The overall objective of the campaign is to promote gender equality, and reduce negative social control among women, men and young people of ethnic minority backgrounds.
This must be done through an education programme, that provides increased knowledge, and encourages discussion and reflection on rights, gender equality and negative social control so that women and men from ethnic minorities can use the knowledge they gain to act in relation to barriers to gender equality, and negative social control that they may experience in their everyday lives.
With regard to women and girls, in particular, the aim of the education programme is to give them specific knowledge about their rights in Denmark concerning their personal economy, divorce, violence, sexuality and virginity etc. Moreover, it aims to facilitate debate between women about negative social control and inequality. Another objective of the courses is to influence and improve the attitudes and actions of mothers regarding the boundaries and rules their children are brought up under, and the importance of the children’s well-being and opportunity to take part in Danish society.
With regard to men and boys, the aim of the education programme is to address the fact that gender equality and equal opportunities are fundamental values in Denmark. These values include everyone’s rights in relation to divorce, personal economy, family law, the prohibition of violence in close familial relationships, sexual norms, and how manhood and the paternal role can be different in Denmark to other cultures. Consequently, the objective of the courses is to help men see the “gains” that can be made by this awareness. For example, women’s place in the labour market, and a reduction in negative social control.
The courses are aimed at people throughout the country with an ethnic minority background. The overall target group covers adolescents and adults and includes both immigrants and refugees who have recently arrived in Denmark and are learning Danish at language schools. It also includes those who have been in the country for longer periods but still feel they lack knowledge concerning gender equality and rights in Denmark. Below is a more detailed description of the target groups for the individual courses.
It is intended that the courses are run at language schools, clubs and associations across the country where these organisations would like to focus on gender equality and/or integration. All associations that find the content of the courses relevant to their members can book a course.
We offer 5 different courses, all taught by highly-trained teachers who have been recruited among appropriate and knowledgeable professionals throughout the country. We have focused on finding teachers with the right academic background, and teachers with whom participants can identify as role models. We aim to ensure that both the professionalism and role model aspect are represented in all of the teaching teams.
The education programme is organized so that the courses can be booked according to what is most relevant to the participants. The concept is that course participants attend the foundation course first and then move on to one of the more specifically targeted courses. The more specialized courses are intended to form the basis for further in-depth discussion of gender issues significant to the specific target group and at an appropriate communicative level.
The Foundation Course is an introductory course and is designed to address the interests of the overall target group. For language schools, the course targets students on DU1 Module 6 and DU2 Module 5. Thus, participants should have achieved Danish proficiency at a level between A2 and B1, according to the Council of Europe’s description of language level (CEFR).
The course contains information and facilitates discussion about general rights and gender equality in Denmark, as well as what equality means for the Danish society. It also includes the subject of equal rights for women and men in Denmark; in the labour market, in marriage and in the family. There is also content on equality between boys and girls according to their age group, as well as a child’s right to self-determination in relation to parents and guardians.
Blue course is aimed at immigrants and refugees who have only been in Denmark long enough to achieve a level of between A2 and B1 in Danish. They are therefore likely to be relatively new arrivals in Denmark and will consequently learn about gender equality in Denmark at an introductory level. The course is targeted at adults of an ethnic minority background, including those who are married and have children. The course contains themes that are selected for this target group, including gender equality in the labour market, in marriage and the equal right to education for girls and boys.
Red Course targets adults from an ethnic minority, including those who are married and have children. This course has been created for those who have lived in Denmark for a longer time and therefore are expected to have a general knowledge of gender equality and rights in Denmark but may wish to gain a more detailed understanding of the circumstances. This course addresses many different aspects of gender equality in a family’s everyday life in Denmark from a more in-depth perspective, including childbirth, child custody, divorce and the self-determination of children and adolescents.
Green Course is targeted at the younger half of the overall target group, i.e. young people both of age and underage, who are unmarried and do not have children. The course is aimed at relatively newly arrived young people who have achieved a level of A2 and B1 in Danish and have limited knowledge of Danish society and gender equality. The course will introduce equality by covering themes such as the equal right for girls and boys to receive an education and attend leisure activities. It also covers young people’s behaviour in the public domain and their rights in relation to their parents and guardians.
Yellow Course is created for young unmarried people without children. This course is aimed at young people from an ethnic minority who have lived in Denmark for a longer period of time and have a basic knowledge of rights and gender equality but are looking for deeper understanding of how these issues can influence their lives. On this course, topics such as friends and lovers, parents and self-determination, as well as participation in general Danish society will be discussed.
The campaign, RIGHT TO GENDER EQUALITY has been implemented by the Danish Refugee Council and Als Research, on behalf of the Department for Gender Equality at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It has been conducted in cooperation with a number of parties including the Centre for Vulnerable Refugees and the Integration Network at the Danish Refugee Council, the Social Housing Network, Art Director Sasha Jespersen, Vintergaard Media and the web agency, Dife.
RIGHT TO GENDER EQUALITY is part of the government’s 2016 national action plan for the prevention of honour-related conflicts and negative social control.
The education programme was developed in spring 2018 and will run from 2018 till 2020.
For questions concerning the campaign, please contact firstname.lastname@example.org