Challenging Ourselves: Towards Gender Equity and Violence-Free Relationships

Robert B. MacIntyre is head of the Centre for Relationship Therapy and
Education in Orangeville, Ontario.

This book contains a set of classroom activities intended to be used in
Grades 7 through 12 to help promote better, and less violent,
relationships between the genders. Developed originally by a committee
of the Metropolitan Toronto Public School Boards, the resources can be
applied to a broad range of classroom subjects. Most rely heavily on the
teacher’s skill in creating an atmosphere that encourages free and
open discussion. In such a setting, students are encouraged to share
their thoughts feelings about themselves, about their gender and
relationships between the genders, and about violence in relationships
and ways of dealing with it. Activities include various forms of guided
discussion, oral and written storytelling, and analysis of media
representations of gender roles and violence in relationships.

The activities presented here are only starting points and require
considerable expertise from the teachers to bring about the desired
outcomes. For skilled teachers with a solid understanding of gender and
violence and a grounding in the use of class-discussion formats for
exploring sensitive and emotional issues, Challenging Ourselves should
be a useful resource.