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                    Building respect and equity among young children

                    Children's hands moulding colourful playdough
                    City of Melbourne is committed to promoting respect and equity between genders and supporting a reduction of the unacceptably high levels of violence against women and children in our communities.

                    ​As part of our commitment to gender equality we recently delivered a pilot project to examine age appropriate ways of promoting respect and equity among young children, the first of its kind run by a Victorian council. The project highlights the importance of working with children and their families to build safer, more equal communities.

                    Following the pilot, we released a number of recommendations which highlights the role parents and educators play in challenging gender stereotypes and building children’s social skills so they can enjoy safe and respectful relationships throughout life.

                    In partnership with Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria, we've also developed resources for those who work with young children.

                    About the project

                    What did the pilot project involve?

                    In 2017, City of Melbourne trialled and evaluated a program in a council run children's centre, designed to promote respect and gender equity in preschool children. The pilot project involved the co-design and delivery of an educational and awareness program for parents, educators and children. The pilot also included a policy review, an environmental scan and a formal evaluation.

                    We worked in collaboration with parents, educators and children to understand attitudes, knowledge and skills related to promoting respectful relationships and gender equity through regular observations, interviews and surveys.

                    At the conclusion of the project, we released a report with our recommendations and a number of resources for parents and those in the early childhood profession. 

                    Who was involved in the pilot project?

                    Along with the parents, educators and children at the children’s centre, we worked with experts from Australian National University, University of Melbourne and Victoria University to support this comprehensive and innovative initiative.

                    What were the key findings from the pilot project?

                    The Building Respect and Equity among Young Children pilot project evaluation found that following the project:

                    • children played with a wider variety of toys and equipment and were more accepting of other children who didn’t follow gender stereotypical behaviours
                    • educators had a deeper understanding of how gender played a role in how children related to each other and their expectation of themselves
                    • parents and carers involved expressed a desire for their children to have the same opportunities and experiences in life regardless of their gender.

                    We also gained valuable insight into how to include and promote respect and gender equity in the everyday operation of a children’s centre. This knowledge is helping us plan our future work in this area.

                    Why do a project on respect and equity with children?

                    Global research tells us that some of the key drivers of violence against women are the structures, attitudes and behaviours that reflect disrespect for women and the acceptance of stereotypical gender roles and norms. We also know that by the time children start primary school, many stereotypes and sexist beliefs have already begun to form.

                    Based on this evidence, and given our role in providing good quality care and education to young children, City of Melbourne looked to what we could do to promote respect and gender equity in preschool children through introducing this pilot project.

                    ​Download report and resources

                    The pilot project report is published here alongside a summary of the literature review, two introductory factsheets for parents and early childhood educators and a series of topic-specific tip sheets to help all professionals who work with young children to promote respect and gender equity in their work.

                    Tip sheets for educators

                    The following tip sheets are designed for all professionals who work with young children to promote respect and gender equity in their work. They were produced in partnership with Partners in Prevention (a Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria initiative) and are based on the work conducted with educators, children and families involved in the pilot project.

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