineering Education 108(1), 13-31.
92
Case Study 3.7 Guides to mainstreaming gender in university teaching
Tània Verge, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain
What they did

The Guides for mainstreaming gender in university teaching (https://www.vives.org/programes/igualtat-genere/guies-
docencia-universitaria-perspectiva-genere/) have been developed between 2018 and 2021 by the XVU (Xarxa Vives
d’Universitats – Vives Network of Universities) Gender Equality Working Group, made up of the directors of the equality
Discipline
units of the network’s member universities. This collection was preceded by the report 2017 Gender mainstreaming into
All subject areas
teaching and research in the Vives Network Universities (https://www.vives.org/book/perspectiva-de-genere-en-docencia-
i-recerca-a-les-universitats-situacio-actual-i-reptes-de-futur/), whose goal was to introduce the issue of gender-blindness
and its consequences for the quality of programs in the university agenda.
The XVU Gender Equality Working Group then commissioned the production by gender experts from several disciplines Cohort
of a set of guides aimed at helping the faculty staff to re-gender their teaching practice by providing recommendations Undergraduate
and tools regarding course goals, learning outcomes and contents, class activities, the use of inclusive language, and
gender-balanced course bibliography. The guides also develop the capacity of the professoriate to pay attention to the
gendered dynamics underpinning learning environments, to adopt teaching and assessment methods that are responsive
to students’ diversity, and to train students in carrying out gender-sensitive research. Teaching Context
Classroom and Online
The contributions made by Women’s and Gender Studies are still widely unacknowledged and neglected by mainstream
scholarship (Grünberg, 2011) and the provision of gender-specific, typically elective, courses is very low (Foster, Kerr,
Hopkins, Byrne, and Ahall, 2013). Furthermore, gender-blindness in the curricula is widespread and opposition to reform
abounds (Verge, Ferrer-Fons, and González, 2018). Overcoming these constraints thus requires training the faculty staff Group size Various
in the development of gender competency through resources that show them how to mainstream gender in their own
discipline. This strategy is expected to deactivate the resistance often expressed by the professoriate (for example, claims Can be applied to different
such as ‘gender is not relevant for my course.’ or ‘I would not know how to apply the gender perspective.’). Teaching contexts ☑
Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
93
How it went
Eleven guides covering all subject areas were initially produced, obtaining high success in terms of website visits and
downloads (mostly from faculty staff, but also from students and high school teachers). This led the XVU Gender Equality
Working Group to launch a second set of guides (https://www.vives.org/coleccio/guies-per-a-una-docencia-universitaria-
amb-perspectiva-de-genere/). These 17 guides have been translated from Catalan to Spanish, Galician, and English.
Currently, a third set of guides is under production, which will amount to a total of 22 guides, including one devoted to
online teaching. The guide collection has been recognised as good practice by the Gender Equality in Academia and
Research Toolkit (GEAR).
Suggestions for use

1) Teaming up is key to avoid duplicating efforts by gender equality actors and to obtain a broader impact.
2) The examples provided in teaching resources should take into account the diversity of disciplines, avoiding the
‘one size fits all’ approach.
3) Emphasis should be put on the fact that incorporating the gender perspective into teaching is not just a matter of
equality but also of quality.
References
Foster, E., Kerr, P., Hopkins, A., Byrne, C., & Ahall, L. (2013). The personal is not political: At least in the UK’s top politics and IR
departments. British Journal of Politics & International Relations, 15(4), 566–585.
Grünberg, L. (2011). From gender studies to gender in studies. Case studies on gender-inclusive curriculum in higher education.
Bucharest: Unesco – CEPES. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000211180
Verge, T., Ferrer-Fons, M., & González, M.J. (2018). Resistance to mainstreaming gender into the higher education curriculum.
European Journal of Women’s Studies, 25(1), 86-101.
94
Case Study 3.8 The Fairness Project
Rachel Nir and Tina McKee, University of Central Lancashire, UK
What they did

The Fairness Project (FP) arose from a desire to prepare diverse cohorts of law students to navigate structural
discrimination and diversity barriers within the legal profession. The legal labour market is not a neutral environment in
which individuals succeed by virtue of their merits and efforts. Although women are well represented in legal education
and on entry to the profession, there are significant gender disparities in progression opportunities to senior positions, and
Discipline
recognised gender pay gaps (Bar Standards Board, 2020; Kinder & Narwan, 2019; Solicitors Regulation Authority, 2020). Law
These disparities are exacerbated for women with other intersecting characteristics, for example women of colour, or
women from lower socio-economic backgrounds. This unfairness is reflected, to a greater or lesser extent, across many
other professions.
The FP seeks to provide realistic education on the legal jobs market, raising awareness of diversity barriers that students Cohort
Undergraduate
may face in the future. It aims to enable students to develop personal strategies to overcome such barriers; and to inspire
them to challenge and change the profession from within (McKee, Nir, Alexander et al, 2018). The FP consists of two
interactive workshops where students explore these sensitive issues within a supportive environment. The primary method
of teaching is via case study. Analysis of real-world scenarios has become a standard mode of delivery in law and other
vocational disciplines (Herreid 2011). Case studies may be simple ‘what would you do?’ scenarios or more complex Teaching Context
situations with accompanying data for analysis (Orr & Weekley, 2019). In these workshops, students research diversity Classroom
data from the legal professions and discuss their responses to what they discover. They then participate in a recruitment
case study, making decisions on prospective candidates with different diversity characteristics. This simulated setting
encourages students to explore their own potential biases in a safe environment; and to realise how job descriptions may
be coded by reference to middle class norms. After a series of tasks, students are offered strategies to navigate diversity Group Size 150
barriers in the profession, which they begin to tailor to their individual needs. These may include guidance on how to
access a range of networks (for example the Association of Asian Women Lawyers or Women in Law) and employability
opportunities (like work experience, mentoring schemes, leadership programmes, pro bono opportunities, and research Teaching contexts ☑
internships) plus job application practice (for example for psychometric testing and interviews). Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
95
For some students, the FP may be the first realisation that a degree alone is not enough to secure a successful career in
the legal profession. Whilst the law (see for example The Equality Act 2010 and The Equal Pay Act 1970 in the UK) make
it unlawful for employers to discriminate on the basis of sex, the data on progression opportunities and pay gaps for
women, can be demoralising. The workshop design engages Bloom’s affective learning domain, where feelings, values
and motivations can be acknowledged and explored (Krathwohl, Bloom & Masia, 1964). This may be particularly fruitful
for women learners. The FP allows students to discover the realities of structural diversity barriers for themselves through
inquiry-based learning. This is a potentially crushing ‘reality check’ which could lead to disillusionment. By offering this
reality check in a constructive learning environment with guidance on strategies and support, students are enabled to take
concrete steps towards overcoming barriers and maximising their career opportunities.
How it went
An evaluation study of student responses to the FP classes was conducted across three University Law Schools (UCLan,
University of Northumbria and University of Sheffield) over a three-year period (2016-2019). Students reported increased
awareness of diversity barriers within the profession and developed their confidence in navigating these barriers (McKee,
Nir, Alexander et al, 2020).
Suggestions for use

Although the workshop design focuses on diversity challenges in the legal profession it can easily be transferred to
students in other disciplines/professions.
References
Bar Standards Board. (2020). Diversity at the Bar 2019. Retrieved from
https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/uploads/assets/912f7278-48fc-46df-893503eb729598b8/Diversity-at-the-Bar-2019.pdf
Herreid, C.F. (2011). Case Study Teaching. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 128, 31-40. Retrieved
from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/110697/
Kinder, T. & Narwan, G. (2019, April 8). Gender Pay Gap Widens at Law Firms. The Times. Retrieved from
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gender-pay-gap-widens-at-law-firms-7kmrrwvmf
Krathwohl, D. R., Bloom, B. S. & Masia, B. B. (1964) Taxonomy of Education Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals.
Handbook II: Affective Domain. David McKay.
96
McKee, T., Nir, R. A., Alexander, J., Griffiths, E. & Hervey, T. (2018). The Fairness Project: Doing What We Can, Where We Are.
Journal of International and Comparative Law, 5(1), 181-216.
McKee, T., Nir, R. A., Alexander, J., Griffiths, E., Dargue, P. & Hervey, T. (2020). The Fairness Project: the role of legal educators
as catalysts for change. Engaging in difficult dialogues on the impact of diversity barriers to entry and progression in the legal
profession. The Law Teacher.
Orr, Lynne & Weekley, Linda. (2019). Teaching with Case Studies in Higher Education. In Case Study Methodology in Higher
Education (1st ed)., p.180. Hershey: IGI Global.
Solicitors Regulation Authority. (2022). How diverse is the solicitors' profession?
Retrieved from https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/equality-diversity/diversity-profession/diverse-legal-profession/
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Case Study 3.9 WinECO: Women in Economics
Laura A. Harvey and Emiliya Lazarova, University of East Anglia, UK
What they did

The inaugural event for ‘WinECO: Woman in Economics’ was a one-day event which brought together local school girls
in years 10-12 with their teachers, invited guest speakers, staff and current students. The day included numerous activities
and talks with the goal of challenging stereotypes in economics. We invited three speakers from different fields, including
Discipline
the Bank of England, the Women’s Budget Group and a Professor of Economics from the Royal Economic Society. Each Economics
speaker spoke about their personal journey and what their job entails. These guests also participated in a panel discussion
along with University of East Anglia (UEA) Economics Alumni and current undergraduate students. Delegates participated
in a taster session which involved learning about ‘Diminishing returns to scale’. Over the lunch break, there was a poster
gallery and exhibition by other local employers and current postgraduate students showcasing their research. This allowed
informal discussions between delegates and invited speakers. Alongside this, teachers were invited to a CPD event, which Cohort
Undergraduate
tackled misconceptions about gender gaps in academic performance of economics students at university, career
prospects, and why we should try to increase diversity in economics. Using data and case studies, we clearly showed that
women students perform just as well (if not better) as men students, and that an economics degree opens opportunities
for a much wider range of professional careers. The CPD session also provided additional training in student self-efficacy.
Due to the importance of student confidence in aspiration raising, this was particularly aimed at women students. Due to Teaching Context
the Covid-19 pandemic, we adapted the event for online delivery. This had the advantage that its reach was greater than Online and classroom
Norfolk, however, it came at the cost of needing to shorten the event to limit ‘zoom fatigue’. We reduced the number of
invited speakers, in addition to opting for breakout rooms for small group discussion rather than it being a panel event.

The field of economics suffers from a gender imbalance which is stark at undergraduate level. Only 33% of undergraduate
students in Economics are women, reasons cited for this disparity include incorrect stereotypes and misperceptions about
the discipline (Crawford et al, 2018). Teachers are integral to decision-making at a secondary level (Alcott, 2017), and so
sessions are needed for them to challenge common misconceptions about the subject, notably that to pursue a degree in
Cohorts ☑
economics you must have studied A-level maths. Therefore, it was important that an intervention also included the
Disciplines ☑
influencers, the impact here should extend beyond delegates who attended. In addition, hosting an outreach event to
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increase the gender diversity in the discipline also signals to current students that the School of Economics at UEA is
serious about supporting women students. They are also able to participate in the event themselves, thus affecting current
student aspirations. Dee (2017) discusses the importance of role models on student performance, therefore suggesting
that there will be a positive impact on current students.
How it went
Informal evaluation indicates that pupil and student delegates learned something about Economics and are now more
aware of what Economists do compared to before the event. Moreover, favourite sessions were mostly offered by external
speakers talking about their journey and job. These findings were echoed by teachers who attended.
Suggestions for use

To address potentially shy students not engaging in Q&A sessions, each delegate was given question sheets to be able
to write down their questions and submit anonymously. Online formats are growing in use and a common issue is
engagement. We noticed that many delegates did not participate in breakout rooms when the event was online. We have
decided in the next online edition to bring back the panel discussion and include ‘informal discussion’ at the end of the
event.
References
Alcott, B. (2017). Does teacher encouragement influence students’ educational progress? A propensity-score matching analysis.
Research in Higher Education, 58(7), 773-804.
Crawford, C., Davies, N. M., & Smith, S. (2018). Why do so few women study economics? Evidence from England. Institute for
Fiscal Studies.
Dee, T. S. (2007). Teachers and the gender gaps in student achievement. Journal of Human resources, 42(3), 528-554.
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Case Study 3.10 “You can’t be what you can’t see”: Improving retention of women students by increasing the visibility and diversity of
relatable role models
Sarah Hall, Emma Blain and Daniela Riccardi, Cardiff University, UK
What they did

We developed a suite of initiatives within the School of Biosciences at Cardiff University to enhance the visibility and
diversity of women role models, and to create a more gender-inclusive environment.
Discipline
Biosciences
We introduced actions to improve the gender balance of invited speakers and guest lecturers. Research seminars are an
important cornerstone of research-led teaching, and our undergraduate students are encouraged to attend these
seminars. Recognising that women remain under-represented among the most senior scientists and academics in
biosciences disciplines, we aspired to address the gender imbalance of speakers by widening the selection criteria to
include early-career scientists and more junior academics. This gave us opportunities to showcase examples of successful Cohort
women at different stages of their scientific careers, presenting a more gender-inclusive view of science and academia. Undergraduate
and postgraduate
We also highlighted the identity of speakers by including their photographs on all promotional material, as well as their full
names and other relevant information. This simple measure has increased the visibility and diversity of women’s
contribution to science in the school environment, both on campus and online.
Teaching Context
We used social media to celebrate the success of our women students and staff more widely. The school is increasingly Classroom and online
present on multiple social media platforms, showcasing activities and celebrating achievements of our community. We
have used this avenue of communication to highlight the diversity of women role models within the school (both students
and staff), and we were successful in achieving gender parity in this area.
Group Size 1750
Direct exposure to role models from the same gender can improve students’ sense of identity and belonging in academic Can be applied to different
and scientific communities (Dasgupta, 2011; Shin, Levy & London, 2016). Women role models can be effective in the Teaching contexts ☑
retention of women in STEMM (science technology, mathematics, and medicine) disciplines (Drury, Siy & Cheryan, 2011). Cohorts ☑
However, it is important that any role models’ achievements are perceived to be attainable (Lockwood & Kunda, 1997). Disciplines ☑
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By showcasing early career scientists as well as established women scientists, we aimed to provide undergraduate
students with relatable role models who could embody aspirations to continue into postgraduate study. A further
advantage of this approach was that the early career scientists could benefit from increased exposure, thereby enhancing
their own profile and track-record.
How it went
These initiatives have had a positive impact. We now consistently meet or exceed national figures for women’s
participation in both undergraduate and postgraduate bioscience degree programmes. The pipeline for women students
from undergraduate to postgraduate study has improved as a direct result of actions to improve visibility and celebrate
the success of women academics. Our most recent postgraduate cohorts better reflect the composition of our
undergraduate student body, and students are now equally likely to continue to postgraduate study in the school. This
case study focusses on binary gender issues, but measures are evolving to provide an inclusive environment for non-
binary and trans individuals. We also recognise the wider landscape of intersectionality with other protected
characteristics, and future initiatives will address this broader scope.
References
Dasgupta, N. (2011) Ingroup Experts and Peers as Social Vaccines Who Inoculate the Self-Concept: The Stereotype Inoculation
Model. Psychological Inquiry, 22(4), 231-246.
Drury, B. J., Siy, J. O. & Cheryan, S. (2011) When Do Female Role Models Benefit Women? The Importance of Differentiating
Recruitment From Retention in STEM, Psychological Inquiry, 22(4), 265-269.
Lockwood, P. & Kunda, Z. (1997) Superstars and Me: Predicting the Impact of Role Models on the Self. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 73 (1), 91-103
Shin, J. E. L., Levy, S. R., & London B. (2016) Effects of role model exposure on STEM and non-STEM student engagement
Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 46, 410–427.
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Section Four: Creating and supporting institutional approaches to embed gender-sensitivity in the
curriculum
An institutional approach to embedding gender-sensitivity into the curriculum can proactively promote equality, foster good relations, and eliminate
discrimination. It is important to remember that organisations are not gender neutral, with gender issues more or less visible. Each organisation addresses
gender inequalities differently, and context therefore matters in the process of institutional change. In this section, we find case studies that develop
institutional awareness; promote inclusion; and demonstrate a gender perspective in teaching, research, policies and process. There are also toolkits to
help promote equality, foster good relations and eliminate discrimination.
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Case Study 4.1 Belle of the ball, or queen of the classroom?: Academic drag as a site of fabulous resistance
Tommy Mayberry, St Jermone’s University, Canada
What they did

