The Malawi Gender Equality Act – A Teaching Guide 2014

This booklet is an educational resource to assist teachers in Malawi, to discuss and explore with your learners the new Gender Equality Act (GEA) 2013 written by the Government of Malawi.

The Gender Equality Act is a bold step taken by the country to begin to redress the gender inequalities present in Malawian society. Gender inequalities affect us all and are all too often present in all our communities. It is the responsibility of all Malawi citizens to implement the GEA in our schools, homes and communities. This is a big responsibility, but also a privilege to ensure Malawi becomes a more equal and fairer society particularly for girls and women.

The emphasis of the GEA is on improving the lives of girls and women. However it is important that you include all learners, boys and girls, in the work you do in the classroom when exploring the GEA. This resource highlights key areas within the Act that are relevant to young people and should be seen as a positive step to benefit  Malawian society as a whole.

This resource is not a lesson plan, however it will give you background information to the Malawi Gender Equality Act. It will also offer you guidance on how to inform, engage and empower young people to become agents of change in creating a society where gender discrimination is not tolerated. The resource outlines practical activities you can use in the classroom to help learners understand and be empowered by the principles of the Gender Equality Act. The resource can be used in different classes such as Maths, English, History and Social Education as it includes literacy, numeracy and lifeskills activities throughout. It uses a variety of approaches such as  problem solving, co-operation, writing and drama to assist your learners to increase their understanding and knowledge of the GEA. In some cases we have not suggested any activities, however we hope you will be able to use your experience as a teacher to create activities that will help learners to understand aspects of gender  included in this resource.