22.07.2011This week, Childreach International worked alongside Mulberry School for Girls, London, to celebrate women’s rights around the world and understand the issues still facing women here in the UK and in the developing world.
For three days, Childreach International ran a workshop as part of Mulberry School’s theme week and the charity's
Global Schools Initiative, looking specifically at issues effecting gender and women’s identity, with the ultimate aim of producing magazines addressing these issues.
The workshop included activities such as “Changing Ad-itudes”, where the pupils were asked to re-work existing adverts seen in the media, to create ads with positive and empowering messages for women.
“We don’t want to hide ourselves; we want to be who we want to be”- One group of pupils' ad expressed this
The girls were also shown a video from one of our partners in India, who work with women in the northern state of Himachel Pradesh to improve women’s rights and change negative stigma which exists in their male-dominated society.
The project then saw the pupils venture out into the local area to find out how their surroundings and community influence their identity. They interviewed the locals and found out what made them love (or hate) living in Brick Lane and Spitalfields in East London.
“The project was great. It was well organised and well presented... The girls got a lot out of it. This is all down to Childreach International...”Penny Constantinou, Teacher at Mulberry School for Girls
The workshop ended with each group of pupil's presenting their magazines, which were designed based on what they had learnt about gender and identity during the work shop.
Check out the slideshow below for some pictures of the girls at Mulberry School designing their ads with ADitude, interviewing their local community and some of their final magazine designs.
The Gender, Identity and Development workshop is all part of our
Global Schools Initiative - partnering up UK schools with the developing world.
Get involved. 