I am an academic drag queen. Werk, Hunny! In a nutshell, being an academic drag queen means that I understand,
situate, and embody myself through my lived hybridity of academic culture and visual culture with my relationship to (and
existence in) drag culture as the fabulous crux that binds them all in the most intimate and public of ways. I work (and
Discipline
importantly werk) from within/-out cultures, bodies, genders, classrooms, stages, and all of the diverse places and spaces Social Sciences
of engagement in between. My teaching body de-links institutional conceptions of pedagogy to consider what pedagogy Arts and Humanities
is and can be when we remetaphorise the space of the traditional classroom (for me, replacing the sage on the stage, not
the stage itself) and embody our authentic selves as teachers.
I am an academic drag queen, university instructor, and pedagogical leader. I teach, conference, facilitate workshops,
Cohort
and lead keynotes in drag. See for example my 2013 video ‘Tommy Mayberry's 3 Minute Thesis at uWaterloo’ Undergraduate,
(https://youtu.be/1DKNxqQvHuI) and my 2015 video ‘Tommy Mayberry's 3 Minute Thesis at UWaterloo’ Postgraduate or Staff
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxbGJrQSW6g). Folks often tell me how risky my academic drag practice is,
especially in our post-Trumpian political climate, in putting myself visually and viscerally out there in my classrooms,
conference halls, and public lectures, but I don’t know how else to teach, lead, be. I am an academic drag queen, a social
justice visual pedagogue with a predilection for anti-imperialist inclusive education. And I absolutely werk it.
Teaching Context
All settings
Once upon a time, I auditioned for RuPaul’s Drag Race, and in my audition tape, I recall my origins in drag. I say: ‘For
me, drag started as an academic practice in school, but it quickly became my life. And since my life is academic, it kinda
worked out for me: I get to be a queen and a scholar and a fabulous, scholarly queen.’ Very literally and honestly, I started
doing drag in Grad School as an embodied scholarly project, but it became so much more as I learned more about myself Groups size Unlimited
and my students through teaching in drag, and as I watched my students learn more about themselves as well, too.
In my work and research, I have also consistently been guided by the words of intersectional feminists Adrienne Rich and Cohorts ☑
Toni Morrison who each talk about the projects, potential, and power of teaching (Morrison, 2003) and the mirror we as Disciplines ☑
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teachers hold up to our students and, in doing so, show them a world that they may not be in (Rich, 1986). Both Rich and
of Morrison talk about the ‘game’ inherent here and thinking through decolonial and anti-racist pedagogies, I am also
guided by bell hooks (1994) on engaged pedagogy and on teaching practices that are/can be sites of resistance.
How it went
While not an activity but my own pedagogy – and my own body – the outcomes of teaching in drag and of being in drag
in academic spaces is quite powerful. I have had students tell me on course evaluations that they know themselves
differently from seeing me in my authentic body in the classroom; I have had peers and colleagues tell me they understand
the risks of teaching differently from their privileges and positionalities from seeing me walk across campus fully tucked
and corseted, and in my wig and stilettos. I have also watched my work and research grow and flourish because of my
embodied project.
I have also, to be sure, experienced less celebratory feedback and evaluations of my pedagogy, such as some white,
cishet binary women and binary men PhDs taking offence to my drag embodiment in academic spaces because they saw
my body as costumed and as ridiculing and undermining the hallowed spaces of the academy. But these ignorant
assessments are becoming increasingly rare. Yet they are no less powerful: turning the mirror on them, I always ask,
openly and genuinely, “But Doctor, you surely put time and thought into your costume today, too, and didn’t just
unconsciously prep, dress, and leave the house?” Stunned silences in rebuttal, or deafeningly desperate reaffirmations
that ‘it’s not the same’.
Suggestions for use

My academic drag is a lifelong process of learning, unlearning, and relearning about my own body, about systems of
power and privilege, and about teaching and learning. Each new teaching event comes with its own new risks and
challenges in which to do and try things differently as I keep going and keep growing.
You don’t have to be a drag queen (or a drag king, or a drag artist) to embody your gendered self-consciously and
powerfully in your teaching for the visual and performative potential of being a teaching body in the classroom with your
students. The art of drag calls attention in an overt, manifested way to the fact that gender is constructed and can be
(de)constructed, but as teachers (and especially as teaching bodies), we can call attention in meaningful ways to the
genders of our bodies from the powers and privileges our gendered bodies hold, and even/especially do not hold. For
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example, when I am not in drag, I am still my authentic self, so when the visuality of my drag body is not immediately
present, I acknowledge my intersectional embodiment by introducing myself by saying, ‘My name is Tommy Mayberry, I
am a white, queer and trans, able-bodied (though corrective-lens-wearing) settler scholar and my lived pronouns are
he/she/they’. Any teacher in their academic practice can do this or a variation of this to bring their authentic self openly
(and vulnerably, as bell hooks would say) into the classroom: I am a [race + orientation + sex + ability] scholar, and my
lived pronouns are [pronominal system that you use]’. And while neither making it mandatory for our students to do so,
too, nor using a decided fill-in-the-blank script but sharing and disclosing what we are comfortable and as we are
comfortable, we can activate these conversations as part of the teaching and learning experience from day one with
ourselves and our students so that they are ever-present.
References
hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. New York, NY: Routledge.
Morrison, T. (2003). Interview with Pam Houston. O, The Oprah Magazine. New York: Hearst, November.
Rich, A. (1986). Invisibility in Academe. In A. Rich, Blood, bread, and poetry: Selected prose 1978-1985. New York, NY: W.W.
Norton & Company, Inc.
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Case Study 4.2 Right from the start: gender-sensitive induction to first-year economics students
Fabio Arico, University of East Anglia, UK
What they did

All students joining the University of East Anglia for any of the undergraduate programmes offered by the School of
Economics participate in a sequence of induction events over their first week on campus. These events signpost students
to various aspects of life at university and within the school. Aside from illustrating the learning and teaching strategy of
the school, the Teaching Director is responsible for facilitating the creation of a productive and thriving learning community. Discipline
To set a climate of mutual respect over academic and social interaction amongst students, we use interactive learning Economics
technologies in the classroom, polling questions through student response systems (like Mentimeter, Wooclap,
TurningPoint, Pollanywhere). Questions are deliberately provocative, and aim at challenging prejudice and stereotypes,
and reaching a consensus on what an inclusive community looks like. Concerning gender, students are presented
statistics on the low rate of enrolment of women in economics and are asked to guess the reason for this. Students are
Cohort
offered multiple choice options, such as ‘women might not feel comfortable in an environment dominated by men’, also Undergraduate
including deliberately provocative chauvinist suggestions, such as: ‘women do not like economics’, or ‘women are not
good at economics’. An option ‘other reasons’ is also offered to open up the discussion to any idea students might have.
The polls’ results are screened for the whole class to see and, generally, every option receives a fair number of votes.
This immediately sparks a debate amongst students, and we let peer-to-peer discussion take place for a few minutes
before we discuss each of the poll responses. In doing this, we challenge misconceptions about what women might ‘like’ Teaching Context
Classroom or online
and what women might ‘be good at’, mentioning, for instance, examples of very successful women economists. We also
put into discussion what would be the expected behaviour amongst students, and we emphasise the need to ensure that
women students feel welcome and valued within classes with a large representation of men.

Evidence into the experience of first-year undergraduate students highlights gender differences within the student
population (Harvey and Drew, 2006). Women and men adjust differently to university life, with women displaying lower
confidence in general. This phenomenon is likely to be more pronounced in men-dominated subjects, like economics,
where only 33% of undergraduate students are women (Crawford et al., 2018). For this reason, we believe it is essential
Cohorts ☑
that women students feel welcome and well-integrated within our learning community right from the start. Since the
Disciplines ☑
106
education literature is wholeheartedly unanimous on the positive impact of well-designed induction programmes on
attainment, as well as on the whole student experience and well-being (see Murtagh et al., 2017; Farrell et al., 2020), we
decided to embed gender-inclusivity right into our induction programme. The interactive approach to gender-issues
addresses simultaneously feelings, misconceptions and stereotypes held by both women and men students, exposing
and tackling them directly and at the root.
How it went
There was no formal evaluation of the impact of this initiative. However, it is evident that it engages the students and
generates intense peer-to-peer debate in the classroom whilst polls are taken, and especially when myths and prejudices
are challenged. In the future I would allocate more time to the activity and allow for students to provide textual responses
along with multiple choice polls. Responses can be anonymously gathered in real time through student response systems
and used for the discussion.
Suggestions for use

The facilitator should be trained and confident at handling sensitive matters in large class settings, empowering students
yet harnessing the discussion and challenging bias.
References
Crawford, C., Davies, N. M., & Smith, S. (2018). Why do so few women study economics? Evidence from England. The Royal
Economic Society. Retrieved from: https://www.res.org.uk/resources-page/why-do-so-few-women-study-economics--2018-pdf.html
Farrell, O., Brunton, J., Trevaskis, S. (2020). ‘If I had missed it I would have been the lost little sheep’: Exploring student narratives on
orientation to first year. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 44(7), 865-876.
Harvey, L., Drew, S., & Smith, M. (2006). The First-Year Experience: A Review of Literature for the Higher Education Academy. The
Higher Education Academy, London. Retrieved from: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/first-year-experience.
Murtagh, S., Ridley, A., Frings A., & Kerr-Pertic, S. (2017). First-year undergraduate induction: Who attends and how important is
induction for first year attainment? Journal of Further and Higher Education, 41(5), 597-610.
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Case Study 4.3 Integrating bias aware teaching and learning practices (BATL) in a university’s lecturer training programme
Donna Hurford and Emma Hammarlund, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
What they did

We included ways to support gender-sensitive teaching in the online module ‘Students as Learners’, mandatory for new
higher education teachers at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) participating in SDU’s Lecturer Training
Programme (LTP). LTP participants start by posting their own teaching-based critical incident which exemplifies a teacher
Discipline
and student expectation gap to the module’s blog. The critical incident is the first step in the module’s four-step approach, Cross faculty
an adaptation of Anne-Françoise Gilbert’s Three Step Approach (https://annefrancoisegilbert.ch/de/). Next the participants
reflect on five short research and praxis informed videos on different factors which may influence students’ learning. On
SDU’s website for university teachers ‘Unlimited Thinking and Teaching’, Emma, a geobiologist, shares through her Think
Piece videos (http://unlimited.sdu.dk/index.php?page=think-pieces), how her roles as researcher, funding applicant and
higher education teacher led her to recognise the need for practical resources to address gender bias in her teaching. Cohort
Assistant lecturers
Inspired by Moss-Racusin et al.’s (2012) findings, where gender bias favoured men applicants for science positions, and postgraduates
Emma describes how her students found more mistakes in the same text when assigned a woman’s rather than a man’s
name. This exercise heightened Emma’s and her students’ understanding of how bias, in this case gender bias, can affect
us all and reasons for anonymous marking. You can find more practical suggestions for gender-sensitive teaching on
Emma’s LTP project poster on the ‘Practical Tools’ site (http://unlimited.sdu.dk/index.php?page=practical-tools). Having
reflected on the videos and links, including http://unlimited.sdu.dk/ and Harvard’s Implicit Awareness Tests Teaching Context
(https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html), participants complete the next three steps: 2. Why is the situation Online and asynchronous
problematic? 3. What is the preferable situation? And 4. What can be done? Having uploaded the completed template to
the blog, participants provide and receive peer feedback. Finally, an academic developer provides feedback, including
reference to relevant gender-sensitive and bias-aware Practical Tools.
Group size 80
Research (Kahneman, 2014) and our SDU experience with the take-up of elective courses on BATL (Bias Aware Teaching Can be applied to different
and Learning) indicate that they tend to appeal to the already bias aware. By embedding BATL in the mandatory ‘Students Teaching contexts ☑
as Learners’ course for 80 plus new teachers each year, we achieve an otherwise unlikely rate of exposure and impact. Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
108
When providing feedback on all ‘Students as Learners’ participants’ four-step approaches, there are a number of teachers
who comment on the significance of bias in their critical incidents and how they would address it and mitigate its effects
in a comparable situation. This collection of authentic bias aware reflections evidences the influence of BATL on their
conceptions of factors influencing their teaching and their students’ learning and what they have done or will do to mitigate
bias and its effects. The inclusion of peer and academic developer feedback on each action plan provides additional
opportunities to suggest how bias may have been present in a critical incident, and ways to address it.
How it went
80 teachers per year are exposed to BATL resources. In agreement with the LTP participants, anonymised examples of
bias in teaching and learning and ways to address them are shared at workshops and courses. Examples provided by
higher education teachers authenticate their relevance and help other teachers recognise similar situations. I shall update
the ‘Students as Learners’ resources with references to cognitive biases and strategies for addressing them. At present,
participants are expected to find them on http://unlimited.sdu.dk/. However, if they are more readily accessible in the
module, I suspect take up will be higher.
Suggestions for use

Look for ways to embed BATL into courses. Collect local examples of bias aware and bias affected practices which can
be used to illustrate how to address bias. Develop an in-house online resource with practical suggestions for achieving
BATL.
References
Eraut, M. (2004). Informal learning in the workplace. Studies in Continuing Education 26(2) 247-273.
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking Fast and Slow. US: Farrar.
Moss-Racusin CA, Dovidio JF, Brescoll VL, Graham MJ, & Handelsman J (2012) Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male
students. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 109(41) 16474-16479.
Tripp, D. (1993). Critical Incidents in Teaching: Developing Professional Judgment. UK: Routledge.
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Case Study 4.4 Professional development and networking interventions to promote gender equality in a distributed university
Alexandra Walker, The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), UK
What they did

I led and continue to lead strategic initiatives to provide spaces to discuss and influence gender equality and parity in
further and higher education. This includes setting up a Women’s Network and organising an annual International
Women’s Day event. I set up a Women’s Network in 2018, after the first university-wide event to mark International
Women’s Day highlighted that a women only network would provide the opportunity to discuss gender equality and parity Discipline
beyond an annual event. It was also the intention that the Women's Network would offer what Leathwood (2004, p. 449) Cross faculty
argues for in providing an important space away from men and masculine defined and dominated practices, and a safe
space to grow and learn away from the participants’ oppressors.
I opened the network up to all colleagues who identify as women working in professional services, research, teaching,
Cohort
and leadership roles and at any stage in their career. I promoted the network through internal email lists and newsletters.
Staff
The network started with 40 members which has risen to 71, with colleagues working in a range of roles represented.
Depending on the topic being discussed, the number of participants at the meetings varies. It was intended that the
network would offer a safe space to discuss common challenges, hear from inspirational women and lobby for change. In
a university that is distributed across multiple sites in a large geographic region it was hoped the network would offer
networking and professional development opportunities beyond the members’ immediate context. While acknowledging Teaching Context
the importance of the Women’s Network as a closed and safe space, it is also important to recognise the limitations of Online and classroom
having discussions around challenges and barriers within the group which are impacted and disadvantaged by these
barriers. Therefore I sought pathways to raise awareness of key messages coming from the network and to continue
these discussions in spaces where men are also present, recognising the importance of not presenting gender equality
as ‘a women’s problem’ to overcome. These spaces include a Women’s Network group on the University of the Highlands Group size Unlimited
and Islands (UHI) internal social space ‘Yammer’ which is open to all, and it regularly sees men colleagues post news or
opportunities for women colleagues. I use this space to summarise the network meetings and future topics. I am a member
of the UHI Athena SWAN SAT (self-assessment team) where I feed in any key messages coming from the network, and
I invited the Equalities and Diversity Advisor to run a survey and focus group with the network on the experiences of
Cohorts ☑
working at UHI, the outcomes of which form a part of the UHI Athena SWAN submission for 2021. The UHI International
Disciplines ☑
110
Women’s Day event provides a further opportunity to highlight the Women’s Network and this year I presented a session
outlining the impacts of Covid-19 on women outside and within higher education and the value of women’s networks in a
time of challenge and isolation. Following the event I was asked to speak to the UHI Staff Committee to raise the profile
of the network further and discuss ways that the committee could support the network to progress change and promote
equality for women at UHI. Establishing strong links between initiatives like the Women’s Network and International
Women’s Day with relevant groups and initiatives (like Athena SWAN and the staff committee) strengthens the visibility
of gender equality issues and establishes a strong, shared platform for joint action.
UHI held the first International Women’s Day event in 2018. Our inaugural and subsequent events are aligned to each
year’s global theme with an internal focus and programme with internal and external speakers. The internal theme for the
2021 event was ‘gender equality in education’. We sent out a call across UHI to invite proposals of interest from individuals
or teams across the university to present a short workshop or a presentation on the 8 th of March on the ways in which
they approach or promote gender equality within their own subject area; their teaching or research practice; in supporting
or leading the development of learning and teaching; or in the design of the curriculum. Recognising the need to capture
the topics covered at the event I curated an eBook publication (https://omp.uhi.ac.uk/uhim/catalog/book/iwd2021) with
presenters authoring a chapter each around their event presentation topic. The Open eBook has allowed colleagues,
including some new to scholarship, to individually and collectively have their voices and key issues amplified. I moved the
event completely online due to Covid-19 and invited participation across the UK education sector to further provide a
platform for these discussions.

