This page contains documentation and reflections from the Portuguese teachers about activities 1 and 2.

In Portugal, the preschool teachers follow a curricular guidelines document. This document does not have a specific chapter about gender equality. However, on the personal and social training chapter, non-discrimination contexts and concepts are worked, whether physical (skin colour, wealth limitation, etc.), whether of a religious or spiritual order or of a gender nature.

In kindergarten, in our day-to-day life, it is normal for children to interact and play with all kinds of toys (whether they are dolls whether they are trucks) and in different spaces(whether in the little house or in the workshop, for example). Toys, spaces and plays are accessible to all regardless of gender.

Yet, we cannot fail to reflect on small notes or challenges launched Harryda municipality, and we verify that our work is focused on the roles assumed by the different actors within the family. The family is the first mirror, and the image that children try to replicate is exactly that of each member of their family. At best, children arrive at kindergarten at the age of three and most just arrive at the age of five.

In Portugal, for kindergarten work the gender equality, in the sense that each has the right to be, feel, dress, think and act without prior formatting, has to do a whole image deconstructing job of each child’s family context.

At the moment, we are fighting a huge battle against domestic violence and the inequality of basic opportunities, such as access to leadership positions by women or equal wages to equal jobs (regardless gender).

We acknowledge that the suggested approach and the pertinence of creating a work methodology for gender equality education since pre-school contribute to the resolution of some of the situations mentioned above.

We try that the norms and values that we intend to correct or change in our society are experienced through actions of respect and understanding, either through games, stories, dramatizations, plays, daily conversations or intentional thematic activities(ex: Father’s Day, Mother´s day…).

If we try to inspire, motivate and challenge our children to knock down stereotypes? Yes, of course! If we promote specific activities to achieve those goals? Yes, of course! Do we systematize? No…

In pre-school, we do not feel that there is, necessarily, a gender format stereotyped by the kindergarten. On the contrary. The preschool teachers’ concern to promote an inclusive school motivates us all to develop a generically richer and more affectionate for the exercise a mutual respect citizenship. However, we can conclude that we aren’t working in the specific sense of breaking down the stereotypes wall. At this level, we need to centralize the theme and create the roadmap. We need a guiding thread that does not allow us to lose our teaching system focus as well as the goal we want to reach as we work for equality on different fronts.