Activities to address gender and gender-based violence with young people
Choosing activities
As facilitator of the learning process, you should choose activities that are at the 'right' level for you and your group and that will fit into the time you have.
Read carefully any activity you are planning to do, at least twice, and try to imagine how your group may react, and some of the things they may say.
Make sure that you have all the materials you will need, and check that there will be enough space, especially if participants will be breaking up for small-group work.
The instructions for each activity should be understood only as guidelines: each facilitator should use the material to suit the needs and context of their group, including issues needing to be addressed, and taking into account their own experience and ability as facilitator.
It is not possible to write activities that will fit exactly into every possible European – or international – context. Facilitators are therefore expected to adapt the activities, while preserving the key aims and dynamics.
Complexity: Level 3 | Time: 90 minutes | Group size: 6 to 30
This activity deals with the issue of forced sterilization of women with disabilities in recent history. Using a real story, participants explore, how gender-based violence can affect people. They then reflect on what the history of violence can teach us about preventing and acting against it today.
Complexity: Level 3 | Time: 120 minutes | Group size: 10 to 30
This activity combines an analytical exploration of concepts (terms) used in work around gender equality and how they are understood / used by young people or presented in the media and by the educational authorities. It allows participants to reflect on the role of language in gender-based
Complexity: Level 3 | Time: 60 to 90 minutes | Group size: 6 to 30
This activity raises awareness about gender and addresses problems associated with rigidly defined gender roles. It is based on the analysis of images of men and women in media.
Complexity: Level 2 | Time: 60 to 90 minutes | Group size: 8 to 20
This activity looks at how gender stereotypes affect the lives of young people, and at the value society places on “feminine” and ”masculine” qualities. Participants use sets of cards to discuss which qualities are more commonly regarded as masculine or feminine.
Complexity: Level 1 | Time: 90 minutes | Group size: 15 to 30
This activity uses brainstorming to help participants understand the different expectations towards and demands on girls/ young women and boys/young men in contemporary society. It allows participants to explore concepts of gender equality further.
Complexity: Level 4 | Time: 60 minutes | Group size: 10 to 20
This short simulation activity helps to build empathy towards victims of interpersonal or relationship violence and demonstrates that leaving a violent relationship generally takes place in stages. Participants listen to a story and use blankets to symbolise different stages of entering and...
Complexity: Level 2 | Time: 45 minutes (Part 1) 120 minutes (Part 2) | Group size: 6 to 20
In this activity, participants need to decide how they would respond to different examples of sexist hate speech online. They then develop an online action that they could implement to act against examples of gender-based violence.
Complexity: Level 2 | Time: 60 minutes | Group size: 8 to 20
This activity uses brainstorming to reflect about what people do to avoid violence and to identify common threats to safety according to sex. It highlights gender differences in relation to violence, and addresses the absence of appropriate information for young people on the nature of...
Complexity: Level 2 | Time: 60 to 75 minutes | Group size: 10 to 30
This activity addresses several issues concerning public perceptions of gender, sex and sexuality. Participants analyse how different genders are depicted in advertisements in newspapers and magazines using a special tool for analysis.
Complexity: Level 2 | Time: 40 to 60 minutes | Group size: 10 to 30
This activity looks at the safety of LGBT+ young people in different everyday settings. Participants position themselves along the length of a wall, according to how safe or unsafe they think it is for LGBT+ people to be “out” in particular settings.
Complexity: Level 2 | Time: 120 minutes | Group size: 5 to 30
This activity uses ranking methods to expose the differences in participants’ moral values, and to open discussion on questions of gender inequality and socialisation into gender-based stereotyping
Complexity: Level 2 | Time: 60 minutes | Group size: 8 to 30
The participants look at various examples of gender-based violence and discuss the consequences for the individuals concerned and for society as a whole.
Complexity: Level 3 | Time: 60 minutes | Group size: 10 to 20
This short role play introduces the difficulties of recognising abuse and looks at early warning signs to identify potential abusers. It provides a good basis for discussion on how society romanticises relationships which may involve violence and oppression.
