A more equal and respectful world begins in classroom. Adolescence is important phase of life which shapes values, attitude a social behaviors. At this time, they are navigating complex social constructs and gender norms and stereotypes. Yet often they are left to navigate these challenges without any support or guidance.
Life skills education helps to fill that gap. According to the World Health Organization, life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. These include skills like critical thinking, empathy, decision-making, and stress management.
Life skills can act as a catalyst for change. According to Room to Read's 79 percent had withered and been enrolled in tertiary education or employed. But life skills to girls have been giving them the tools to navigate the challenges that they face in communities, school and their home while leaving the boys to men to still leave with the same knowledge of gender with them. Even the most capable and strong girl will face barrier when their community and specially the boys and men around them are not in the same path. If a girl is taught to speak up in class, but her male classmates' interrupts or mock her, the lesson is lost. If she's encouraged to dream of a career, but her brother or father expects her to stay home, her options shrink.
To help boys develop the skills to challenge the harmful gender norms that limit them, and their female peers, from reaching their full potential, Room to Read recently developed the Life Skills session that incorporated boys' involvement. The program lead adolescents through session design to help them understand gender equality. Through these lessons on emotional regulation, healthy relationships, societal expectation and responsible decision making, boys improve their well-being, support their peers and stand up against violence and harassment.
Achieving an equal world for all will require multi-faceted and multi-layer approach but all of that cannot only limit to asking girls and women to empower and built stronger but for the community to change. It will require a transformative approach that include both girls and boys and equal partners.
We cannot raise equal futures by reaching only half the classroom. Now is the time to recognize that gender equality is everyone's responsibility - and to act accordingly. Because a better world for girls begins with raising boys who believe in one.
Shrestha is Direct of Room to Read's Gender Equality Portfolio in South Asia