Addressing gender stereotypes in Stories that Move

Stories that Move is an international project led by Anne Frank House in cooperation with partners in eight countries, and is freely available in 9 languages. 15,000 educators have already signed up and are using the toolbox. 

Teachers who used the toolbox said that gender-related prejudices are always part of the conversations they have with their pupils. Stories that Move centres on film clips in which young people share their views and experiences.  

Although the focus in the toolbox is on racism, antisemitism and the discrimination that Muslim, Roma and Sinti, and LGBTIQ+ people experience, gender issues have an intersectional effect on all young people and are automatically part of any exchange on discrimination and standing up for people’s equal rights. 

Understanding the basis 

If we want to encourage education without gender stereotypes, we need to take time to honestly and carefully investigate the many ways in which our thinking is based on binary and stereotypical gender norms. Intersectionality, non-binary identities and toxic masculinity are just some of the relatively new terms that young people are using to describe aspects of gender dynamics that are important to them.  

During Stories that Move workshops, we are often told that such terms and related situations make educators feel uncomfortable. Raquel Torrecilla Pallares, who analysed ‘affective movements’ in a class using the online Stories that Move tool in Barcelona, shares the important insight that often ‘discomfort means something is shifting and therefore new opportunities are being created’. Teachers can find themselves learning from their pupils why these concepts are important. 

 Image: (c) Stories that Move 

Sharing individual stories 

One story in Stories that Move that can help us understand the effect of gender norms is that of Simon. He lives in Slovakia and describes the consequences of being the first-born son.  

‘I was not comfortable with how I was expected to behave. You should not show your emotions, you should be strong, and you should not cry. This was the reason I did not like myself. Until I understood what was going on, I felt empty for a long while. I was trying to behave in a way that was expected of me.’

Several of the stories address intersectionality. Michelle from Spain said:  

‘Look at me, I’m a woman and belong to the LGBT community so with that combination I am an easy target for discrimination. I saw how it happened to those around me and that’s why I never had the courage to speak up and admit what I felt, and who I was. I didn’t want it to happen to me.’

And Rocio, also from Spain, said:  

‘I’ve always felt discriminated against. I’m not only Roma but also a woman. My brothers and my father have it easier than me because I’m a woman. In secondary school I had a really bad time because other kids would make nasty comments and even act like they were my friends but always teasing me. But for me it was more and more hurtful.’

In the Stories that Move module on the role of the media in young people’s lives, Shirel from Austria discusses how girls are influenced by the media in how they think about beauty and sex appeal. Sofiia from Ukraine shares how, despite the feminist awareness she had as a teenager, she was easily influenced by the boys around her to confirm to their expectations. 

The authentic voices in Stories that Move bring new perspectives into the classroom, and inspire conversations about how gender-stereotypical expectations influence the behaviour and self-esteem of young people. Working with stories from brave young people who openly speak about their experiences can be empowering, and can help create a certain level of safe space for learning together.