On Thursday 2nd February, Charters School in Sunningdale invited motivational speaker and ex-teacher Peter Radford to speak with students in years 11, 12 and 13 about society's views towards women, and how 'influencers' like Andrew Tate are creating entrenched and harmful gender stereotypes which need to be challenged.
There has been a rise in disrespectful behaviour towards females across the UK since the pandemic, and Peter's interactive workshops encouraged debate around sexism, misogyny and sexual harassment, whilst also challenging preconceived ideas and stereotypes so that students could make informed choices going forward.
The workshops focused on:
- unconscious bias and systemic discrimination
- sexual harassment and how to address it
- the portrayal of women historically and in modern media
- masculinity and what it means to be male
- power and consent
- rape culture and its effects
- the impact of pornography
- what it means to be feminist
Students were shown how assumptions that aren't true can easily become stereotypes. If these are not questioned, they can then lead to prejudice (a negative thought) and in turn discrimination (a negative action). This concept was perfectly illustrated when students were shown the 'throw like a girl' commercial, which highlights the stereotypical view of women from the perspective of boys, men, and women themselves.
Further discussions asked the female students to share times when they had experienced misogyny and how it made them feel, alongside pressures experienced by male students to act a certain way and 'be a man'.
Freedom of speech was brought into the mix, as students discussed the views of Andrew Tate, and Peter reminded the students that each and every one of them has the power to change negative views and create a fair and just society.
Year 12 student Libby said, “I think the talk was extremely helpful and allowed us to talk about topics and areas within sexism that are not usually “appropriate” for a school setting. It was a very thought-provoking talk and I think it will make at least some people think a bit more about their actions.”
The workshops form part of the school’s broader provision for Personal Development which is taught throughout all year groups.