I set up the Women’s Network to support women colleagues, in recognition of the masculinist working cultures of higher
education, which create negative working environments and barriers for women working across different roles in higher
education. O’Connor (2020) explores organisational hierarchies through vertical and horizontal level lenses. The vertical
level refers to senior positions dominated by men, whereas the horizontal ‘segregation’ refers to areas of the organisation
that are predominantly staffed by women. O’Connor points out the different approaches to evaluating the vertical and
horizontal levels, with the vertical areas of work being considered more skilled and strategically important (p. 212).
Additionally, the “male dominance of leadership can produce stability in relationships, networks and structures that
reproduce professional hierarchies” (Morley, 2013, p.125) and position the woman as the ‘other’ (Savigny, 2014, p. 798,
Crabtree & Shiel, 2018, p. 902). A lack of discussion around these issues further compounds the under-representation of
111
women in senior and leadership roles in academia and sends a negative message to women earlier in their careers about
their own prospects for success (Savigny, 2014).
International Women’s Day provides a space for women and men colleagues to come together, recognising the
importance that allies of change are recruited and that equalities and inequalities are explored and challenged beyond
specific ‘group only’ spaces. It is often the combination of integrationist and separatist strategies that promotes change
and challenges practices (Leathwood, 2004, p. 450). International Women’s Day also provides the opportunity to extend
those discussions beyond a focus on women colleagues to the student body, our curriculum, research, and learning and
teaching practices.
How it went
● Increased discussion and awareness at the university.
● More funded places on the Advance Higher Education Aurora Leadership Programme.
● Evidence for Athena SWAN award submission.
● A support network for women working at UHI.
I would not change what I did but reflecting forward I am considering recruiting a small number of colleagues as the core
members of the Women’s Network. I hope this will encourage a shared sense of responsibility for ensuring the Network
meetings are well attended and that the discussions and topics are led by the Network. This would also include having a
rotating chair, which provides colleagues who might not otherwise have the opportunity to lead sessions to have tha t
development opportunity.
Suggestions for use

Seek advice from others who have successfully established Women’s Networks in their own institutions. Decide on the
purpose of the Network early on and keep momentum with regular updates on meetings, summarising outcomes from
meetings and sharing news and opportunities in-between meetings by harnessing multiple channels such as Yammer.
Be driven by what the Network wants to explore and provide time to network informally, as well as having formal
discussions.
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Utilise institutional technology to allow engagement in networks and events in distributed contexts and when in-person
events/meetings are not possible or equitable.
Acknowledging that one initiative alone will not foster cultural change, women only spaces can increase self-confidence,
raise awareness of learning opportunities, gain new skills and grow social networks, but should not be seen as an single
fix or approach for increasing women’s representation in management positions (Pini et al, 2004, p. 2). Major events like
International Women’s’ Day can draw focus to key issues and bring people together, and balance women only spaces
with shared spaces for women and men. For events like International Women’s Day, involve others in the organisation
and programme decision making, and ensure there is a strong student voice.
References
Crabtree, A., Shiel, C. (2018) ‘Loaded dice: games playing and the gendered barriers in the academy’. Gender and Education 30(7),
899-916.
Leathwood, C. (2004). ‘Doing difference in difficult times: Theory, politics, and women-only spaces in education’. Women’s Studies
International Forum 27(5-6), 447-458.
Morley, L. (2013). ‘The rules of the game: women and the leaderist turn in higher education’. Gender and Education, 25(1), 116-131.
O’Connor, P. (2020). ‘Why is it so difficult to reduce gender inequality in male-dominated higher educational organizations? A
feminist institutional perspective’. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews 42(2), 207-228.
Pini, B., Brown, K., Ryan, C. (2004). ‘Women-only networks as a strategy for change? A case study from local government’. Women
in Management Review 19(6), 286 – 292.
Savigny, H. (2014). ‘Women, know your limits: cultural sexism in academia’. Gender and Education, 26(7), 794-809.
Walker, A. (ed.) (2021) Gender equality and representation within and beyond the University of the Highlands and Islands: A book in
celebration of International Women’s Day 2021. UHI/eTIPS Retrieved from: https://omp.uhi.ac.uk/uhim/catalog/book/iwd2021
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Case study 4.5 Days of gender equality as a tool for developing institutional and community awareness and building a co-creative
atmosphere for the introduction of gender topics into the curricula
Milica Antić Gaber, Tjaša Cankar, Živa Kos, and Jasna Podreka, University of Ljubljana - Faculty of Arts, Slovenia
What they did?

University of Ljubljana Faculty of Arts (UL FF) decided to raise awareness within the institutional community of the
importance of mainstreaming gender issues in academic curricula and research as well as to sensitise the larger public
on the importance of gender equality issues. There was a wide spectrum of already-existent activities in different
Discipline
departments – from obligatory and optional courses and research projects to special issues and books that thematised Cross faculty
gender in a specific context. There were also initiatives to change undesirable and toxic practices in different areas of
public and private life that were mostly known to a small number of the interested internal public. The intention was to
change and to open the field and spread the gender knowledge more widely by creating a series of events during the
‘Days of Gender Equality’.
Cohort
Staff
During the planning phase of the events, different possible types of approaches were discussed concerning the actors
and scope of activities. There were some ideas focused on institutional activities (with UL FF researchers and professors
only) and others that suggested inclusion of wider actors and actions that were present outside the academic field. There
were also suggestions to organise events on one specific thematic area or several; whether to have short and condensed
activities, or to include a wider spectrum of topics and participants, to keep it more theoretical or to also include topics that Teaching Context
are important in the everyday life of individuals. At the end we decided to do the latter and to include wide spectrum of Face-to-face or online
activities, topics, actors and to cooperate with civil society and other important actors in society.
From March to mid-May 2021 a series of events on gender equality in academia were organised for the first time. The
organisers were amazed at how many activities and initiatives were proposed and performed. Any fears they have had
about the lack of interest for Days of Gender Equality was quickly forgotten.
Why they did it this way Teaching contexts ☑
UL FF is a community of 23 departments and it has 24 research groups with around 450 researchers. There are therefore Cohorts ☑
many departments in which professors and researchers are thoroughly involved in issues on gender equality, but there Disciplines ☑
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are departments where gender issues are not present at all in the curricula or depend only on the gender-sensibility of
individuals. Above all, there are still many professors that think that we do not need to deal with gender issues at all, as
they think gender is not applicable in their fields or that we already achieved gender equality in the law. There is, therefore,
still a wide range of gender blindness across the institution.
To spread knowledge on the topic to other departments and to different layers at the faculty (professors, researchers,
management, administrative staff, students) we decided to organise a series of events and to show what we are already
doing and what else should be done, developed, organised or changed at our institution.
These activities were also opened to the wider public (NGOs, private institutes, public offices, schools, ministries) to
include them in efforts to change our institutional culture to a more inclusive and gender-sensitive one; and to make the
academic field and faculty more open to a wider public, to inform them about research and teaching, and also to create a
nationwide discussion on different good practices in this field.
How it went?
There were 15 events with 80 speakers and more than 500 participants, which is much more than expected at the
beginning. Activities included organised talks, round tables, lectures and presentations with active scholars, established
individuals in the field, students, researchers and early career researchers who talked about their work and research
projects; and also how gender equality has inspired them, impacted their worldview, work, and their daily lives. Days of
Gender Equality demonstrated that gender equality is a broad and dynamic field of research within the humanities and
social sciences. The participatory structure of the Days was crucial for the series of events to be successful and
sustainable and to become a part of institutional practise in the future. The organisers are planning to maintain this
approach.
From the whole programme some of the events deserve special mention. There was a discussion about the first
postgraduate program on Women’s Studies and Feminist Theory in Slovenia, where the founding mothers of the program
described their memories and insights. Fresh perspectives on gender equality were provided by students of pedagogy
and non-binary individuals form the NGO TransAkcija. They explored new themes in gender equality studies and
discussed individuals who break the gender binary framework of women and men. One of the most resounding topics of
this event was also the institutional actions to prevent sexual harassment. The renowned scholar Marta Soler Gallart gave
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an inspiring lecture on “Successful measures against sexual harassment in academia”. The event on Inclusive Grammar
was also very informative. Slovenian NGOs and other institutions were invited to share their visions (and issues) of the
use of gender-sensitive language in Slovenian. Finally, there was a very inspiring speech by world-renowned feminist
Prof. Dr Lynne Segal, known for her book ‘Why feminism’ and ‘Is the future female?’. She spoke on the topic of the
language and politics of care. The event ended with a roundtable discussion on best practices for implementing a Gender
Equality Plan in which two GEARING-Roles project partners participated, Sabanci University (Istanbul) and Deusto
University (Spain).
Suggestions to use
The organisers believe that this is an effective way to raise awareness and sensitise the general public to the importance
of gender equality in academia, without being intrusive or aggressive, but inclusive, open, and participatory. It can also
become a part of the institutional culture if it is organised every year and combined with new ideas and proposals for
institutionalising gender equality and equity.
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Case Study 4.6 Developing new academics’ awareness for gender and ethnicity in curriculum design
Danielle Chavrimootoo and Tania Dias Fonseca, Kingston University London, UK
What they did

The activity included content and activities which explored conceptualising the ‘hidden curriculum’ and how to mitigate
bias and stereotypes when designing curricula. The session commenced with discussions around debates on defining
the hidden curriculum, bias and the inclusive curriculum framework.
• Activity 1 - What is the curriculum? Participants were invited to add words and sentences about what curriculum Discipline
means using a whiteboard. Educational Development
• Activity 2 - The hidden curriculum. In groups using Padlet, participants discussed how educational institutions may
reinforce the hidden curriculum. They were required to provide examples, like institutional rules, dress code, and
teaching strategies, which provided participants with the opportunity to identify the hidden curriculum. The facilitators
presented the HEPI (Higher Education Policy Institute) data using graphs, OfS (Office for students) and the Kingston Cohort
App data and discussed the drivers concerning compulsory educational data and the rationale for adopting inclusive Undergraduate
teaching and learning practices concerning gender and ethnicity. We discussed the conceptual Kingston University
inclusive curriculum framework.
• Activity 3 - In groups consider the HEPI Student Academic Experience Survey 2020 on student expectations: What
are your observations of the potential mismatch of student’s expectations when they come to university? How can
Teaching Context
we as academics bridge those expectations? Classroom and online
• Activity 4 - What are the barriers accessing your module? Thinking about your own experience teaching on those
modules, identify any biases and sources of the hidden curriculum at the curriculum and content level, considering
attainment and progression data for particular groups of students (intersectionality of gender and ethnicity).
Why they did it that way Group size 25

Kingston University has developed an inclusive curriculum framework (McDuff and Hughes 2017) to address awarding
gaps and differential student experiences. In addition, research shows there are implicit messages relating to knowledge, Can be applied to different
values, norms of behaviour and attitudes that students experience in and through educational processes which affect Teaching contexts ☑
different students’ experiences and outcomes (Skelton, 1997; Rabah, 2012). However, what is a challenge when Cohorts ☑
discussing intersectionality is the conflicting debates and prioritising of gender over race (Bhopal & Henderson 2011). Disciplines ☑
117
How it went
From participants’ feedback, these activities gave them the opportunity to:
● understand how the hidden curriculum works in practice.
● reflect about their practices and work with their module.
● openly discuss challenges with others from different disciplines.
● explore gender and ethnic inequalities and ways to address them.
From participants feedback, some aspects that can be improved:

● Provide an example for each activity.
● Provide more time for each activity.
● Spend less time with the statistics.
● Provide more reading about the topic before the session.
Suggestions for use

Facilitating conversations about the intersection between gender and ethnicity can be difficult. It is important that the
facilitator:
● accesses their comfort with the topic, identifying data to support the claims, identifying common biases, and disciplinary
epistemologies.
● clarifies the rules of engagement, including the aims and alerts for possible discomfort of the session topic.
● ensures timings to foster a lively discussion without losing the focus.
References
Bhopal, K. & Henderson, H. (2021) Competing inequalities: gender versus race in higher education institutions in the UK,
Educational Review, 73(2), 153-169.
McDuff, N. & Hughes, A. (2017, July). Delivering an inclusive higher education: an inclusive curriculum framework from concept to
review. In HEA Conference, generation TEF.
Rabah, I. (2012). The influence of assessment in constructing a hidden curriculum in higher education: can self and peer
assessment bridge the gap between the formal and the hidden curriculum. International Journal of Humanities and Social
Science, 2(11), 236-42.
Skelton, A. (1997) Studying hidden curricula: developing a perspective in the light of postmodern insights, Curriculum Studies, 5(2),
177-193.
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Case Study 4.7 Mainstreaming gender pedagogy: presences and absences in a humanities department
Rosa Marvell, Oxford Brookes University, Tamsin Hinton-Smith, University of Sussex, Charlotte Morris, University of Portsmouth, and
Kimberley Brayson, University of Leicester, UK
What they did

This case study is based around research that comprised of documentary analysis of teaching materials from two
undergraduate and two postgraduate taught core modules in a humanities department. There were multiple
demonstrations of good practice which supported gender pedagogy mainstreaming. In part, this may reflect the level of
Discipline
freedom staff had to design curricula and disrupt orthodoxies as the discipline is not tied to external professional or industry Humanities
standards. The department had also deliberately fostered a culture which embraced gender-sensitive inquiry. A further
key facilitator was the presence of women at all levels of seniority ranging from Professor to Lecturer. This stands in
contrast to other disciplinary case studies where women often occupied junior, precarious and temporary roles while
senior leadership positions were occupied by men. However, decolonising and diversifying curricular innovations were
still typically undertaken by women and/or junior members of staff, alongside those with specific research interests. Cohort
Undergraduate
and postgraduate
Pedagogically, interviews highlighted that transmissive ‘sage on the stage’ teaching models could still be observed, and
institutional constraints made it hard to adopt more active, inclusive modes of delivery. Staff also highlighted problematic
gendered dynamics within teaching spaces where men students tended to dominate, including in relatively gender-heavy
courses where women significantly outnumbered men. However, there were also spaces where equitable, liberatory
practices could be and were enacted, designed to problematise staff-student hierarchies and create platforms to amplify Teaching Context
marginalised voices. Classroom
Staff and students maintained that gender was fully integrated at programme and module levels. Documentary analyses
highlight some modules where gender was consistently present and dominant cannons were decentred, such as
deliberately foregrounding women of colour writing from postcolonial perspectives. However, in others, gender was absent
or side-lined, with priority given to ‘founding fathers’. Here, feminist, decolonial and queer approaches were positioned as
critiques of ‘main’ content and scheduled at the end of modules (when student engagement/attendance may drop).
Accordingly, this revealed opportunities for further growth. Can be applied to different
Cohorts ☑
119
Why they did it that way Disciplines ☑
To distinguish where feminist approaches and gender-sensitivity are embedded and where they are absent, it is necessary
to explore the practices of everyday academic life (Smith, 2002). This case study builds on prior research interrogating
the formations of gender and higher education pedagogies by considering the extent to which awareness and action
around gender is present in higher education spaces at all (Burke, 2017). Moreover, it draws on critical discourse analysis
by scrutinising both absences and presences in order to understand power relations (Fairclough 2010). This also aligns
with the growing imperative to decolonise the sectoral legacy and continued investment in Eurocentric imperialism and
white masculine heteronormativity (Maldonado-Torres, Vizcaino, Wallace and Jeong Eun, 2017).
How it went
The humanities department case study revealed many aspects of good practice, particularly connecting gender pedagogy
with intersectionality and decolonisation, and facilitating the progression of women and gender non-conforming staff.
However, a holistic review of provision revealed further opportunities for growth. This suggests that we should never
consider gender pedagogy as ‘done’ but as an ongoing process and project of self-reflection that increasingly intersects
with other dynamics such as race, ability, age, sexuality and other identifiers.
References
Burke, P. J, (2017) Difference in higher education pedagogies: Gender, emotion and shame Gender and Education 29(4) 430-444.
Fairclough, N. (2010) Critical discourse analysis: The critical study of language (2nd ed.) London, New York: Routledge
Maldonado-Torres, N., Vizcaino, R., Wallace, J. & Jeong Eun, A.W. (2017) Decolonising philosophy. In Bhambra, G., Gebrial, D. &
Nisancioglu, K. (Eds) Decolonising the university (pp. 64-90). London: Pluto
Smith, D. (2002) Institutional ethnography. In May, T (Ed.) Qualitative research in action (pp. 17-52) London, Thousand Oaks, New
Delhi: Sage
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Case Study 4.8 Mainstreaming gender pedagogy: presences and absences in the natural sciences
What they did

We conducted case study research that consisted of documentary analysis of teaching materials from two undergraduate
and postgraduate taught core modules in the natural sciences. To maximise breadth of substantive and pedagogical
focus, this was accompanied by department-wide qualitative interviews with six academic staff (including senior leaders
Discipline
and module convenors), two undergraduate students and four postgraduate students. Natural sciences
Absences of gender-sensitive inquiry were very pronounced within the department. Its relevance to course content was
consistently questioned by students and staff, who felt as an ‘objective’ science, the discipline did not lend itself to
gendered analysis or reflection. However, interviewees also recognised that the historically established nature of
‘mainstream’ theorems meant frameworks were deeply embedded within masculine, Eurocentric traditions. Staff further Cohort
noted that the relationship between the discipline and industry made it tricky to alter curricula. Undergraduate,
postgraduate and staff
There was far greater presence of gendered reflection in discussions of the profile of staff and student cohorts. This
highlighted how gender imbalances outside of the academy – endemic in Level 2 and 3 subject choices, professions and
industries – inform and are informed by gender imbalances of staff and student cohorts within the discipline itself, leading
it to be a priority focus within the department. Teaching Context
Classroom
Despite constraints, the case revealed opportunities for gender-sensitive pedagogical approaches within the Natural
Sciences. This included open discussions about who the dominant voices are and why, using diverse imagery within
teaching and promotional materials and incorporating gender-neutral and gender-atypical situations in assessment
questions. Moreover, the department made concerted efforts to destabilise gender binaries in teaching and research
settings by promoting pronoun-sharing, although students felt there was a continuing need for greater gender variance Group size Unlimited
awareness. Considerable work had also been done in relation to Athena SWAN, although students felt this overlooked
the epistemological power of defining a canon and whose knowledge is seen as valid. Can be applied to different
Cohorts ☑
121
Why they did it that way Disciplines ☑
Even within a context where gender-sensitive inquiry may initially appear at odds with ‘mainstream’ topics and foci, there
are still opportunities to take inspiration from gender pedagogy, as practices ranging through staff and student recruitment,
teaching, learning, assessment and curriculum design are all sites where gender is performed and reproduced (Jarvis,
2009). Moreover, beyond its inherent value ‘for its own sake’, gender pedagogy offers a means to explore some of the
core skills that we would wish to foster in higher education students, including the propensity to be inherently challenging,
critical and political (Darder and Baltodano, 2003). The opportunity offered by gender studies to engage with difference,
diversity and intersectional identities, opens spaces to think and reflect on inequalities more widely; supporting students
in developing the tools to ‘critique and problematise any given phenomena’ (Gore, 1992), and to challenge the politics of
knowledge production (Mügge, Montoya, Emejulu & Weldon, 2018).
How it went
Although there are potentially structural, epistemological and attitudinal barriers to mainstreaming gender pedagogy within
the Natural Sciences, there remain opportunities to develop resources, cultures and teaching practices which can help to
promote gender-sensitivity and criticality.
References
Darder, A. & Baltodano, M. (2003) The critical pedagogy reader (ed. R.D. Torres). New York, NY: Routledge/Falmer.
Gore, J. (1992) ‘What can we do for you? Struggling over empowerment in critical and feminist pedagogy’ in Feminisms and critical
pedagogy. (eds. C. Luke and J. Gore), pp.54–73. London: Routledge.
Jarvis, H. (2009) Commentary: Gender Interventions in an Age of Disengagement Journal of Geography in Higher Education 33 (3)
369-373,
Mügge, L. Montoya, C. Emejulu, A. Weldon, L. (2018) ‘Intersectionality and the politics of knowledge production’, European Journal
of Politics and Gender, 1(1-2), pp. 17-36.
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Case Study 4.9 Mainstreaming gender pedagogy: presences and absences in applied social sciences
What they did

