“Leaders of Change” Club works for gender equality

Implementing Project 8 “Achieving gender equality and solving some urgent issues for women and children”, the provincial women’s unions at all levels have established many meaningful and practical models and activities, focusing on the grassroots. One of them is the “Leader of Change” Club model. The provincial and communal Women’s Unions have coordinated with primary and secondary schools to establish clubs to equip students with knowledge and skills related to gender equality and protecting their own safety.

Media skit of the "Leader of Change" Club participating in the "Talented Leader" contest.

The "Leaders of Change" Club was established by the Commune Women's Union in collaboration with Nguyet An Secondary School in 2023. The 10 members of the Club, all in grades 7, 8 and 9, have been equipped with a lot of useful knowledge and skills. Pham Yen Quynh, the club leader, shared: "Participating in club activities, we have access to a lot of knowledge about gender equality. From there, it helps us change the way we think, learn, and work, contributing to eliminating backward habits and customs in difficult mountainous areas. The Club builds propaganda bulletins about gender, gender equality, skits for performance, exchange... Thereby, conveying messages about gender equality to students in the school and the community".

The “Leaders of Change” Club in secondary schools is one of four core models implementing Project 8 in 12 old mountainous districts of the province from 2021. After implementing two-level local government, Project 8 was implemented in 62/166 communes. This is a solution to mobilize the participation of women's union organizations at all levels, schools and the entire political system to create a favorable environment for youth and children to participate in activities promoting the implementation of children's rights and gender equality.

In order for activities to be implemented in a systematic and effective manner, the Club at schools is led by teachers who are the team leaders, who work with students to develop plans, organize and implement each program and project in each meeting and when there is an event. During the Club meetings, students enthusiastically participate in games, group discussions, presentations and express their opinions; show their talents such as singing, dancing, acting... Before the meetings, the MCs discuss and orient the students on each topic, additional knowledge about age psychology, gender; foster life skills such as sharing information to explore awareness, communication skills, behavior in family, school, community; prevent school violence, recognize the risk of abuse; cultivate appropriate communication and behavioral skills in cyberspace... From there, students understand and expand information, raise awareness, build propaganda scenarios, become propagandists in extracurricular activities for the whole school and the community. They have learned how to lead and motivate students in the school to speak up about the right to live safely, to be protected from acts of violence and abuse...

Vice President of the Provincial Women's Union Bui Thi Mai Hoan said: "For ethnic minority areas, knowledge about gender equality or urgent issues such as domestic violence, school violence, children's rights, early marriage... if only talked about, propagated through reports, conferences, people will find it difficult to understand, difficult to remember. Therefore, the Provincial Women's Union directs project implementation units to organize activities in the form of club activities, dramatize the "Talented Leader" contest, festivals of creative models in communication, and build skits based on life are the most effective propaganda methods."

Since the establishment of the model, the Provincial Women's Union has organized many communication events for the Club. Typical activities include training and improving knowledge and operational skills for the Club; knowledge about gender and gender, gender stereotypes; guidance on building annual plans; skills in using social networks, ensuring safety in cyberspace; responding to the month of action for gender equality and prevention of gender-based violence, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls; the forum "Let's listen to children speak"; launching the contest "Listen to children speak"; exchanging communication initiatives on gender equality... Thereby, members of the "leaders of change" Club have the opportunity to speak up, express their thoughts, listen and be respected, learn how to protect themselves, behave equally, know how to share and understand. From there, they become bridges to spread the spirit of equality, love, respect for friends, family and the community.

Up to now, the whole province has established 75 clubs in schools in 62 communes implementing Project 8. Promoting the effectiveness of the model, after implementing the two-level local government, the Provincial Women's Union continued to direct the expansion of the establishment of 15 clubs in 15 communes in the delta and lowland areas (units that did not benefit from Project 8).

It can be affirmed that the “Leaders of Change” Club is a long-term solution, helping to change the awareness of the young generation of ethnic minorities right from their school days. They will continue to be the vanguard force when they return to their villages to help their own communities gradually eliminate backward habits and customs to develop together.

Article and photos: Le Ha

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/cau-lac-bo-thu-linh-cua-su-thay-doi-nbsp-hoat-dong-vi-binh-dang-gioi-268901.htm