Lifting Limits

Overcoming gender stereotyping in education

The charity Lifting Limits has a mission to challenge gender stereotyping and promote gender equality, in and through education.

“By the time they reach secondary school, children often have entrenched views about gender norms. It is therefore important that children are educated about gender equality in primary school.” (Women and Equalities Committee, 2016)

From a young age, children can be bombarded with gender stereotypes through colour schemes, toys, books, media and even family compliments. This ‘gender wallpaper’ can send messages to children about the “right” ways to be boys and girls, with children’s choices potentially limited. Children could be steered in different directions that may be reflected in later life, such as in career choices, pay, mental health, and certain behaviours and expectations. Research shows that, even with the best intentions, schools can unthinkingly exacerbate stereotypes with examples within the curriculum and language used in teaching, as well as in books, routines and assumptions.

Lifting Limits supports schools to examine how gender stereotypes may be perpetuated or challenged in education environments.

“I now see things completely differently when it comes to gender and what we do as a school.” This is a quote from a teacher that received training from us recently, highlighting that staff awareness and reflective practice is key in supporting gender equality in education.

Our programme of training and resources has reached nearly 2,000 primary and early years educators and over 12,000 children. Pupils are equipped to demand a more genderequal world and are given ample opportunities to see all genders in non-stereotypical roles. Support is also given around engaging families in these conversations, and they are provided with practical suggestions of ways forward. We are a national charity with bold aspirations to work with a growing number of schools and early years settings in the state and independent sector.

One school that has recently partnered with Lifting Limits is Falcons School for Girls in South West London, educating boys and girls in the Nursery and then catering for girls from 4 to 11 years old in the Prep School. The school is led by headmistress Sara WilliamsRyan, who is a passionate advocate for gender equality and building on foundations of excellent practice. Sara explains more about her school’s involvement with Lifting Limits: “Whilst we all agree that girls and boys are equal, the subjects they choose in school, the careers they aspire to, their sense of self, their behaviours towards one another, and their ability to articulate their emotions are often shaped and restricted by gender stereotyping. These messages and assumptions about a child’s interests, likes, dislikes and characteristics risk becoming self-fulfilling as the child picks up from those around them what is seen as ‘normal’ or ‘appropriate’ according to their gender. I wanted to ensure that, as a school, we were not unwittingly perpetuating these messages through our curriculum, our language, or our environment. Working with Lifting Limits, who are as passionate about gender »

equality as we are, has enabled us to reflect on our offering and make changes where we felt they were needed. Guided by Kirsty Ruthven from Lifting Limits, we have worked – and continue to work – with staff and parents on the ways in which we can stop gender stereotypes limiting our pupils’ choices, aspirations, behaviour and even achievement, in education and society. We consider sport a key platform for driving this change and are proud to sponsor our local football team, Barnes FC, as part of our commitment to striving for equality on the sports fields and beyond.”

Taking on an exciting new role from April 2023, Sara will also be leading Falcons Pre-Preparatory School in Chiswick, a school for boys aged 2 to 7 years old, where she will bring her passion about gender equality to a school already very aware of its importance.

The work of Lifting Limits is not only focused on women and girls, but is increasingly involved in the lives of boys and men and ideas around masculinity. Lifting Limits is the implementation partner in the UK for the Global Boyhood Initiative (GBI), an international programme promoting healthy boyhood from an early age, co-founded and coordinated by Equimundo and the Kering Foundation.

Based on the understanding that gender equality cannot be achieved without involving boys, it aims to create longterm, systemic change across a range of environments. It seeks to equip adults with the tools and resources to support boys aged 4 to 13 to share emotions in positive ways, accept and connect with others, stand up and speak out against inequality, and break free from gender stereotypes. Project Lead for the GBI in the UK and Senior Fellow at Equimundo, David Bartlett, explains more: “From sexual harassment and gender-based violence to the gender pay gap and relationship breakdown, the attitudes and behaviour of boys and men are hugely influential. So, we need to raise a generation of boys who are able to build and sustain healthy, respectful, caring relationships with people of all genders, and not be influenced by restrictive gender stereotypes.”

David co-authors the “State of the UK Boys Report”, a firstof-its-kind research review which analyses UK and international evidence and interviews experts in the field. In partnership with Lifting Limits, the GBI is also running a new UK pilot curriculum. Aimed at children of all genders aged 7 to 11, the pilot will focus on developing positive masculine identities and challenging limiting gender stereotypes.

KIRSTY RUTHVEN, Head of Education at Lifting Limits

www.liftinglimits.org.uk