In an Applied Social Sciences Department, gender content was located in equalities modules, rather than systematically
integrated across programmes. To some extent this was due to resistance from some (senior) teaching staff who
questioned whether gender was applicable to their field and were resistant to changing ‘traditional’ approaches. As a
result, pockets of transformative gender-sensitive work was frequently driven by junior and/or women and/or people of Discipline
colour. Applied Social Sciences
However, temporal barriers were said to be the most pressing obstacles to mainstreaming gender pedagogy and the
reason why disciplinary foundations broadly lacked diversity of authors and epistemological perspectives. Staff felt the
time afforded for curriculum review limited innovation, important conversations and creativity. Simultaneously, the
Cohort
administrative burden deadened enthusiasm for further development. Allocated time for teaching sessions (often 50 Staff
minutes) further prevented meaningful gender-sensitive inquiry in the classroom. Pressures were exacerbated due to the
professionally accredited nature of programmes within the Department, meaning stipulated content (which lacked gender-
sensitivity) needed to be prioritised within tight timeframes. Staff were therefore frustrated that their practice was often at
the behest of external bodies, professional practice orthodoxy and traditional textbooks.
Teaching Context
Discussions also revealed power imbalances and ‘social hierarchies’ within the classroom, with certain individuals (often Classroom
men students) dominating discussion, limiting inclusive and diverse debate, including on modules focussing on the rights
of women or gender non-conforming people. Moreover, there was a pervasive absence of trigger warnings and a lack of
gender focus even when topics under discussion appeared to be clearly related, indicating potentially limited gender
awareness. Group size Unlimited

For several decades, many social science degree courses have included elective modules and discrete topics related to
gender and feminism. However, these typically present as optional add-ons or afterthought rather than the primary focus
Cohorts ☑
123
(Wright, 2016). As a result, opportunities are restricted to small moments in a term or a single session at the very end of Disciplines ☑
a module. Within sociology, a tendency remains where (white, Eurocentric) ‘founding fathers’ are given primacy, whilst
Naffine (2002) describes how law has successfully insulated itself from knowledge produced through a feminist lens. More
broadly, MacKinnon (2017) has spoken of a determined ‘gender illiteracy’ within the academy and a resistance to any
efforts to mainstream gender-sensitive approaches. Exploring why this may be the case and identifying responsive
strategies is vital to avoid it (and with it wider inclusivity and equity work in higher education) being seen as a ‘women
only’ or peripheral, low-status concern, and to reposition it as a task to be taken seriously by those who do and do not
consider themselves feminists.
How it went
The Applied Social Sciences case study research indicated that there may be both situated and widely shared barriers to
mainstreaming gender pedagogy. On the one hand, the particular context of professionally regulated programmes enacts
specific obstacles for the deconstruction and diversification of curricula, and it necessitates working with external bodies
to facilitate change. On the other, temporal barriers to mainstreaming gender pedagogy and a lack of ‘buy-in’ from senior
staff may be more commonplace across disciplines.
References
MacKinnon, C. A. (2017) Butterfly Politics. Cambridge, MA, London, UK: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press
Naffine, N. (2002) ‘In praise of legal feminism’ Legal Studies, 22(1). 71-101.
Wright, T. (2016) ‘Whatever happened to the F-word in higher education’. Journal of Gender Studies, 25 (2) pp. 215-227.
124
Case Study 4.10 Integrating the gender dimension into research projects/proposals: a training proposal activity
Ilaria Di Tullio, University of Verona, Italy
What they did

The cohort was composed of experts coming from STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) disciplines. In
order to get to know their level of knowledge on Gender Equality (GE), a few days before the training a preliminary
questionnaire, aiming at analysing the cohort level of familiarity with GE, was submitted. Results showed that limited Discipline
Science, Technology,
knowledge on GE across participants was present. This helped to better match the topics and the language of the training Engineering and Maths
in accordance with the participants’ level of knowledge. The training presented three main sections including a specific (STEM)
Q&A section at the end.
The first section was dedicated to becoming familiar with GE concepts; the idea behind this was to make participants
aware of why women are still underrepresented in the STEM field and how cultural bias can affect science outcomes and
Cohort
in the process influence innovation and progress.
Staff
The second section, the core of the training, was dedicated to the importance of harnessing the dimension of sex and
gender for innovation and discovery, with a strong focus on the methodology supporting researchers and students on
integrating the gender dimension in their proposal. Special attention was devoted to how to identify methods, how to
address the potential implications in science, and how to be strategic in engaging scientists with gender expertise among Teaching Context
key research staff when setting up an interdisciplinary team. Furthermore, this section addressed the most important Online
critical questions a researcher should ask themself, deriving from research priorities and from the theories and concepts
that frame research, and questions analysing the significance (if any) of sex and gender in formulating research questions:
● What is the current state of knowledge of sex and gender in the area of research? Group size 60
● What do we not know as a result of not analysing sex and gender?
● How have sex and gender functioned to limit the research questions posed in this field? Can be applied to different
● Have any potentially relevant groups of research subjects been left out? Teaching contexts ☑
● What research questions would lead to more robust research designs and methods? Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
125
The third section was devoted to discussing some of the gold standard examples coming from the gendered innovations
approach and their impacts on science. In this case, the discussed examples were ischemic heart disease, pregnant crash
test dummies and a speech synthesis machine.

In accordance with the feminist pedagogy theory, this training embraces a transformative learning approach, based on
the pedagogy that the training aims for the class participants not just to acquire new knowledge, but for their thinking to
move in new directions. This may involve the realisation that personal interpretations of experience or social phenomena
can be re-read and validated in new, critical ways. This approach was especially appreciated during the facilitation of the
second section of the training, where they had the opportunity to take the floor and share their doubts and/or experience.
How it went
Participants expressed their appreciation of the training in polls and the chat box, and lots of them requested further
information to continue working using the suggested tools. I would suggest adding some polls to collect views on specific
questions during the lecture-driven sections.
Suggestions for use

Using a preliminary questionnaire will help trainees to address specific topics and set the scene for a common
understanding of the concepts. It should include questions about familiarity with the GE dimension in research, with
questions like ‘Have you already considered GE in your research’ and ‘Are you aware of benefits stemming from
considering the GE dimension’. Giving attention to the methodology of the research would help trainers to integrate the
gender dimension into a training proposal.
References
Bustelo, M., Ferguson, L., & Forest, M. (Eds.). (2019). The politics of feminist knowledge transfer: Gender training and gender
expertise. Springer.
Crabtree, R., Sapp, D. A., & Licona, A. C. (Eds.). (2009). Feminist pedagogy: Looking back to move forward (p. 1). Baltimore, MD:
Johns Hopkins University Press.
EIGE (2016) Gender equality training, gender mainstreaming toolkit. Luxembourg, Publications Office of the European Union.
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Case Study 4.11 Using gender audit as a tool to develop gender-sensitive curriculum in higher education
Jenifer L. Lewis and Anna CohenMiller, Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan
What they did

Using gender audit as a research method, we provide practical steps in the higher education context to address gender
equity and inclusion. We sought to address the overarching research question: In what ways are the formal curricula
across the university gendered (if at all)?
Discipline
Cross faculty
The process focused on a document analysis of 131 syllabi gathered from across the university. The first step was a ‘desk
review’ which involved a detailed examination of key indicators of the formal curriculum as found in course syllabi. The
primary indicators of interest were: (1) course overview, (2) content (course description, course themes, course
assignments), (3) gender classification of faculty and authors (for the purposes of this study, we used a binary classification
of gender), (4) inclusion of a non-discriminatory statement, and (5) gender classification of teaching assistants (TA) if Cohort
Undergraduate
applicable. A coding book was developed to aid student researchers in conducting the content analysis. For example,
and postgraduate
when reviewing the syllabus content, we coded for keywords such as women, men, gender, equality, inequality, and
discrimination. Noting these terms indicated that the syllabus contained some element related to gender. Once items were
coded and counts complete, a detailed line by line analysis was conducted to further identify additional gender-related
content that was not captured by those keywords. Lastly, additional questions examined the similarities and differences
between disciplines across campus and explored resolutions. Teaching Context
Classroom and online
A gender audit itself is a first step which moves gender from an afterthought, or ‘add-on’ into the everyday life of an
organisation. An overarching goal of our gender audit was to generate a set of indicators to help the university’s
stakeholders understand how the university is gendered (if at all) and point out areas where relatively rapid changes can
be made to provide gender equality, while acting as a template for organisational learning and change. As a result, both Group size Unlimited
short-term and long-term recommendations were developed to aid the university in mainstreaming gender in its
curriculum. The audit conducted by our team demonstrates how examining course syllabi provides a way to analyse
current practices and suggest potential solutions to become more gender aware and sensitive across disciplines.
Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
127
A gender audit is a useful internal tool for organisations. In this case, an audit of course syllabi aids in identifying areas
that need improvement, and it supports strengthening areas of success. An audit is also an accessible research method
because it requires no special equipment or skills and students from undergraduate to PhD level can be involved in the
data collection and analysis. Detailed information about conducting a gender audit can be found in ‘The Gender Audit
handbook’ (Interaction, 2010).
How it went
The outcomes provide a better understanding of the areas of strength related to gender and the areas where changes
can be made. In addition, we generated a set of indicators and suggested actions for the university. The actions were
intended to improve gender-sensitivity across the curriculum at the university. Next time we would seek commitment from
the university administration to systematically implement the actions that emerged from the study.
Suggestions for use

Sharing the findings of the study at university-level committees offered useful opportunities for conversations and building
awareness.
References
CohenMiller, A. S. &; Lewis, J. L. (2019) Gender audit as research method for organizational learning and change in higher
education. In V. Demos, M. Texler Segal & K. Kelly (Eds.), Gender and Practice: Insights from the Field. UK: Emerald Publishing.
Interaction. (2010). The Gender Audit Handbook: A Tool for Self-Assessment and Transformation. Washington, DC: Interaction.
Kelly, K. (2017). Gender Audit: A Tool for Organizational Learning. A Five-Year Review of Student-Led Gender Audits of the School
of International and Public Affairs. Columbia University.
Kelly, K. (2018). Gender Audits: The Politics of Measuring and Tracking Organizational Change in Higher Education. Paper
presentation at the conference Women, Work &; Activism: Pasts, Presents, Futures Conference, Newcastle, UK.
Kelly, K., Callahan, J. L., CohenMiller, A. S., Lewis, J. L., &; Apusigah, A. A. (2017). Gender audits as organizational learning: A
gender mainstreaming approach to measuring social change in higher education. Spencer Foundation grant proposal 10011204.
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Case Study 4.12 Develop a workplace code of conduct
Laura Stephenson, Aberystwyth University, UK
What they did

Aberystwyth University’s Advanced Media Production (AMP) scheme seeks to equip learners with practical skills which
can be applied within respective creative industries workplaces. The Gender and Media Production module explores
issues of historic and contemporary gender inequality in the creative industries. The module seeks to link issues of gender
Discipline
(mis)representation (the textual) and issues of gender workplace power dynamics (the industrial) by investigating both Creative Industries
aspects within four key creative fields: 1) advertising and marketing; 2) film and television; 3) journalism and broadcasting;
4) new media. The students are formally assessed through two written assignments:
1. A theory-based essay aligning gender philosophy with industrial gender inequality
2. The generation of a ‘workplace code of conduct’ seeking to address practically the issues of gender inequality
identified in assignment one. Cohort
Postgraduate
It is this second assignment, the code of conduct, which can be used as either a formal assessment tool (as I employ it),
or as a seminar activity. As an assessment the code of conduct allows students to consolidate considerable philosophical
module content into a concise and practical workplace policy, thereby demonstrating a broad understanding of the
complex relationship between gender and power, whilst articulating a solution to equality problems. As an activity, the
code of conduct functions as an in-class exercise, where individually or in small collaborative groups, students can work Teaching Context
on producing a piece of ‘gender policy’ which supports safe and fair workplace practices. Online
The code of conduct should promote and nurture intersectional equality, whilst catering to the specific gender issues which
have emerged within the field in recent years. Additionally, the student’s code of conduct should be 800-1,200 words (if
submitted as assessment), as well as consider both recruitment processes/policies and behavioural expectations for Group size 4 - 10
existing employees. This means the code should include:
1. A section which identifies the organisation’s/employer’s commitment and responsibility to recruiting equally from all
genders; to provide remuneration based solely on merit; to providing professional development and opportunities for Can be applied to different
progression equally across genders. Teaching contexts ☑
2. A section which confirms the member’s/employee’s commitment to behaving in a manner which shows respect for Cohorts ☑
all fellow members/colleagues, regardless of gender identity. Behaviours specifically detailed in the Code may include Disciplines ☐
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(though are not limited to) electronic communications, body proximity and physical space, use of language and jokes,
inclusive after-work activities, and appropriate methods for formal constructive criticism and review.
The requirement that students adapt the code to their specific creative industry and/or workplace means students are
forced to conduct significant independent research and, therefore, continue learning during the process of generating their
assessment work. This pedagogical ideology is commonly referred to as ‘AFL’ (Assessment for Learning), which enhances
the learning process through integration of teaching content and assessment tasks (Brown, 2005; Taras, 2002).
Additionally, pedagogical assessments which combine theory with workplace-based, practical solutions help graduates
enter the workforce with a competitive edge over their peers, adapted to the student’s particular creative industries field
and/or workplace, demonstrating sensitivity towards unique gender issues. For example:
1. A code for a film and television workplace might contain clauses such as employing equal numbers of women and
men crew members (traditionally dominated by men); ensuring women and men co-stars’ equal pay equally (gender
pay equality has not yet been reached in the screen industry); prohibiting directors and producers from physically
touching cast members (the only physical need to touch cast are hair and make-up staff); confirming that auditions
must be held in a professional location with a formal casting panel present (not a hotel room, with one individual).
2. A code for an advertising firm might contain clauses such as employing equal numbers of women and men in the
creative department (horizontal labour segregation in advertising and marketing firms leads to creative departments
where men predominate and accounts departments where women predominate); ensuring gender neutral terms are
used to address colleagues (no more use of “sweetheart” and “darling” when addressing a co-worker); fostering
inclusive afterhours activities where all members of staff are welcomed (some women feel unwelcome and unsafe at
the traditional ‘boys drinks’ after work, where networking and career progression is often executed).
3. A code for a journalism/broadcast organisation might contain clauses such as making a commitment to promoting
women into managerial positions (disproportionate numbers of editors and editors-in-chief are men); ensuring sports,
business and politics stories are delegated to reporters based on merit not gender (women journalists have
traditionally been lumped with ‘soft news’ items).
A code should also:

● Align with the principles of the 2010 UK Equalities Act.
● Acknowledge and compliment other professional/industrial guidelines, as well as international human rights
mandates.
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This learning challenge is most effectively issued as a formal assessment with a substantial word count. An important
point is that it includes adapting scholarship material to real-world scenarios (Clements & Cord, 2013).
How it went
I have found that Masters students are able to produce comprehensive, thoughtful codes of conduct, with considerable
research going into their policies. Particularly strong students will draw a link between gender-equal workplace policy and
the upholding of universal human rights. Several students have commented that, while the generic gender equality clauses
are important (such as adhering to equal recruitment and promotional opportunities in alignment with the 2010 UK Equality
Act), they gained particular benefit from adding in clauses specific to their workplace. One such example was a student
working in the archaeology and curatorship field; they were able to add in specific policy about ensuring adequate toilet
facilities were made available for women working on digs (who were previously told to ‘go in the bushes’ like men
colleagues). Another student used the code of conduct assessment to clarify that all paying members of the large regional
organisation they worked for were responsible for catering at group and community events; for decades previously ‘the
wives’ provided catering as part of an unspoken culture which supported men members to partake in organisational
politics, and women members to cater and clean, removed from the decision-making process.
Suggestions for use

