The "Leaders of Change" club helps girls become confident, take control of their dreams, and lead their lives.

Please explain the necessity of establishing the "Leaders of Change" Club within the framework of Project 8 "Implementing Gender Equality and Addressing Urgent Issues for Women and Children"? Nguyen Thi Hanh (Lao Cai).

Establishing and implementing the "Leaders of Change" Club model in schools and communities will create a new approach in schools and communities in the field of gender equality, which is a holistic, child-centered approach, focusing on children as the future generation of the nation, as well as promoting the capacity of children, teachers, staff, and the community in gender equality work.

The model will attract and mobilize the participation of students, young people, teachers, educational administrators, parents, youth organizations, the press, and the community to contribute to positive changes in the attitudes and behaviors of individuals involved and build a gender-non-discriminatory environment in schools, thereby spreading to the community to contribute to creating an equal social environment, eliminating violence against children and women, and ultimately ending violence against women and children.

Child-centered approach. Both boys and girls are at the center of all interventions within the Club model. Firstly, the model's goal stems from ensuring children, both boys and girls, are protected from gender-based violence.

Secondly, the active and proactive participation of children will be promoted by club members, supporting them in developing communication initiatives and mobilizing their peers to participate in school and extracurricular activities related to gender equality.

The club helps equip children with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves and solve problems related to themselves. It promotes children's participation in issues that affect them, encourages them to take the lead in changing themselves, and encourages them to speak up and communicate about their rights and responsibilities. Children will gain a deeper, more accurate, and clearer understanding, develop skills, become proactive, confident, and positive in supporting their peers, and criticize wrongdoings in learning and training activities inside and outside the school related to gender equality issues. Through the club's activities, children will be proactive and creative in communicating about gender equality, preventing and responding to gender-based violence in school. More cases of conflict, violence, and psychological problems will be reported and resolved more promptly, thereby increasing the effectiveness of preventing gender-based violence. Children serve as a bridge between school members, between the school and parents, and between relevant community organizations to promote gender equality and respond to gender-based violence.

A meeting of the "Leaders of Change" Club at Suoi Giang Primary and Secondary School (Van Chan commune, Yen Bai province).

Enhancing capacity and fostering proactive change from school teachers and local officials. School administrators, teachers, union officials, and especially teachers who serve as facilitators (FAs) in schools or Women's Union officials who serve as FAs in the community will have their awareness and knowledge of gender equality and the prevention and response to gender-based violence in schools and in the community enhanced through annual training activities.

Life skills education activities for students through club activities help teachers and the community apply the knowledge provided to their daily work and enable them to play a role model in building a safe, friendly, and equitable school environment for students to emulate. It also supports teachers in effectively implementing educational programs that ensure gender equality and prevent violence and child abuse in schools…

Promoting and strengthening the relationship between Family, School, and Society. The club model mobilizes parental participation through counseling activities, organizing club activities for students, and parent-teacher meetings. Through raising awareness and providing information...

By providing skills training for parents and sharing students' concerns and difficulties with their parents, schools will build trust and support from parents, both mentally and materially, from the initial stage and ensure contributions to maintain the model's activities when the pilot period ends. This will support parents in effectively caring for and raising their children, building a safe environment at home, ensuring equality between boys and girls, protecting children, and providing appropriate career guidance for them.

Thus, when implementing this model, children are the primary beneficiaries, while teachers, staff, and parents also benefit from gaining new awareness and consequently developing appropriate behaviors in their work and lives.

The activities of these clubs help students build self-confidence, gain knowledge to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, and especially help them develop life skills and become independent in making appropriate decisions in their lives. This contributes to strengthening the participation rights of children and adolescents, especially girls, in the process of developing and critiquing policies and programs related to children and adolescents at the local level.

The goals and activities of the club in schools and in the community will meet the needs of holistic development, promote the abilities and participation of children in educational activities inside and outside the school, change the views, attitudes, and behaviors of parents in supporting the holistic development of students, meet the wishes of families and students, and align with the goals of fundamental and comprehensive reform of education and training today.

The establishment and operation of the club helps girls learn knowledge, attitudes, and skills based on their own life experiences to become confident, take control of their dreams, and lead their lives. Boys will go through a journey of self-development, overcoming gender stereotypes imposed on male roles, challenging gender biases and the root causes of gender discrimination. And above all, all the "Change Leaders" girls and boys will become leaders in promoting gender equality in their schools and communities.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/cau-lac-bo-thu-linh-cua-su-thay-doi-giup-tre-em-gai-tu-tin-lam-chu-uoc-mo-va-cuoc-song-20250729111914781.htm