Education Sector Responses to Homophobic Bullying: UNESCO’s Approach and Activities Mr Scott Pulizzi Section of HIV and Health Education, Division of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, Education Sector, UNESCO

Bullying is often sexual or gender-based Many learners across the world are affected by homophobic bullying: young people who do not conform with gender norms, not just young LGBT Homophobic bullying infringes upon their right to quality education Why address homophobic bullying in educational institutions?

“Homophobic bullying is … a moral outrage, a grave violation of human rights and a public health crisis”. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki moon, 8 December 2011 “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights” Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1 Homophobic bullying in educational institutions: the UN perspective

Why address homophobic bullying in educational institutions? Negative educational consequences for victims Access to school denied Poor academic achievement School dropout Learning environment for all learners is undermined when homophobic bullying is not addressed

Homophobic bullying: consequences on health and well-being Homophobic bullying in educational institutions also affects the mental and physical health and well-being of many young students: – Low self-esteem, higher rates of depression and suicide (attempted and completed) – Higher rates of drug use – Heightened sexual health risks, including the contraction of HIV

Why has UNESCO engaged with the issue of homophobic bullying in educational institutions? UNESCO — UN Agency in charge of the global initiative Education for All (EFA) LGBT youths have the same right to quality education as all other youths in the world UNESCO is working to address violence and bullying in schools as well as gender-based violence in general

“In the school setting homophobia is a direct violation of the right to quality education. It leads to absenteeism, poorer academic performance and achievement, and sometimes to suicide. The right to quality education is not the privilege of a few ones. It is a universal right. All students – all of them – have the right to quality education in a safe environment” Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO - International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, May 2012 Homophobic bullying in educational institutions: the UN perspective

UNESCO’s role in promoting sexuality and HIV education Quality sexuality education programmes contribute to the prevention of homophobia and homophobic bullying The UNESCO International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education recommends that sexual orientation and gender identity be integrated into national sexuality education curricula, teacher training, and teaching materials

Objectives of our activities related to homophobic bullying in educational institutions Inspire and motivate more and better coordinated action to prevent and address homophobic and transphobic bullying Provide practical guidance for the development and implementation of policies that are age-appropriate, adapted to a range of socio- cultural contexts and linked to broader anti-bullying efforts and quality learning initiatives

International Consultation on homophobic bullying in educational institutions organized by UNESCO in Rio de Janeiro in December 2011: first to ever address homophobic bullying in educational institutions organized under the auspices of the United Nations UNESCO’s activities at global level

Good Policy and Practice publication launched in May 2012 on IDAHO “Combating homophobia IN and THROUGH education” Already available in Chinese, English, French, Spanish and soon in Korean and Portuguese

Objectives of the publication Review available evidence on the nature and extent of homophobic bullying in educational institutions Identify and share examples of best practice in terms of policy frameworks, interventions and practical tools to prevent and address homophobic bullying in educational institutions that currently exist and are used in different regions in the world

What best practice in the education sector? The education sector response should be both about preventing homophobic and transphobic bullying and addressing its consequences

What best practice in the education sector? Importance of a system-wide approach Policies Curricula and materials Teacher and education personnel training and support Services for learners Partnerships between education sector and civil society

What best practice in the education sector? Different entry points to approach homophobic bullying in the education sector: – Some are universal and can be used in any context, regardless of legal status of homosexuality and atypical gender identity, and social stigma: right to education for all in a safe learning l environment; respect for all, inclusion and non discrimination (universal human rights); prevention of gender-based violence against all learners who do not conform with gender norms – Some are more specific to settings where LGBT rights are acknowledged and protected: respect for sexual diversity/atypical gender identity and sexual minorities Always use rights-based approach and rights-based frameworks

Best practice policies – Key findings Need for policies as a reference for enforcement Different kinds of policies: general anti-bullying, specific to anti- homophobic bullying, prohibition of anti-LGBT discrimination Education sector policies and school policies Policies include several components: education about gender, diversity and discrimination; systems/procedures for reporting and for taking corrective action with offender and bystanders; support systems for victims, bullies, bystanders and staff Policies need to be shared by the whole school community Steps for successful development of policies: establish evidence + raise awareness + mobilize at all levels + refer to existing policies and policy frameworks