This assessment is based on the submission of the code (800-1,200 words) and can be supplemented with an additional
1,500 words explanation/justification of their choices. I suggest using this as an assessment tool for postgraduate
students, whilst undergraduate students may benefit more from completing this activity as an in-class exercise. In this
setting undergraduate students still have the opportunity to justify/explain their code policies, ideally in a large group
feedback session.
References
Brown, S. (2005). Assessment for learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, (1), 81-89.
Clements, M. D., & Cord, B. A. (2013). Assessment guiding learning: developing graduate qualities in an experiential learning
programme. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 38(1), 114-124.
Taras, M. (2002). Using assessment for learning and learning from assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 27(6),
501-510.
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Case Study 4.13 Highlighting gender biases in research policies and processes
Karim Mahmoud, Inspire Alliance, UK
What they did

Research support offices in universities have a critical role in both shaping and implementing institutional research policies
and processes. Creating robust approaches that satisfy governance requirements and are in line with stakeholder
expectations (both internal and external) can be challenging. An unintended consequence is that the approaches that are
Discipline
chosen often (unintentionally) reflect and reinforce societal inequalities. Far from being neutral, the social and structural CPD for Research
dimensions of these policies and processes can exacerbate gender and other inequalities. Indeed, members of the Managers and Leaders
scientific community are resistant to accepting evidence of gender bias and racism in science (Peels et al., 2020),
therefore, this workshop can help address this issue. Taking a research integrity approach, this workshop will focus on
the interplay between systems and processes on one hand and research culture on the other hand.
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Intervention: Research managers and administrators are invited to participate in a continuous professional development
Staff
workshop to increase awareness of gender-sensitive communication strategies and the identification of implicit gender
bias in institutional communications and processes related to research activities. A key part of the intervention is effecting
change by influencing those responsible for designing processes and systems to be more gender aware and thereby
normalise diversity through intentional action.
Teaching Context
Intended learning outcomes: Classroom
1. Greater gender-sensitivity in the design of research policies and systems.
2. Understanding of tools and methods to increase gender-sensitivity in the design of policies and procedures and
associated communications.
Group size 25
Activity: This activity assumes prior knowledge of the terms intersectionality, gender, sex, equality, impact assessment,
policy, process, procedure, EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion). A pre-workshop sensitisation pack which includes
advance instructions is sent to participants alongside a glossary and links to additional optional resources.
Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
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Preparation (in advance of workshop): Participants are asked to identify three written policy, process or procedure
documents that are directly linked to research in their institution. These can be documents from within the organisation or
documents from relevant third parties such as research funding bodies, or government departments. It is important that
the documents selected are linked to a policy, process, or procedure in research management, but are not directly linked
to EDI issues. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to select an equality and diversity policy for this activity. Typical
examples include, but are not limited to:
● research grant submission process and policy.
● researcher evaluation guidelines.
● codes of practice (e.g. for research integrity).
● intellectual property policy.
The documents should be sent to the facilitator in advance of the meeting for review, allowing them to select suitable
documents and prioritise those that show some bias, preferably of suitable length (up to 10 pages).
Part I
This activity should be preceded by an ice breaker (where possible). In groups of three or four, participants are asked to
review one of the case study documents and discuss the approach that may be taken to conduct an equality impact
assessment (EIA). For the first part of this exercise, the facilitator explains the reason for conducting an EIA. This should
be a very brief introduction which provides a high-level rationale with the main message of decision-makers being aware
of how certain policies/procedures have a negative consequence on particular groups, and thereby taking appropriate
steps to mitigate against such consequences. As the next part of the activity engages participant’s own critical thinking as
to what they think an EIA should incorporate (e.g. stakeholders, representatives, scoring, a review mechanism), it is not
advised at this stage to provide further context. Participants are given the following reflection prompts, ideally in writing:
● What elements would an EIA for a policy, process or procedure comprise?
● Who should conduct an EIA, and do you know if an EIA has been conducted for the document being considered?
● Identify at least one positive and one negative element of the policy linked to a gender/sex dimension. Are there any
intersectional elements that can be identified? Did you identify any implicit or explicit bias or language that was not
gender-sensitive? Note the observations and if appropriate provide feedback to the policy owner/author (e.g. policy
and governance department, Human Resources) after the workshop has ended.
● Nominate one person from the group to summarise the reflections in the main session.
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Activity rationale: this is an exercise designed to convert formal policy tools into a pragmatic framework which can be
used routinely. We must recognise that many individuals will simply not conduct formal EIAs on a day-to-day basis.
Through discussion, they will reflect on what elements they believe might be most important to consider in the context of
assessing impact of their activities from an EDI lens. A simple, but often omitted step, for example, is conducting a
stakeholder analysis to identify relevant groups, and consulting with these stakeholders. It is important to note that
everyday organisational processes which are developed by administrators may inadvertently introduce bias or non-
inclusive approaches as there is a tendency not to undertake formal EIAs as the processes constantly evolve or are
transactional. By encouraging thinking on impact assessment (not just conceptually, but operationally), there is increased
awareness, which may influence working practices as learnings from (thinking about) the process are incorporated in
ways of working. This has a much higher likelihood of effecting change as it encourages practical thinking on the part of
participants as to how they may incorporate EIA principles in their daily work. The suggested time for part I is 30 minutes.
Part II
A rapporteur from each group is asked to summarise the reflections from their group discussion. Key themes/observations
can be recorded on a flipchart or whiteboard. The facilitator polls the group to identify how many participants:
1. were aware of EIAs before the workshop;
2. have prior exposure to EIAs in the context of policy and process development.
The facilitator can then spend time introducing the theoretical context of impact assessment frameworks, using the EIGE
Toolkit as an example (European Institute for Gender Equality, 2016), and recognising that many other bodies have
gender equality as part of evaluations such as the UN (United Nations Evaluation Group, 2016). There should be
signposting to gender-sensitive communication resources, such as from EIGE. Suggested time for part II is 30 minutes.
Part III
Fostering research integrity is one of the epistemic responsibilities of a university (Peels et al., 2020), therefore, this part
of the activity focuses on summarising contemporary thinking of the interplay between research culture and research
integrity (Geller et al., 2010) and the need to strengthen a research integrity culture in line with current consensus
(Forsberg et al., 2018). Thus, for this section, the facilitator should provide a brief overview of how research integrity and
gender/sex dimensions are linked, and highlight relevant guidance, such as the European code of conduct for research
integrity (ALLEA - All European Academies, 2017). Suggested focus for this part of the activity is on contextualising the
gender imbalances in academic research environments, highlighting for example:
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● national policies/funder policies which focus on fostering gender equality;
● an aim to ensure gender balance in decision-making and in research teams to close the gaps in participation;
● integrating the gender dimension into the content of R&I (Research and Innovation) so that research is more
representative (for instance in medical research), and helping to improve the scientific quality and societal relevance
of the produced knowledge, technology and/or innovation.
The suggested time for part III is 10 minutes.
Part IV
The final part of the session is dedicated to reflection. For this section, participants are invited to provide a one sentence
reflection on key take away messages from the workshop. To ensure participant comfort, they should be reassured tha t
similar/same reflections as other participants are perfectly acceptable, and while they are not obliged to provide a
contribution, it would be highly beneficial to facilitate knowledge-exchange and peer learning. Key bullet points can be
captured on a flipchart. The facilitator should help participants reach a conclusion that processes and systems can
influence culture change and vice-versa, and that gender equality can be mainstreamed by modulating both of these
elements. The use of EIAs is just one method to facilitate this task. The suggested time for part IV is 10 minutes.

The workshop format means that it is participatory and reinforces learning via discussion. A minimum amount of theoretical
content can increase engagement without causing too much boredom. The suggested length of one hour and thirty
minutes makes this activity achievable even in high workload contexts. However, the activity can easily be extended to
provide more in-depth theoretical exploration and more hands-on practice. Finally, the high-level nature of this approach
means that participants can explore the equality impact assessment framework that is used in their own context after the
workshop. The workshop activity is designed to increase awareness rather than develop specific evaluation competencies.
How it went
Positive verbal feedback received from participants.
Suggestions for use

The activity can be adapted for online delivery using conference tools that have ‘breakout rooms’ and polling functionality.
Prompts should be provided to participants in written form. For the preparation of the theoretical content, it is preferable
135
to attempt to identify local codes/rules/expectations (e.g. from national funders) to make reference to during the workshop.
While the theoretical content is meant to deliberately be an overview, attempts to make the content less abstract and more
relevant are helpful. Most institutions have professional staff (often within their Human Resource function) with equality
and diversity remits. Engaging with these colleagues if appropriate to determine the institutional EIA framework is advised.
References
ALLEA - All European Academies. (2017). The European code of conduct for research integrity revised edition. ALLEA - All
European Academies.
European Institute for Gender Equality. (2016). Gender Impact Assessment Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit. Retrieved from:
https://eige.europa.eu/publications/gender-impact-assessment-gender-mainstreaming-toolkit
Forsberg, E.-M., Anthun, F. O., Bailey, S., Birchley, G., Bout, H., Casonato, C., Fuster, G. G., Heinrichs, B., Horbach, S., Jacobsen,
I. S., Janssen, J., Kaiser, M., Lerouge, I., van der Meulen, B., de Rijcke, S., Saretzki, T., Sutrop, M., Tazewell, M., Varantola, K., …
Zöller, M. (2018). Working with Research Integrity—Guidance for Research Performing Organisations: The Bonn PRINTEGER
Statement. Science and Engineering Ethics, 24(4), 1023–1034.
Geller, G., Boyce, A., Ford, D. E., & Sugarman, J. (2010). Beyond “Compliance”: The Role of Institutional Culture in Promoting
Research Integrity. Academic Medicine, 85(8), 1296–1302.
Peels, R., van Woudenberg, R., de Ridder, J., & Bouter, L. (2020). Academia’s Big Five: a normative taxonomy for the epistemic
responsibilities of universities [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]. F1000Research, 8(862).
United Nations Evaluation Group. (2016). Norms and Standards for Evaluation. In UNEG. Retrieved from
http://www.unevaluation.org/2016-Norms-and-Standards
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Case Study 4.14 Hearing trans voices in higher education and pedagogical environments
Vincent Pak, National University of Singapore, Singapore
What they did

The roundtable discussion, focusing on trans and gender-nonconforming lives in Singapore, was held on an online
conferencing platform. The webinar-style discussion consisted of a panel of trans-identified individuals, including students
and working professionals, as well as university stakeholders – faculty members and university leaders. Pitched to all
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National University of Singapore (NUS) staff and students, the webinar aimed to give a platform for trans-identified Arts
speakers to share their experiences, needs, and suggestions surrounding their marginal positions in society. After each Social sciences
trans-identified speaker spoke for about ten minutes, the university stakeholders responded by making references to
relevant research projects and support resources. Following this, the audience was invited to ask questions via the chat
function and the panellists could answer them at their own discretion. The moderator of the session took care to ensure
that all questions were respectful and tactful, and that the webinar was a safe space for all. Plans for future roundtables
Cohort Undergraduate
were also announced by the Assistant Dean for Undergraduates. and postgraduate

As a largely conservative country, Singapore has afforded few institutional avenues for LGBTQ citizens to share their
experiences. The transgender community, as a marginal group within the already marginalised LGBTQ community, have
had limited opportunities to be represented. The roundtable discussion on trans and gender-nonconforming lives was co- Teaching Context
organised by the Department of Communications and New Media and the Gender and Sexuality Research Cluster at the Online
National University of Singapore to centre trans individuals at an institutional level, and to provide a safe space for them
to offer their perspectives on issues that are contemporarily exigent. Both the representation of trans individuals and the
addressing of trans matters were goals of the webinar. Crucial to the discussion was for trans students to articulate the
current gaps in the higher education system that require improvement, and to educate the webinar participants about the Group size 300
importance of creating a more inclusive campus through possible research.
Organising such a discussion does more than just providing seats for trans individuals at the table. As a leading Can be applied to different
educational institution embedded in larger governmental systems, the university should be committed to enacting Teaching contexts ☑
pedagogical changes that serve all of its students (Goldberg et al., 2019), especially when considering that one of the Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
137
goals of higher education is to cultivate responsible social actors and thinkers. The critical gaze must be turned back on
the university to examine its own policies and practices – in consultation with trans individuals – to consider if the status
quo is adequate for its LGBTQ students. Concerns such as misgendering between staff and trans students, availability of
gender-neutral toilets, and providing a trans-friendly/inclusive campus accommodation and activities were brought up
during the webinar, and they represented some of the most pressing issues in and outside of the higher education
environment. More importantly, the roundtable discussion served as an example of experiential learning (Kolb, 2015; Kolb
et al. 2001) that recognises the significance of one’s experience in the process of learning. As a powerful pedagogical
tool, experiential learning outside the classroom can benefit from trans experiences to create new knowledge and
practices that are inclusive, equitable, and accessible to all students.
How it went
Future roundtables were announced, and several other initiatives aimed at inclusivity are in discussion. A post-roundtable
survey could be disseminated to attendees to find out more about their takeaways from the session, and to gather
feedback to improve future iterations of such events.
Suggestions for use

Ensure that such discussions are safe spaces for all participants. If the event is held online, potential attendees could be
restricted to those affiliated with the institution, by only allowing those with institutional email addresses to register; t his
could help to reduce the risk of hijacking. Ground rules, such as using inclusive and non-discriminatory language when
asking questions and ensuring panellists of their right to refuse questions, should be communicated constantly, from the
advertisement of the event to the start of the discussion session. Hosting the event as a webinar can also allow
administrators to vet and approve questions from the audience before they are asked.
References
Goldberg, A. E., Beemyn, G., & Smith, J. Z. (2019). What is needed, what is valued: Trans students' perspectives on trans-inclusive
policies and practices in higher education. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 29(1), 27-67.
Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development (Second ed.). Pearson Education
Ltd.
Kolb, D. A., Boyatzis, R. E., & Mainemelis, C. (2001). Experiential learning theory: Previous research and new directions. In R. J.
Sternberg and L. Zhang (Eds.), Perspectives on thinking, learning, and cognitive styles (pp. 227-247).
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Case Study 4.15 Recognising and responding to the challenges of EDI training
Kusminder Chahal, Birmingham City University, UK
What they did

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training is an established, often mandatory part of the organisational experience of
many employees. As a man with a South Asian background I have delivered numerous EDI sessions as a trainer where
the subject has been dismissed; there is obvious lack of engagement; and negative, offensive comments made during
the training. These have consequences on the trainer, the training and the learning outcomes but can also be utilised to Discipline
generate conversation, challenge and debate. Social sciences
EDI training often begins with a warm welcome and a smile. For an effective, authentic session the trainer should bring
all their identities, including hidden identities, to the training. This can make the trainer vulnerable but can lead to deeper
engagement with participants about the subject. Minoritised trainers enter into a training with some potential vulnerabilities
Cohort
on display (for example, sex/gender and racial/ethnic). Often participants see, for example, sex/gender equality as
Staff
achieved and challenge the need for such a training. Sex and gender are protected characteristics in UK law. Participants
sometimes say there are no gender differences in the workplace and society has changed. Having recent and historical
examples of sex/gender specific issues and taken for granted rules, which show equality is not fully achieved, generates
conversation and can lead to a better understanding of why gender mainstreaming is important. Discussion on who
undertakes most family and caring responsibilities can lead to an empowering and searching conversation about Teaching Context
sex/gender equality by helping participants put on gender glasses (EIGE, 2016: 15). The wider point that achieving Classroom
equality is a process requiring constant attention can also be made and connected to their organisational EDI statement,
policy and plan and their own individual commitment to their anti-discriminatory practices.

