Making Sense of gender in schools: The Friday Morning Break with John Gibbs

My guest this week is Kirsty Ruthven, a teacher and school leader. We discuss gender stereotyping in schools and why gender is always such a difficult issue for schools. Kirsty work with the organization Lifting Limits.

The expectations set up by gender stereotypes are factors in a number of limiting and damaging social outcomes such as behaviour in and beyond school, mental health and sexual harassment.

Children are constantly sent messages from those around them, including slogans on T-shirts and every day expressions. Some are seemingly ‘harmless banter’, some are more obviously offensive, but they all have a cumulative impact that shape expectations and behaviours.