Best practice curricula and materials – Key findings Different approaches to address issues related to homophobic bullying in curricula that depend on the context and are not exclusive: – Integration in life skills-based sexuality education – Integration in human rights, civics or citizenship education – Mainstreaming across a range of subjects (history, arts, literature, etc.) Need to work with younger learners: homophobic bullying occurs in primary schools, and values and attitudes are formed early on Contents and methods should always be age-appropriate

Best practice staff training and support – Key findings Staff can be part of the problem and they are part of the solution, but often they do not know what to do and should be trained and supported Training should be for all school staff Teacher training should address role of staff in: stopping name- calling, and addressing gender-based stereotypes and violence; promoting social inclusion and supporting diversity; working as a team to make schools a safe and healthy environment Terminology used may vary depending on settings but even in contexts where homosexuality is illegal and sexual diversity cannot be discussed, teachers can deal with these issues To be covered both during pre-service and in-service teacher training

Best practice services for learners – Key findings Support for different types of learners in various areas: – Victims: psychological, reporting cases of bullying and protection from retaliation – Bullies: cooperative learning, opportunities to exert power in positive ways – Bystanders: education to intervene and report, and protection from retaliation Support can be provided by school counsellors, nurses and teachers, in the school and with referrals if needed Peer support groups help create a safer environment, e.g. gay- straight alliances in various countries

Best practice partnerships between education sector and the community – Key findings Mobilization of a range of stakeholders and collaboration between them essential to successful interventions to address homophobic bullying: parents’ associations, teacher unions, student unions AND NGOs including LGBT, human rights, sexual and reproductive health organizations Involvement and collaboration at various stages: evidence gathering, advocacy, mobilization, development of policies and guidelines, design of interventions, implementation of interventions including training and development of materials, enforcement of policies, evaluation of programmes

UNESCO’s activities at global level In collaboration with the IDAHO Committee, UNESCO developed a lesson plan for teachers to deal with homophobia and transphobia in the classroom Activities for both primary and secondary education, that can be adapted to the cultural context

UNESCO’s activities at global level UNESCO is a member of the Steering Committee of the Fund for Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. The Fund provide NGOs from developing and emerging countries with grants for their activities related to sexual orientation and gender identity

What is UNESCO doing to support education sector responses to homophobic bullying at country level? Expand the evidence base Share existing best practice Raise awareness, advocate and motivate more and better coordination, particularly between government and civil society Mainstream issues related to homophobic bullying in educational processes

UNESCO’s activities at country level Sharing existing best practice of school-based interventions In Thailand we produced a film that describes examples of school-based interventions to prevent and address homophobic and transphobic bullying In Latin America we produced My School is Healthy and Cool with the Pan American Health Organization

UNESCO’s activities at country level Expand the evidence base on the nature and scope of homophobic bullying, particularly in settings where there is no or little data available = first step for effective advocacy and evidence-based programming Currently studies conducted in Asia (Thailand, Viet Nam) and Latin America (Chile, Guatemala, Peru)

UNESCO’s activities at country level Raise awareness, advocate and motivate more and better coordination : In Asia we developed a series of publications to raise awareness on the needs and rights of sexual minorities In South Africa UNESCO supported the organisation of the first national colloquium on homophobia in schools

UNESCO’s activities at country level Mainstream issues related to homophobic bullying in educational processes In Brazil we produced a video to be used in schools to promote respect for diversity We organize trainings in various regions for all education stakeholders

UNESCO works with a broad range of stakeholders Governments (ministries of education) Education community: teachers unions Civil society organizations: local NGOs in developing countries and NGOs with proven expertise in the area, e.g. BeLonG To Youth Services in Ireland, Stonewall in the UK, GLSEN in the USA

Information and resources on UNESCO’s Clearinghouse website Over 200 documents and videos on the Clearinghouse website addressing homophobic bullying in educational institutions.

THANK YOU unesco.org/AIDS Scott Pulizzi HIV and Health Education Division for Peace and Sustainable Development Education Sector, UNESCO