This case study reflects the experiences of minoritised EDI trainers (a South Asian man and two USA based African- Group size Unlimited
American and Indian-American women) and the emotional labour involved in EDI training and its interplay with intersecting
identities when vulnerabilities are on display. It engages with the negative/challenging comments made in training that Can be applied to different
target the trainers’ identities and emotional responses. Hochschild (1983) described emotional labour as the process of Teaching contexts ☑
managing feelings and expressions in order to fulfil emotional requirements as part of a job role. Emotional labour involves Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
139
an expectation to regulate emotions during interactions; includes analysis and decision-making in terms of the expressions
of emotion, whether actually felt or not, and the suppression of emotions that are felt but not expressed. Connecting
intersectionality (Collins & Bilge, 2016) to the experiences of trainers with multiple/intersecting identities can enhance the
understanding of complexity in human experiences by recognising that it is not one factor at play but many ‘in a diverse
and mutually influencing way’ (Collins & Bilge, 2016: 2) that influence reactions.
As EDI trainers we reflected on comments made to us by participants that have caused negative emotional reactions in
us:
• ‘Are you a red indian?’ (asked in the UK, to a South Asian man).
• ‘I have never had a black person or woman tell me anything and I am not going to start now. (asked in the USA, to
an African-American woman).
• ‘One participant sat in the front row, her phone rang again and again and each time she took the call without leaving
her seat.’ (USA Indian-American woman).
Our vulnerabilities and the emotional labour inherent in EDI training comes to the fore. The expectation that a trainer will
emotionally manage derogatory, insulting language and actions comes with expectations that trainers have to act in a
normative, professional manner and that they are passive recipients of others’ behaviours and attitudes.
The emotional management of the intersectional self in a challenging training environment can lead to hurt, emotional
burnout and self-doubt, as these comments show:
• ‘I felt invalidated and insulted.’
• ‘It used to throw me and made me pause. Emotionally there is a toll that is paid. I find myself getting angry…after I
can’t let it go…I have to reflect on any part I played relating to the behaviour or comment.’
As trainers we agreed we needed safe spaces to talk about our experiences and challenges to our professional integrity
to validate ourselves, our work and our approach.
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How it went
Each training concludes with participants completing an evaluation form, but pre-training questionnaires can also be used.
Combined, these can measure impact and learning immediately after the training. Evaluation returns can validate our
work and offer room to improve. Whilst some forms are left blank or answered with ‘don’t know’ the majority are often
completed. Examples of recent feedback received ranges from a cursory ‘thank you’ to ‘really great training’, ‘well
presented’, ‘made it enjoyable’, ‘didn’t think I would learn anything but I did’ but more importantly to empowering comments
such as ‘I will be changing my policies straight away’. Feedback from evaluation forms can support the healing and often
intensity of EDI training and can be shared with the training commissioner.
Suggestions for use

Potentially dismissive, disruptive comments and behaviours in training events can be responded to by:
● Re-focusing participants on the ground rules and how such language/behaviour is anti-EDI.
● When observing negative body language, bring participants into the conversation by asking a question focused on a
perceived identity.
● Where participants are dismissive of the training, reframe the conversation and ask them when they have been a
minority/vulnerable and how they felt.
● Have both contemporary and historical examples of how change has been achieved and the on-going challenges to
achieve equity.
● Debrief and raise concerns with the commissioning organisation and share participant feedback.
● Share and reflect in confidence with a trusted third party to vent, explore and strengthen responses to visible
vulnerabilities.
References
Collins, P.H., & Bilge, S. (2016). Intersectionality. Polity Press.
European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). (2016). Gender Equality Training: Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit. Retrieved from
https://eige.europa.eu/gender-mainstreaming/toolkits/gender-equality-training
Hochschild, A. (2003). The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feelings. University of California Press.
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Case Study 4.16 Inclusion of gender perspective in teaching
María López-Belloso, Irene García Muñoz, Cecilia Martínez, María J. Pando, Pilar Rodríguez and María Silvestre, University of Deusto,
Spain
What they did

The process stages consisted of:
● Proposal of the project through an internal call to the Quality and Innovation Unit. If there is no quality unit in the
institution you may try a unit/office in charge of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG), especially Goal
Discipline
5 (gender equality). Cross faculty
● Internal call to select applicants. The final selection is agreed with school’s leaders. Groups should be no larger
than 15/20 persons. Try to engage men too.
● First stage: external training by other experienced institutions. In our case, we devised two training sessions by
colleagues from Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya.
● Second stage: Five two-hour joint sessions, scheduled every four weeks. These sessions consist of the Cohort
Staff
identification, selection and definition of key indicators, based on previous literature and adapted to the
characteristics of our institution. Joint, collaborative work.
- Based on undergraduate/graduate programmes.
- Real application to participants’ teaching guides.
- Work between sessions in smaller disciplinary groups in order to fully accomplish goals in joint sessions. Teaching Context
● Third stage: creation of a guideline/toolkit that includes a list of indicators which can be easily applied to all teaching Classroom or online
programmes. Besides, all the participants will apply them by means of integrating them in their teaching guides.
The production of the guidelines is in its final stages. Both the research and the teaching guidelines will share a
common section, to help users understand the objective and the institutional frame of this effort. In the case of the
teaching guidelines, they guide the users through all the teaching process, by focusing on the specific adaptation of Group size 18
teaching and learning strategies and according to Deusto’s learning model (MAUD). These guidelines include a set
of 15 indicators, which are properly explained, contextualised and illustrated. Can be applied to different
● Fourth stage: Assessment of the activity and its impact. Teaching contexts ☑
Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
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This process has been designed from scratch with no previous specific models, neither from Deusto, nor from other
institutions. The experience (as transmitted through two remote meetings) of staff from the Universitat Politécnica de
Catalunya has been inspiring, as well as the Guide created by the Quality Assurance Agency in Cataluña, AQU (2018),
‘General Framework for incorporating the gender perspective in higher education teaching’
(https://www.aqu.cat/doc/doc_21331700_1.pdf). This was used as a base used for the reflection and ideation of the
process and contents of the sessions, but not informing (in a strict academic sense) the wording within the study case.
We have tailored it all to the needs and characteristics of our university.

We intended to accomplish the following:
● To engage decision-making bodies.
● This activity to be officially recognised as a teacher training activity.
● The activity to be assessed.
How it went
● The process to organise and launch this activity was successful, seeking University engagement at various levels.
● The training resulted in awareness raising among the academics who joined this pilot project.
● Clear and shared guidelines on how to include gender perspective into the curriculum are being devised.
● Guidelines are adapted to our University specific teaching and learning model.
● Specific indicators on the gender perspective in teaching are integrated in the current teaching guides of academics
attending the course.
Suggestions for use

It is crucial that both the institution and participants are engaged. In the case of the institution, through the recognition of
dedicated hours.
Bibliography
AQU Catalunya (2018), “General Framework for incorporating the gender perspective in higher education teaching”. Retrieved from
https://www.aqu.cat/doc/doc_21331700_1.pdf
143
Caprile, M., Valles, N., & Palmen, R. (2012). Guía práctica para la inclusión de la perspectiva de género en los contenidos de la
investigación. Barcelona: Fundación CIREM, 80.
European Commission. Directorate General for Research y Gobierno de España. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (2011) El
género en la investigación: manual. LU: Publications Office. Retrieved from https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/23655
Jovana Mihajlović Trbovc and Ana Hofman, (2015) “Toolkit for Integrating Gender- Sensitive Approach into Research and
Teaching”, GARCIA working papers, University of Trento. Retrieved from
https://eige.europa.eu/sites/default/files/garcia_toolkit_gender_research_teaching.pdf
Palmén, R., Arroyo, L., Müller, J., Reidl, S., Caprile, M., & Unger, M. (2020). Integrating the gender dimension in teaching, research
content & knowledge and technology transfer: Validating the EFFORTI evaluation framework through three case studies in
Europe. Evaluation and Program Planning, 79, 101751.
Unesco. (2015) A Guide for Gender Equality in Teacher Education Policy and Practices. United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization. Retrieved from https://www.gcedclearinghouse.org/sites/default/files/resources/190504eng.pdf
Universitat Jaume I, (2020) Guía para la integración de la perspectiva de género en las guías docentes de las asignaturas de grado
de la Universitat Jaume I. Retrieved from http://isonomia.uji.es/guia-para-la-integracion-de-la-perspectiva-de-genero-en-las-guias-
docentes-de-las-asignaturas-de-grado-de-la-universitat-jaume-i-2020/
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Case Study 4.17 Gender on the higher education learning agenda internationally: co-constructing foundations for equitable futures
Tamsin Hinton-Smith, Olapeju Aiyelaagbe, Anna CohenMiller, Kholoud Kahime, Nupur Samuel, Fawzia Haeri Mazanderani, Aigul
Rakisheva, Fabrice Shurweryimana, Shrija Srinivasan and Idorenyin Uko, on behalf of University of Sussex, UK
What they did

Our case study is a model for developing gender-sensitive structures and practices through undertaking gender-sensitive
teaching audits. It is designed to be implementable from a single course or department to entire institutions. The more
widely you achieve buy-in for gender audits across whole institutions, the greater the potential to achieve change. While
Discipline
you may like to use our survey and interview schedules, we recommend engaging stakeholders to collaboratively adapt Cross faculty
these to maximise relevance to your context. Analysis of these insights can identify challenges, concerns and good
practices, and feed development of practical recommendations. We recommend bringing groups of staff and students
together for in-person or online workshops to review recommendations and take collective responsibility for implementing
these. A gender-sensitivity teaching audit is not a one-off event but a way of thinking.
Cohort
Staff and undergraduate
It was important for our international and interdisciplinary team to work collaboratively. The team’s feminist researchers
collectively bring expertise, commitment and perspective, representing diverse contexts for higher education teaching.
This is vital to creating a map for development relevant to real world higher education teaching contexts, and does not
privilege the knowledge of any single geographic region or intellectual tradition (Santos 2014; O’Shea 2015; Phoenix et Teaching Context
al. 2017; Hinton-Smith et al. 2018) to ‘tell’ others how gender-sensitive teaching should be done. Classroom or online
Suggestions for use

We hope to keep building further on insights from the work we have been able to achieve so far, by working with new
international institutional contexts and learning from them. We also look forward to learning from others who adopt our Group size 200
strategy and tools, will continue to improve on the foundations we have built for what is intended to be a ‘living’ design for
a gender teaching audit that keeps growing through use by others.
Seek to engage as many different voices as you can in your gender teaching audit and expect the unexpected. This way, Teaching contexts ☑
it is possible to move away from disciplinary silos and tunnel vision to seek insightful multi-perspectival solutions Cohorts ☑
Disciplines ☑
145
(CohenMiller & Boivin, forthcoming; Klein, 2004; Mertens, 2014; Moran, 2010). We all become so deeply ingrained in our
own national, institutional, disciplinary and temporal conventions of both higher education teaching and gender-sensitivity
that it is really impossible to step outside these without the help of others holding up a mirror to interrogate our own
practices through offering alternatives. This must be a collaborative endeavour to be effective.
References
Boddy, J., Statham, J., Danielsen, I., Geurts, E., Join-Lambert, H. & Euillet, S. (2013) Beyond Contact Work with families of children
placed away from home in four European countries. Retrieved from https://mk0nuffieldfounpg9ee.kinstacdn.com/wp-
content/uploads/2019/12/Beyond-Contact_final-report.pdf
CohenMiller, A. & Boivin, N. (forthcoming). Crossing disciplinary boundaries within the research team (Ch. 5). Questions in
Qualitative Social Justice Research in Multicultural Contexts. Routledge.
CohenMiller, A. S. & Lewis, J. (2019). ‘Gender audit as research tool for organizational learning and change in higher education.’
in Demos, V., Segal, M. & Kelly, K. (Ed.) Gender and Practice: Insights from the Field (Advances in Gender Research, Vol. 27),
Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 39-55.
Hantrais, L. (2009) International comparative research. Theory, methods, and practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Hinton-Smith, T. Danvers, E. and Jovanovic, T. 208: p.817, in ‘Roma women’s higher education participation: whose
responsibility?’ Gender and Education 30(7):811-828
International Labour Office ILO participatory gender audit: A tool for organisational change. Retrieved from
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---gender/documents/publication/wcms_101030.pdf
Klein, J. T. (2004). Prospects for transdisciplinarity. Futures, 36: 515-526.
Lorenzoni, I. and Hulme, M. (2009) Believing is seeing: laypeople’s views of future socioeconomic and climate change in England
and in Italy.’ Public Understanding of Science 18: 383–400.
Mertens, D. M. (2014). Mixed methods and wicked problems. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 9(1), 3–6.
Moran, J. (2010). Interdisciplinarity (2nd ed.). Routledge
O’Shea, S. (2015) “Avoiding the Manufacture of ‘Sameness’: First-in-Family Students, Cultural Capital and the Higher Education
Environment.” Higher Education 72 (1): 59–78.
Phoenix, A., Boddy, J., Walker, C., & Vennam, U. 2016 Environment in the lives of children and families: Perspectives from India
and the UK. Bristol: Policy
Santos, B. de Sousa (2014) Epistemolgies of the south: Justice against epistemicide. New York: Routledge.
146
Case Study 4.18 Developing institutional and community awareness to the legitimacy and visibility of gendered topics
Anna CohenMiller and Jenifer L. Lewis, Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan
What they did

Bringing together gender scholars for research and community-building are key components of addressing issues of equity
and inclusion and advocating for gender scholarship within Post-Soviet Kazakhstan. Working across disciplines and
university organisational structures, we developed the Consortium of Gender Scholars (GenCon), which purposefully
advocates for and engages in gender scholarship in the country and the Central Asian region and has led to multiple Discipline
formal outcomes (e.g., research, scholarship, mentoring) and empowerment of individuals and communities. Considering Cross faculty
the context and the limited awareness of gender-sensitive scholarship and relationship to teaching and learning, the
strategy included three primary steps:
1. Identifying an interest: We shared an invitation to all faculty/staff within our university, inviting people to join a
roundtable about the topic of gender, including filling out a short survey regarding disciplinary background and
Cohort
research interests. Staff
2. Creating a structure: We sought volunteers, pooling time and resources, to develop the name, roles, website, mission,
university email, and introducing the structure/strategy to the community.
3. Developing outreach, events and scholarship: We determined regular events to create visibility, facilitating
development of the legitimacy of the strategy/organisation. These events brought together scholars, as one of the
primary purposes of GenCon is to generate gender-sensitive scholarship. For example, we identified funding with the Teaching Context
Classroom and online
UNDP, providing an opportunity to conduct the first-ever gender audit at the University. The audit included analysing
the formal curriculum (syllabi) as a template for a research method and approach for organizational learning and
change, related to gender inclusion (CohenMiller & Lewis, 2019). Additional examples of publications from consortium
members focus on gender diplomacy (CohenMiller, Koo, Colins, Lewis, 2020), women in STEM (CohenMiller et al.,
in press), gender in textbooks (Durrani et al., 2021). Group size Unlimited

As international faculty living and working in Kazakhstan, it was critical to recognise and not impose our power
(CohenMiller & Boivin, in press). Instead, we worked to uncover perspectives, and the needs of the community, including
Cohorts ☑
the higher education institutions in Kazakhstan. We were informed by our cross-disciplinary backgrounds to find ways to
Disciplines ☑
147
connect with others to hear diverse voices across multicultural contexts (Mertens, 2020), seeking to decentralise power
and hear a plurality of knowledge (Mertens, et al., 2013; Smith, 1999). From such disciplinary and lived experience of
living/working internationally, we took on the role of directors to bring together insights from others collectively (see
CohenMiller et al., 2019; CohenMiller & Lewis, 2019; Spires & CohenMiller, 2018). As such, we guided the process,
mentoring junior faculty and students to create a structure that is not “ours” but belongs to the whole community.
How it went
Gender-sensitive scholarship includes formal outcomes such as:
● Promotion of gender awareness and sensitivity for formal/informal teaching and learning. Examples include:
- Creation and implementation of a gender audit of the curriculum (see CohenMiller & Lewis, 2019).
- Extending International Women’s Day to a full week (Week of Women) to embed UN Sustainable Development
Goals (SDG) (Yap & Kamilova, 2020) with teaching and learning as key topics (e.g. faculty pledge to incorporate
gender within their teaching during that week/semester).
● Local and international funding and related public/formal scholarship. For example, GenCon team members regularly
publish research relating to gender in international academic journals and in mass media outlets for various audiences
(e.g. blog posts in English, Kazakh, Russian) (see Haider, 2020; Renae, 2020; ResponseSource, 2020; Smayil, 2020)
● Monthly events, including adaptation for local needs (e.g. Research Talks held in an accessible format in face-to-
face and/or virtual formats)
● Gender Forum to bring together those interested in gender scholarship. The internationally funded Forum attracted
over 100 attendees (Zhussopova, 2019).
● Partnership with local and international organisations. These partnerships have led to development of resources,
research talks, and mutual dialogue with local stakeholders.
Informal outcomes can be seen by the growing number of people interested in discussing and incorporating aspects of
gender equity and social justice into their research, practice, and teaching. In this way, GenCon has offered opportunities
for empowerment of individuals and communities.
Suggestions for use

It is important to critically self-reflect on our positionality (see CohenMiller & Boivin, 2022), such as in considering our
positions of power and privilege, the ways in which they relate to how others in and outside the university considered us
as insiders-outsiders, and the level of trust embodied in this work.
148
A central aspect for considering developing a gender consortium is recognising and evaluating the cultural context. For
Kazakhstan and our university, it was important to begin small, introducing new ideas alongside community interest bit-
by-bit.
There are three primary steps which could have buoyed the development of GenCon from the beginning:
1. Obtaining additional university-level support;
2. Identifying additional scholars from local universities to jump-start the goal of creating a network of gender scholars
in Kazakhstan;
3. Expanding the introduction of GenCon to the University and community in multiple events.
References
CohenMiller, A. & Boivin, N. (2021). Questions in Qualitative Social Justice Research in Multicultural Contexts. Routledge.
CohenMiller, A. S., Koo, S., Collins, N., & Lewis, J. L. (2020) "EXPOsing Gender in Science: Lessons for Gender Awareness and
Diplomacy." Gender, Technology and Development.
CohenMiller, A. & Lewis, J. (2019). Gender audit as research method for organizational learning and change in higher education. In
V. Demos, M. Segal, & K. Kelly (Eds.) Gender and Practice: Insights from the Field(Advances in Gender Research, Vol. 27),
Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 39-55.
CohenMiller, A. S., Sagitova, R. Ogay, S., Tselenko, Y., Shakhmanova, A., Saburova, A. (2019). What is a family-friendly campus?
An exploratory study to develop student research and provide practical results. American Journal of Qualitative Research. 2(2), 103-
119.
CohenMiller, A., Sandygulova, A, Saniyazova, A., & Izekenova, Z. (in press). Gender equity in STEM in Higher Education:
Kazakhstan. In Ro, H. K, Fernandez, F., & House, B. (Eds). Gender Equity in STEM in Higher Education: International Perspectives
on Policy, Institutional Culture, and Individual Choice. Routledge
Durrani, N., Kataeva, Z., CohenMiller, A., & Makhmetova, Z. Teacher agency for gender justice in Kazakhstan. Comparative and
International Education Society (CIES) Annual Conference
Haider, S. B. (2020, Aug 23) Gendered imagery at scientific events perpetuates stereotypes, study finds.Express Tribune. Retrieved
from
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2260848/gendered-imagery-at-scientific-events-perpetuates-stereotypes-study-finds
Mertens, D., Cram, F., & Chilisa, B. (2013). Indigenous Pathways into Social Research: Voices of a New Generation. Walnut Creek,
California: Left Coast Press
Mertens, D. M. (2020). Research and Evaluation in Education and Psychology: Integrating Diversity with Quantitative, Qualitative,
and Mixed Methods. 5th ed. Sage.
149
Renae. (2020, July 9). Images in science still show bias toward white men. GI Media. Retrieved from https://www.gi-
media.co.uk/2020/07/09/science-still-favours-images-of-men/
ResponseSource. (2020, July 9). “Images in science are still biased toward white men, new research reveals. Retrieved from
https://pressreleases.responsesource.com/news/99836/images-in-science-are-still-biased-towards-white-men-new/
Smayil, M. (2020, Dec. 4). Неожиданное карьерное преимущество казахстанок обнаружила эксперт из США [What prevents
women from holding high positions - opinion of Nazarbayev University expert.] Tengri News. Retrieved from
https://tengrinews.kz/kazakhstan_news/neojidannoe-karernoe-preimuschestvo-kazahstanok-obnarujila-421670/
Smith, L. T. (1999). Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. St. Marten’s Press.
Spires, K. & CohenMiller, A. S. (2018). Accessibility in Central Asia: Collaboration between Graduate School and Library. IFLA
Journal, 44(1), 35-43.
Yap, J. M., & Kamilova, Y. (2020). Toward becoming an inclusive library: Integrating Sustainable Development Goal 5 in the library
agenda. Library Management, 41(2/3), 53-66.
Zhussopova, D. Nazarbayev University hosts forum on gender issues in Central Asia. Astana Times. Retrieved from
https://astanatimes.com/2019/06/nazarbayev-university-hosts-forum-on-gender-issues-in-central-asia/
150
Contributors
Case Study 1.1

