Boys also face harmful stereotypes. How can we support boys?
This was an important part of our project. The Turkish education ministry is sceptical about feminism, and thought at first we wanted to ignore boys. We explained that gender inequality is not just about women and girls. It also negatively affects men and boys.
We told them about the link between gender bias and violent behaviour in boys, especially violence against women. This is sadly a significant problem in Turkish society. Domestic violence is related to culturally supported attitudes about who should be in control in a relationship. When we were able to demonstrate the clear societal consequences of the current gender imbalance, the ministry fully embraced the project.
Teachers were also surprised by what our research revealed about their behaviour towards boys in the classroom. For example, boys said that teachers had a no-tolerance attitude to their ‘bad' behaviour, while when the girls acted in the same way the teachers did not react at all. The boys felt that they picked up the labels of being ‘naughty' and ‘useless' quickly and easily, making them feeling side-lined and neglected. We need to focus on boys just as much as girls, and make sure that no one feels left out or favoured.
For the chance to win an iPad mini, take part in the Women in STEM competition for Turkish students who want to study Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) subjects, or are considering a career in STEM. The deadline is 8 March 2017.
