Strategy and activities The project is to train educators on the Playdagogy educational method. The ‘girls and boys’ Playdagogy kit was conceived by PLAY International and a gender expert from the French Mental Health League (Ligue française de santé mentale), together with several teachers and an educational counsellor. The method was tested in several primary schools in the Île de France region. Playdagogy sessions on the ‘girls and boys’ theme were also included in the ‘social inclusion’ and ‘rugby’ kits. A Playdagogy session lasts 45 minutes and is divided in three phases: 1) a physical activity (sport or game); 2) a n introduction to the theme: specific terms and symbols are included in the game played in the first phase; 3) a debate with the children on the topic and the activity. By ‘living’ the game in a ‘real’ situation and taking part in the debate, children are led to question their behaviour and to adopt new values and reference points. The project is currently being implemented in the following French regions: Île de France, Hauts-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and Mayotte.
"The children's social awareness and skills have improved thanks to the kit, notably regarding gender equality and complementarity, equal rights, and rejecting situations of gender discrimination."
Partners The project is supported by the French Ministries of Youth and Sports and of Education, as well as by private sponsors such the Niarchos Foundation. PLAY International also has partnership agreements with a number of municipalities, clubs, and other organisations.
Results Between 2014 and the end of September 2016, a total of 420 Playdagogy kits were produced on the three themes. Over 1,300 people registered on the online platform used to access the educational material, and some 350 educators were trained. To date, more than 9,000 children have taken part in Playdagogy sessions. A survey was conducted in 2015 among practitioners in the town of Roubaix, in the Hauts-de-France Region, to measure whether they had achieved their objectives in the fight against gender discrimination. Ninety-three percent said that boys are more tolerant towards girls once they have participated in the Playdagogy programme. This positive feedback has been confirmed by the external evaluation of the ‘social inclusion’ kit: ‘The children's social awareness and skills have improved thanks to the kit, notably regarding gender equality and complementarity, equal rights, and rejecting situations of gender discrimination.’
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