Dr Hanya Pielichaty (@HanyaPielichaty) SFHEA, is an Associate Professor at the University of Lincoln, UK and specialises in research and
scholarship focusing on ‘gender justice’. Hanya has over a decade of experience in Higher Education, teaching across levels and subjects placing
emphasis on student voice.
Case Study 1.2

Jamie Davies is a Professor at a medical school, FRSM, FRSB, FBPhS, PFHEA. An experienced amateur dance teacher and on the UNESCO
International Council of Dance. Katie Brooks is a PhD immunologist, working as a Principal Medical Writer for a contract research organisation
(clinical trials). Katie is also an experienced amateur dance teacher.
Case Study 1.3

Maria Helena Esteves is a Professor at IGOT – ULisbon since 2001. She teaches several subjects in the Master of Geography Teaching, the ITE
program for future Geography teachers in secondary education. Maria has done postdoctoral research (one semester) about Gende r and
Education, focusing on the Portuguese Educational System at ISCSP – ULisboa under the supervision of Prof. Anália Torres. The research project
was titled: “Gender Equality in the Portuguese educational system: concepts, operationalization, practices, and territorialization”. In the BA in
Geography Maria is responsible for a subject called “Geography of Sustainable Development” where the topic of gender inequality is also
addressed.
Case Study 1.4

Arja Lehto is a former Senior Analyst, Swedish Equality Ombudsman Office, which is responsible for ensuring that discrimination associated with
sex, transgender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation or age does not occur in any areas of the life
of Swedish Society. Anne Pässilä PhD is Visiting Research Fellow at RECAP and a Senior Researcher at LUT University, Finland. She specialises
in applying arts-based initiatives and arts pedagogy to support innovation and development processes in the public, private and third sectors. Allan
Owens (@AllanOwens2) PhD is Co-Director of the Centre for Research into Education, Creativity and the Arts through Practice at the University of
Chester, UK.
151
Case Study 1.5
Nupur Samuel is an English Language teacher-educationist with research interests in inclusive education, critical thinking, writing pedagogy and
assessment of English as a second language.
Case Study 1.6
Dr Kim McGuire (@kimmcguire2) is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Central Lancashire, UK, and lead of the Peace and Justice Studies
Network. She studied History and English Literature and holds Masters degrees in Law (UCLan) and in Social History (Lancaster University), and a
PhD in History (Lancaster University). Her main areas of research interests, on which she has published extensively, include interpersonal conflicts
in various social and economic contexts, including ‘hate crime’. The research foci are conflict construction (linguistically, legally, emotionally,
factually), perceptions of self and others, and ultimately how contentions can be perpetuated, mediated, regulated and resolved.
Case Study 1.7

Dr Yota Dimitriadi (@yotadimitriadi) is an experienced teacher-educator and has been awarded the competitive and prestigious National Teaching
Fellowship Award by Advance HE in recognition of her work in inclusion and diversity. She has led international projects to support women’s
engagement in Computer Science and the development of women’s leadership skills. This included an international Knowledge Transfer Project
with the World Association for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) that led to the development of i-GLOW, a flexible e-learning and
communication platform. She has organised and hosted a series of interdisciplinary conferences, including the BCS Lovelace Colloquium in 2014.
Case Study 1.8

Phoebe Pua (@pbpua) is a PhD candidate at the National University of Singapore researching feminist narratives in Southeast Asian cinema. More
broadly, her research centres on gender, sexuality, and race in global cinema and popular media. Her writing has been published in Feminist Media
Studies, Language in Society, Language and Communication, and Discourse, Context, and Media. In recent years, Phoebe has also enjoyed
speaking about screen cultures in Asia with public audiences. She has partnered with local art institutions such as Objectifs Centre for Photography
& Film, NUS Museum, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art, and LASALLE Institute for Contemporary Arts.
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Case Study 1.9
Soraya Alonso Alconada (@soraya_ye) is an English philologist and holds an M.A. in Comparative Literature and Literary Studies. Soraya is
presently working on their PhD Lyrics and Riot Grrrl: A Feminist Perspective on Kathleen Hanna’s Work. Soraya has completed different courses
on Gender Studies (hold the title of Gender consultant) and has taken part in different international conferences. Some of Soraya’s publication s
include “Punk Pioneers: Chicana Alice Bag as a Case in Point” in Lectora and “Reformulating the Riot Grrrl Movement: Space and Sisterhood in
Kathleen Hanna’s Lyrics” in Clepsydra.
Case Study 1.10

Ayten Sönmez graduated from Boğaziçi University, Department of Western Languages and Literatures in 2000 and received her MA degree in
Turkish Language and Literature from the same university in 2004. She started working as part-time instructor at Sabancı University in 2004. She
took part in Gender Forum and later SuGender between 2006-2018. In the same years she worked in the Purple Certificate Program. She still works
at Sabancı University, School of Languages where she teaches Turkish Literature. She voluntarily works as translator or co-editor for the non-profit
online journal Kültür ve Siyasette Feminist Yaklaşımlar, (Feminist Approaches in Culture and Politics) and occasionally publishes articles in the
same journal.
Case Study 1.11

Katherine Isabel Rostron is an experienced Higher Education lecturer at the University of Salford’s Business School and a champion of inclusive
teaching and learning. Katherine is school co-lead for the Athena SWAN Advance HE charter and works at school and institutional level to identify
and implement actions to promote and safeguard equality for women students and staff. Katherine is also active in work to reduce the BAME
attainment gap. Katherine has written about the process of decolonising the curriculum in business modules and is awaiting publication in
Decolonising the Curriculum, The University of Brighton, Issue 4, Spring/Summer 2021.
Case Study 1.12

Called to the Bar of England and Wales (non-practicing), Kathryn McCormack (@KatMak2011) has been a lecturer in Law for more than six years.
Kathryn is currently registered for a PhD in International Criminal law and Gender-based violence.
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Case Study 1.13
Oya Yegen (@oyayegen) is a visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Sabancı
University. She received her PhD in Political Science from Boston University in 2016 with her dissertation on politics of constitutional change in
Chile and Turkey. She has previously taught at Okan University, Simmons College and Boston University. Her research interests include politics of
constitution-making, judicial review and comparative constitutional change. Dr Yegen was the recipient of Dr Yavuz Abadan Constitutional Law
Award in 2015.
Case Study 1.14

Dr Loykie Lominé (they/them) has worked as an Associate Lecturer in French for the Open University for 20 years.
Case Study 1.15

Alan Greaves (@Alan_M_Greaves) is an archaeologist and teacher who has advocated for LGBT+ inclusion in Higher Education and the
archaeology profession.
Case Study 1.16

Leire Gartzia, Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology, is professor of Leadership, Gender and Change Management at Deusto Business School. She
earned a joint European Ph.D. at the University of the Basque Country and the Rotterdam School of Management, and a postdoctoral fellowship at
Northwestern University (US) to study role-congruity dynamics in management. She has coordinated several Special Issues about Gender Research
in Spain and Europe in leading gender journals (e.g., Sex Roles), and has published studies about gender and leadership in relevant journals such
as Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Group and Organization Management, or Journal of Business
Research. She has also been coordinator of leadership and gender action in European Projects (e.g., Gearing Roles). Her research on gender
issues in management has been recognized by international awards including the Academy of Management Best Paper and the Dorothy Harlow
distinction in Gender Studies. Next to her academic activities, she has combined research with the business world, giving lectures and courses
about gender and organizational behavior to employees and managers.
154
Case Study 1.17
Marloes Cornelissen (@marloescorneli1) is a historian and currently works as an instructor of Social and Political Science courses with a focus on
Humanity and Society at Sabanci University in Istanbul, Turkey, where she earned her PhD and is a member of the Foundation De velopment
Directorate. Previously she has worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Leiden Institute for Area Studies at Leiden University. Her areas o f interest
are early modern history of the Ottoman Empire, cultural history, consumption culture and material culture. Her research interests currently focus
on the material culture of diplomacy.
Case study 1.18

Jeff Hearn is Senior Professor, Gender Studies, Örebro University, Sweden, UK Professor of Sociology, University of Huddersfield, UK; Professor
Emeritus, and Research Director, GODESS (Gender, Organisation, Diversity, Equality, Social Sustainability) Institute, Hanken School of Economics,
Finland. His research focuses on gender, sexuality, violence, organisations, and transnational processes. He has had strong long-term interests in
educational gaming and methods. He is co-managing editor, Routledge Advances in Feminist Studies and Intersectionality book series, and was
(Co-)Chair, RINGS: The International Research Association of Institutions of Advanced Gender Studies, 2014-2020. Recent books include Men of
the World, Sage 2015; Revenge Pornography, with Matthew Hall 2017; Engaging Youth in Activism, Research and Pedagogical Praxis, co-ed. 2018;
Unsustainable Institutions of Men, co-ed. 2019; all three Routledge; Age at Work, with Wendy Parkin, Sage 2021.
Case Study 1.19

Giridhar Raghunathan is a professional dancer, teacher, researcher, author and public speaker. He holds an M.F.A with distinction, in
Bharatanatyam from Bharathidasan University, India and an M.Tech in Medical Nanotechnology from SASTRA University, India. He has compiled
a book titled “Bharta Nrtta Bhaashyam”, a primer for the students of Bharatanatyam. He is currently a Visiting Lecturer and PhD candidate at the
University of Roehampton in the UK. Giridhar performs Bharatanatyam and conducts workshops and masterclasses regularly in India, Europe, and
North America. His research focuses on the niche interdisciplinary area of dance, gender, and sexuality.
Case Study 1.20

Liz Clarke and Wesley Powley-Baker are Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Associate Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, both are also social
workers, with backgrounds in working mainly in children’s services.
155
Case Study 1.21
Dr Rachael Bullingham has been involved in research and has recently published on the topic of homophobia in sport. Rachael’s PhD analysed
the experiences of openly lesbian athletes participating in team sports. She has published ‘Out in Sport’ which offers an up -to-date examination of
homophobia in sport. More recently she has published on lesbian athletes in the sports media and athletes coming out. She is currently working on
projects with colleagues within education examining the experiences of gay and lesbian teachers. Ben Moreland is a Senior Lecturer at the
University of Gloucestershire and works across undergraduate and postgraduate courses in sport and exercise. His main research interests centre
upon the lived experiences of participants and the role culture and society play in the complex arena of sport. He has been involved in several
commissioned research projects that have explored the role of sport in the reduction of criminal behaviours and prevention fo r those at risk. Ben's
current roles include Program Leaderships, Employability Lead for his community/department and Senior Tutor for his School. Dr Pauline William
(@bullinghamPE) is a Subject Community lead at the University of Gloucestershire and works across undergraduate and postgraduate courses in
sport and exercise. Her main research interests centre upon the experiences of international students and those progressing from non-traditional
pathways into education. Pauline's current roles include leadership of an academic department, Professional Doctorate in Sport and Exercise and
Employability Lead for the School of Sport and Exercise.
Case Study 1.22

Sukanya Ayatakshi-Endow is a passionate believer in the power of an enterprise in changing society. As an enterprise educator, their work focuses
on supporting student entrepreneurship. Sukanya co-founded the BU Social Entrepreneurship Forum to support the development of socially-focused
businesses in the region; encourage knowledge transfer between academia and build a peer-based network for social entrepreneurs. Through their
research, Sukanya focuses on marginalised groups in entrepreneurship including refugee entrepreneurship, entrepreneurs with disabilities, and
gender issues in entrepreneurship.
Case Study 1.23

Fiona McNeill is a Reader of Computing Education with a focus on inclusive education, particularly from the point of gender and socio -economic
disadvantage. Fiona founded the women@CS group at Heriot-Watt and was a member of the Tapping all our Talents Report (2018) looking into
women in STEM across Scotland. They have been an expert panel member for an EU-funded project on gender equality in industry and have given
evidence to the Scottish Parliament on STEM in schools and women in the digital economy. Fiona is also the co-chair of the BCS Scottish Computing
Education Committee.
156
Case Study 2.1
Dr Yuhui Gao is Associate Professor of Marketing at DCU Business School, Dublin City University, Ireland. Her main research areas are marketing
performance management, marketing capabilities and firm leaders’ personal values and their relevance to marketing strategy. Her recent projects
also include teaching large online classes and inclusive pedagogy. She has published widely including Journal of Business Ethics, European Journal
of Marketing, Industrial Marketing Management, International Business Review and others. Yuhui is a recipient of multiple national and international
research awards. She has engaged in various cultural awareness and women in leadership initiatives such as the Aurora Leadership Development
Programme.
Case Study 2.2

Tania Dias Fonseca (@TaniaDiFonseca) is a Senior Lecturer in Learning and Teaching at Kingston University London. Before joining Kingston
University, she was a secondary school teacher in Portugal and a teacher’s trainer in teaching innovation, social and democratic education in STEM
areas. Her research interests lie in the intersection between education, technologies, and civic engagement for social justic e. In the last 15 years,
she has been researching educational decision-making processes and how educational institutions foster students’ participation in decision-making
on social, scientific, and political issues.
Case Study 2.3

Serena Natile (@Serena_Natile) is Assistant Professor at Warwick Law School, University of Warwick. Previously, she was a Lecturer in Socio -
Legal Studies at Brunel University London (2018-2020), a Postdoctoral Researcher at King’s College London (2017-2018) and an Associate Lecturer
and Researcher at the University of Kent (2012-2018), where she completed her PhD in 2016. Serena’s research and teaching interests lie in the
areas of gender studies, socio-legal scholarship, social reproduction theory and feminist, decolonial and reparative pedagogies. Serena’s recent
book The Exclusionary Politics of Digital Financial Inclusion: Mobile Money, Gendered Walls (Routledge, 2020) provides a feminist critique of digital
financial inclusion as a development strategy for gender equality. Serena also collaborates with feminist activists in Italy, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda
and Brazil.
Case Study 2.4

Jennifer Fraser (they/them) (@NBinHE) is a Principal Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences as well as University Director of Student Partnership
at the University of Westminster. They teach gender studies and critical education studies and their research interests are at the intersections of
literature, gender studies, queer theory and critical pedagogies. Francis Ray White (they/them) is a senior lecturer in Sociology at the University of
Westminster where they mostly teach gender, sexuality and body studies. Francis is currently working on research projects on fat/trans embodiment,
trans pregnancy and the experiences of non-binary people in Higher Education.
157
Case Study 2.5
Tab Betts (@tabbanbetts) is a Lecturer in Higher Education Pedagogy at the University of Sussex
Case Study 2.6

Tommy Mayberry (he/she/they) (@tommymayberry) is the Executive Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Alberta.
As an academic drag queen, Tommy researches and teaches from an embodied standpoint to explore, individually and intersection ally, gender,
pedagogy, performance, and language. Tommy is also co-editor of the forthcoming book, RuPedagogies of Realness: Essays on RuPaul’s Drag
Race and Teaching and Learning (McFarland, 2021) and has presented academic work and research across Canada and internationally in Oxford,
Tokyo, Washington DC, and Honolulu.
Case Study 2.7

Meltem Aygüneş In 1988, Meltem received a bachelor's degree in English Language Teaching from Middle East Technical University, and in 1992,
received a master's degree in English Literature from the same institution. Since 2003, Melthem has taught a course called Academic Literacies to
Sabanci University freshman students. Their objective in teaching the course is to assist my students in improving their English and academic skills
while also assisting them in becoming global citizens. In this regard, one of the key topics in lessons is raising awareness of some of the difficulties
facing the twenty-first century, as well as possible solutions.
Case Study 2.8

