By Maritza Ulate | Project Leader
Within the frame of ILORI Educational Program, in Carpio community in San José, Costa Rica, since July 2019 we have been carrying out activities aimed to fight stereotyped gender roles and consequent forms of coexistence between men and women that promote and exalt sexist socialization of children. In the community of Carpio, these sexist imaginaries are strongly rooted. Gender inequity and gender-based violence are normalized, internalized and reproduced as behaviour patterns in children’s daily life weakening their self-perception, relationships, and potentialities, and hurting them both in the short and long term.
Using creative, playful arts-based methods we have been teaching to children of the community to deconstruct sexist imaginary of men and women and access gender equality perspective to rebuild their self-perception and develop new ways of relating to their peers, family, and community free of sexist perceptions, gender inequity, and gender-based violence.
We have taught to 200 boys and girls yoga techniques of relaxation and visualization. We have used stories and songs as playful elements for them to explore their imaginaries around gender.
Kids created, decorate and embroider their own pillow, with an aspirational idea for the future. This exercise required creativity and concentration and helped them to imagine a hopeful future, free from sexist limitations and stereotypes. Embroider and decorate have been traditionally assigned to women, so it has been a great exercise for boys to embrace such an activity.
Besides, through reading, listening and writing stories we have provoked a relearning of masculine and feminine from the gender perspective and kids have come to realize that is possible and desirable a coexistence in equality and respect. The exercises included reading comprehension, analyzing and writing of stories, texts, and poems.
We also took the eldest kids of the Program for a visit to WMWare company where many women work in STEM fields, such as engineering. The kids witnessed women working and participating in STEM projects and collaborating with men in equal conditions, rights and opportunities.
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