Overcoming Gender-Based Violence as a Barrier to Sustainability
Articles/Websites
Grades11, 12, APScience, Social Studies, English Language Arts
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Provided by United Nations
What it is
- This article details how Resilient, Inclusive, and Sustainable Environments (RISE) grants are helping to fight gender-based violence and supporting environmentalism and sustainable natural resources management.
- Students will read about how these grants are used in countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Mexico, Zambia, and Kenya to mitigate gender-based violence, increase women's rights, and support access to decision-making roles.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This article is an eye-opening and interesting read for students at the upper high school or college level.
- The article features perspectives from many countries around the world, which will show some commonalities and differences that will lead to thoughtful and nuanced conversations.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should understand the importance of women in conservation and climate change.
- The article mentions the realities of the sexual exploitation of women and girls.
Differentiation
- This resource would work equally well in science classes learning about the role of women and girls in climate change, social studies classes considering how different countries are working towards eradicating gender-based violence, or language arts classes reading non-fiction on either subject.
- For advanced students, this resource would make a great independent read to supplement in-class learning about gender-based violence and natural resources management.
- As an extension, consider having students research other places around the world where these issues are happening and present their finding to the class.
From the scientist review
This resource from UN Women discusses the Resilient, Inclusive, and Sustainable Environments (RISE) grants challenge hosted by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as a part of the Generation Equality initiative. After a brief introduction to the challenges women face in conservation and climate change action and a description of the RISE grants, the article turns to each of the five organizations that won RISE grants. The five case studies provide a picture of the critical work being done from Southeast Asia to Central America and Africa. In each of these places, work is being done to protect women who often face physical, sexual, and psychological abuse when they participate in any kind of advocacy or in certain sectors of the economy. This article provides a thorough introduction to the work being done and several links are included for those who would like to learn more about the Generation Equality initiative. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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