Lois Gray (@LoisGray16) is an Academic Lead Developer for the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), where she works closely with
Educational Technologists to develop inclusive engineering curriculum. Prior to this, Lois led and taught on Higher and Further Education courses
for North Highland College. From 1985 to 2006, Lois was a Chartered Electronics Engineer in the defence industry. She is a ST EM Ambassador
and a staff champion for UHI’s STEM Femmes. As a member of Women in Engineering and the Women’s Engineering Society, Lois promotes
gender diversity in engineering, focussing on making engineering education more welcoming to women.
Case Study 2.9

Ilayda Ece Ova received her BA degree in International Relations at Bilkent University and her MA degree in Sociology and Social Anthropology at
Central European University. She has worked as an M&E Officer at an NGO for refugees before joining SU Gender and currently works as a Project
Specialist for the GEARING-Roles project, Curious Steps, and Purple Certificate Programs.
158
Case Study 3.1
Rebecca Lewis (@becky_c_lewis) is a lecturer, in their second year of lecturing. This year, Rebecca has taken on the organisation of two large
level 4 modules, one of which had exclusively men lecturers.
Case Study 3.2

Dr Sumeetra Ramakrishnan’s (@SumeetraRam) research interests lie within employment and opportunity perceptions of hospitality and tourism
workers in low paid jobs with a particular focus on gender and ethnicity influences. They are also increasingly drawn towards innovation in learning
content and pedagogy that would address the career ambitions and life aspirations of women students besides fulfilling the requirements of the
radically transforming hospitality industry. Dr Ramakrishnan’s work has been published in various journals including Economic and Industrial
Democracy, Journal of Services Research, Journal of Managerial Psychology and Service Industries Journal.
Case Study 3.3

Katherine Rostron is an experienced Higher Education lecturer at the University of Salford’s Business School and a champion of inclusive teaching
and learning. Katherine is school co-lead for the Athena SWAN Advance HE charter and works at school and institutional level to identify and
implement actions to promote and safeguard equality for women students and staff. Katherine is also active in work to reduce the BAME attainment
gap. Katherine has written about the process of decolonising the curriculum in business modules and is awaiting publication in Decolonising the
Curriculum, The University of Brighton, Issue 4, Spring/Summer 2021.
Case Study 3.4

Marion Coderch is assistant professor in Spanish at the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Durham University (UK). She has a background
in gender studies and has published research on attitudes towards women in medieval literature and society. Her current research deals with the
academic and professional profile of modern languages’ teachers in UK higher education, with special attention to how gender stereotypes and
expectations shape the experience and career development of women teachers in academic departments. She is a senior fellow of the Higher
Education Academy.
159
Case Study 3.5
Roger Dalrymple (@roger_dalrymple) is Associate Dean: Student Outcomes at Oxford Brookes University where he leads on a number of student
success, inclusion and progression initiatives. He has a research and teaching background in English and Education Studies an d has extensive
experience of personal tutoring systems gained at both pre-and post-1992 universities. He is a member of the British Educational Research
Association, Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and co-editor of Advance HE’s case study series on graduate employability. Sara
Hannam (@hannam_sara) is Head of Global Partnerships at Oxford Brookes University where she leads Transnational Education strategy and
delivery with overseas institutions including partnerships in China, Sri Lanka, Greece, Republic of Ireland and others, via Brookes Global. She has
a research and teaching background in Critical Language and Socio-linguistics, focusing on inclusive practices in ELT, and extensive experience of
teaching and personal tutoring at all levels, in the UK and abroad. Sara has also more recently been involved in chairing a university group set up
to identify the needs of vulnerable students during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Case Study 3.6

Shannon Chance (@shannonchance7), Bill Williams (@_Bill_Williams) and Inês Direito (@InesDireito) are members of the Board of the
European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI) Special Interest Group on Gender and Diversity that is currently chaired by Inês Direito.
Case Study 3.7

Tània Verge’s (@taniaverge) research focuses on gender and politics, including the adoption and (resistance to the) implementation of gender
equality policy. Between 2014 and 2021 she directed the Equality Unit at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain). She has
participated in various initiatives aimed at gendering the curricula of university programs and provided gender consultancy to the Catalan University
Quality Assurance Agency (AQU Catalunya).
Case Study 3.8

Rachel Nir and Tina McKee have been working together to promote inclusion and diversity in legal education and in fair access to the legal
profession for over ten years. Rachel is a former litigator and regulatory lawyer and has served on the Law Society’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Committee. Tina is a qualified solicitor with a background in private client work. Both contribute regularly to the University of Central Lancashire
Committee work on inclusion and diversity.
160
Case Study 3.9
Laura Harvey (@LHarvey26) is a Lecturer in Economics and Widening Participation Academic Officer at the University of East Anglia. She works
closely with the Outreach team to raise aspirations of underrepresented groups in Higher Education, in addition to supporting their transition and
time whilst at UEA. Emiliya Lazarova is the Head of School of Economics. She is a member of the School’s Equality and Diversity in Economics
committee and a member of the Royal Economic Society Schools Outreach Sub-Committee. Emiliya is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education
Academy.
Case Study 3.10

Sarah Hall (@CUBiosciences) holds an education-focused contract. She and Emma Blain are co-chairs of the Athena SWAN committee of the
School of Biosciences, and Daniela Riccardi is deputy Director of the School, with a focus on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
Case Study 4.1

Tommy Mayberry (he/she/they) (@tommymayberry) is the Executive Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Alberta.
As an academic drag queen, Tommy researches and teaches from an embodied standpoint to explore, individually and intersection ally, gender,
pedagogy, performance, and language. Tommy is also co-editor of the forthcoming book, RuPedagogies of Realness: Essays on RuPaul’s Drag
Race and Teaching and Learning (McFarland, 2021) and has presented academic work and research across Canada and internationally in Oxford,
Tokyo, Washington DC, and Honolulu.
Case Study 4.2

Fabio Aricò (@FabioArico) is a Professor of Higher Education and Economics at the University of East Anglia, and Director of Learning, Teaching
and Quality for the School of Economics. Fabio was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2017 for his work on self-efficacy, self-assessment,
and learning gain. His research interests include widening access to Higher Education, inclusive practices for digital learning, and innovative
assessment methods. Fabio is a member of the Executive Committee for the Assessment in Higher Education Conference, an Associate of the
Economics Network and a member of the editorial board of the International Review of Economics Education.
161
Case Study 4.3
Emma Hummarland’s interest in gender-sensitive teaching inspired Emma and Donna Hurford’s commitment to supporting bias aware teaching
and learning (BATL). They collaborated on the development of the online resource ‘Unlimited Thinking and Teaching’ which provides resources for
teachers on raising awareness of and addressing gender and other biases in teaching, learning and assessment. They have run courses and
presented at national and international conferences on BATL and have established the Special Interest Group ‘Bias Aware Teach ing and Learning
(BATL)’, hosted by the Danish HE Pedagogy Network (DUN). The BATL SIG has members from different HEIs in Denmark, Emma and Donna meet
and share inclusive bias aware practices.
Case Study 4.4

Alexandra Walker’s (@Walker80alex) role within further and higher education includes leading on professional development initiatives and events
to enhance learning and teaching within a geographically distributed university, utilising synchronous technology to encourag e participation across
distance in events, webinars, conferences and symposia, and mentoring. Within this, Alexandra has curated and led professional development
opportunities and initiatives for education practitioners to encourage parity and gender equality in learning and teaching and curriculum design. This
includes events with internal/external speakers exploring gender equality and representation in the curriculum and curating an eBook on gender
balance.
Case Study 4.5

Milica Antić Gaber is a Full professor at University of Ljubljana Faculty of Arts where she among others teaches Sociology of gender and
coordinates doctoral program Gender Studies. As an author, co-author and editor, she has published several monographs and she contributed
numerous chapters in the books and articles in journals on gender equality in Slovenia and abroad. Jasna Podreka, PhD, is Teacher Assistant
and researcher at the Department of Sociology at Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. She obtained her PhD in 2014, defending a thesis on
intimate partner femicide in Slovenia. Besides gender-based violence and femicide, her main research interests are discrimination and inequalities
in fields of work, politics and personal life. Živa Kos is Assistant Professor in Sociology of Education at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana.
She has been involved in various national and international research projects dealing with education at different levels, such as: Neoliberalism in
the European Education Area: Between the Effectiveness and Equity of Slovenian Educational Policies and Practices and Preparing teachers for
diversity: the role of initial teacher education. Tjaša Cankar, research and project assistant, is currently completing her master's degree at the
Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. Her research interests include feminist political theory, gender studies, critical
social theory, and geopolitical economy.
162
Case Study 4.6
Danielle Chavrimootoo (@daniellechavri3) is a Senior Lecturer in Learning and Teaching at LTEC. Before Kingston University, Danielle worked
as an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Partner/ Educational Developer at The University of Manchester which involved advising academic staff on
embedding equality and diversity into pedagogical practice. Danielle was proactive in developing institutional policy and practice to engage
marginalised students. During her time at Manchester, she was part of the "Inclusive Curriculum Working Group" and co-founded "The Race Roots
and Resistance Research Group". Prior to working at The University of Manchester, she was appointed as the Inclusive Curriculum Practices Officer
at Liverpool John Moore's University. Danielle developed a university "Inclusive Curriculum Strategy'' and was the Principal Investigator for the
"Managing transition into higher education for Irish Students at LJMU Project". In addition, she has worked as a Senior Lectu rer in Initial Teacher
Education for over seven years and taught in the Post Compulsory Sector as a Lecturer in Health and Social Care specialising in Equality and
Diversity. Tania Dias Fonseca (@TaniaDiFonseca) is a Senior Lecturer in Learning and Teaching at Kingston University London. Before joining
Kingston University, she was a secondary school teacher in Portugal and a teacher’s trainer in teaching innovation, social and democratic education
in STEM areas. Her research interests lie in the intersection between education, technologies, and civic engagement for social justice. In the last 15
years, she has been researching educational decision-making processes and how educational institutions foster students’ participation in decision-
making on social, scientific, and political issues.
Case Studies 4.7, 4.8 and 4.9

Rosa Marvell is a Postdoctoral Researcher within the Widening Participation Evaluation Team at Oxford Brookes University. Tamsin Hinton-Smith
is a Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Sussex. Charlotte Morris is a Lecturer in Education and Sociology at the University of
Portsmouth. Kimberley Brayson is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Leicester. The authors are feminist academics located across
the social sciences, actively engaged in research and teaching over a range of specialisms including gender, Higher Education, and social
(in)equality.
Case Study 4.10

Ilaria Di Tullio is a Researcher at the Istituto di Ricerche sulla Popolazione e le Politiche Sociali, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IRPPS –
CNR). She has a PhD in Methodology and Social Research and is active in the field of Gender Equality with a special interest in the public policies
concerning the enhancing of equal opportunities within public research organisations. Ilaria was actively involved in the Horizon 2020 GENERA
project and is continually working at the GENERA Network. Ilaria is currently working for several Horizon 2020 European Projects such as RI-PEERS
and MINDtheGEPs project, both focusing on the implementation of GEPs in universities and RPOs. She has competencies in the management,
collection and analysis of statistical databases and in the development of methodological social research tools.
163
Case Studies 4.11 and 4.18
Jenifer Lewis and Anna CohenMiller are the Co-Founding Directors of the Consortium of Gender Scholars. They have published research using
gender audit as a tool to inform policy and practice in higher education institutions moving towards greater gender equality. CohenMiller is an arts-
based qualitative methodologist and award-winning educator who addresses issues of equity/inclusion in higher education. Her forthcoming book is
Questions in Qualitative Social Justice Research in Multicultural Contexts (Routledge). Lewis was a member of the first cohort of faculty to join
Nazarbayev University in 2011 and has helped build the institution over the past decade. Her research examines women in leadership.
Case study 4.12

Originally training as an editor for film post-production, Laura Stephenson went on to work in the creative industries as a concept developer, script
editor and performer, whilst also working towards a Masters degree and then a Doctorate. Laura has been teaching at Aberystwyth University since
2010, covering creative industries courses such as film production, digital and new media studies, advertising, creative writ ing and popular culture
studies. She now specialises in cinematic psychoanalysis and trauma theory.
Case Study 4.13

Karim Mahmoud is a consultant specialising in responsible research and innovation approaches with a specific interest in equality, diversit y and
inclusion issues.
Case Study 4.14

Vincent Pak (@veenpak) is a PhD candidate in English Language and Linguistics with the National University of Singapore and King’s College
London, under the Joint PhD Programme. He graduated in 2019 with an honours degree in English Language from the National University of
Singapore. With interests in sociolinguistics, cultural studies and gender and sexuality studies, Vincent works primarily in the field of queer linguistics,
focusing on homophobia, narratives of coming out and state discourses on sexuality in the context of Singapore.
Case Study 4.15

Kusminder Chahal (@KusminderChahal) has trained over 5,500 participants on equality, diversity and inclusion in the public, private and voluntary
sector and presented lectures on global diversity in the USA.
164
Case Study 4.16
María López-Belloso (@mAryalbelloso), Irene García Muñoz, Cecilia Martínez, María J. Pando, Pilar Rodríguez and María Silvestre
(@_mariasilca) are the group that presents this activity, which belongs to the research Groups “Communication” and “Social Values” at University
of Deusto and which includes Senior and Junior Researchers. All members have published extensively in the field of Gender Studies. They are
members of the core task force group which facilitates the implementation of the GEARING-Roles Project (Horizon 2020), from which this initiative
was promoted.
Case Study 4.17

Dr Tasmin Hinton-Smith is a feminist sociologist with interests in gender, higher education curriculum and pedagogy. Professor Olapeju
Aiyelaagbe is Director of Mainstreaming at The University of Ibadan, which is a leader in mainstreaming gender equality in Nigeria. Dr Anna
CohenMiller is a qualitative methodologist and educator focused on gender, equity and inclusion in higher education. Professor Kholoud Kahime
is President of the gender-focused International Centre of Research and Capacity Building. Dr Nupur Samuel is an English Language educationist
with interests in inclusive education, critical thinking, and writing pedagogy. Dr Fawzia Haeri Mazanderani is a Lecturer in Social Sciences,
interested in gendered post-school aspirations. Aigul Rakisheva is a Research Assistant at Nazarbayev University. Dr Fabrice Shurweryimana is
a Research Assistant in Cadi Ayyad University’s School of Technology. Shrija Srinivasan is a Doctoral Candidate working in spatial and culture
studies. Idorenyin Uko is a Doctoral Student in Education.
Case Study 4.18 (see Case Study 4.11)
165
This handbook has been developed as part of the GEARING-Roles project (https://gearingroles.eu/), funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020
Research and Innovation program under Grant Agreement n°824536. GEARING-Roles stands for Gender Equality Actions in Research Institutions to
traNsform Gender Roles and consists of a multidisciplinary consortium of 10 European academic and non-academic partners that work together to
design, implement, and evaluate six Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) following the steps described in the GEAR tool (define, plan, act and check). Overall,
the GEARING-Roles project consists of challenging and transforming gender roles and identities linked to professional careers and works towards real
institutional change.
This project is funded by the EU. This publication has been produced with the financial support of the
European Union’s H2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 824536. The
contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and can in no way be taken to reflect
the views of the European Commission.

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What is the purpose of the handbook?

What is the purpose of the handbook?

What project is this handbook developed as part of?

What project is this handbook developed as part of?

Handbook for

Edited by Mary Kitchener

Section 1: Teaching about gender 3

Case Study 1.2 Gender-neutrality in the teaching of partnered social dance 6

Case Study 1.4 Staging gender in drama education 10

Case Study 1.5 Uncovering multiple layers through ‘The Quilt’ 12

Case Study 1.7 Death becomes them 16

Case Study 1.8 Filmic empathy in the inclusive classroom 19

Case Study 1.9 Feminist critical discourse analysis of song lyrics 21

Case study 1.10 Discussing gender-based violence through literary texts 22

Case study 1.13 Feminist perspective on International Relations Theory 29

Case Study 1.15 Museum 32

Case Study 1.16 Women in management: causes and remedies 35

Case Study 1.18 Gender, postcolonialism and positioning: imag(in)ing others 40

Case Study 1.22 Embedding gender in entrepreneurship curriculum 49

Section Two: Developing gender-sensitive teaching approaches 55

Case Study 2.3 Gender justice in social science 62

Case Study 2.4 Practices for gender-inclusive module introductions 65

Section Three: Supporting students and staff to be gender-sensitive 78

Case Study 3.7 Guides to mainstreaming gender in university teaching 93

Case Study 3.8 The Fairness Project 95

Case Study 3.9 WinECO: Women in Economics 98

Case Study 4.12 Develop a workplace code of conduct 129

Case Study 4.16 Inclusion of gender perspective in teaching 142

Hanya Pielichaty, University of Lincoln, UK

What they did

Why they did it that way

Can be applied to different

What they did

We challenge this by;

Why they did it that way

Suggestions for use

Maria Helena Esteves, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

What they did

Part 2 – RAG (Raising Awareness in the Geography) activity

Why they did it that way Group Size ~12

Suggestions for use

What they did

Suggestions for use

What they did

Can be applied to different

Suggestions for use

Kim McGuire, University of Central Lancashire, UK

What they did

Why they did it that way

Suggestions for use

Yota Dimitriadi, University of Reading, UK

What they did

Why they did it that way

Suggestions for use

Phoebe Pua, National University of Singapore, Republic of Singapore

What they did

Suggestions for use

Soraya Alonso, Alconada University of the Basque Country, Spain

What they did