Gender Education for International Students
About the project
Incorporating the principle of gender equality into Ukraine's higher education system is an urgent task, as the obvious problems of gender discrimination include, in particular, the problems of gender aspects of interaction between university professors and international students. The main focus of the project is to introduce components of the modern European gender paradigm into the education of students of African descent studying at Ukrainian universities, starting with Karazin University. This project began before the full-scale invasion when the number of international students at the university was much higher. However, the temporary reduction in these student's enrollment did not change our plans. The goal of the project is to spread awareness among students and teachers about the importance of gender equality, particularly in education, for further implementation in practice. We see the need to draw the attention of international students to the issue of gender equality and to raise awareness of the academic community and students about existing international standards in this area.
The project was implemented by NGO "La Strada-Ukraine" in cooperation with Karazin University under the leadership of the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy within the framework of the UNESCO Participation Program for 2022-2023.
Our Events
Karazin University hosted a working meeting within the framework of the project "Gender Education for International Students" under the patronage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. The meeting was attended by the Karazin University administration headed by Rector Tetyana Kahanovska, who welcomed the participants at the beginning of the event. Government Commissioner for Gender Policy Kateryna Levchenko and representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Zoryan Kis also addressed the audience with welcoming remarks. As part of the meeting, Olena Muradian, Dean of the School of Sociology, presented the results of a sociological study on gender competencies conducted in the summer of 2023 among students from African countries and Karazin University professors who work with them. The participants of the event discussed the results of the study and planned further work within the project, which aims to disseminate knowledge about the importance of gender equality, in particular in education, among all participants in the educational process, for the further implementation of gender approaches in the training of students from the African continent studying in Ukraine, using the example of Karazin University.
On February 28, 2024, as part of the project, Karazin University held training for academic and teaching staff on "Gender Approaches in Education for International Students". The event was attended by the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy Kateryna Levchenko, who noted the importance of holding such trainings, which add more practical significance to the implementation of gender equality in Ukraine, in particular in the higher education system.
The training was organized by the School of Sociology (Department of Political Sociology) and the School of Law (Department of International and European Law) of Karazin University. The training focused on the main aspects of implementing gender equality in the system of higher education involving international students, in particular from African countries. The training program was very intense and included the following thematic blocks:
- Gender-based conflicts: prevention and quick solutions for teaching staff.
- Gender expertise in educational materials.
- Gender sensitivity and gender neutrality in lecture discourse.
- Critical approach to gender issues: didactic and methodological potential.
- The social role of teachers in the classroom through the prism of gender approaches.
Online courses for international students and their teachers
These online courses are designed for international students of Ukrainian universities to disseminate knowledge and competencies on gender issues among students and teachers of Ukrainian higher education institutions to facilitate the implementation of the gender equality strategy