Orange City Council's Children's Services staff have joined a unique program designed to support young children to develop healthy, respectful relationships and value people of all genders.
The 'All In' Program was developed by the Women's and Girls' Emergency Centre (WAGEC) in Redfern to explore how play, language, resources and storytelling can promote positive messages about gender equality and inclusion in children aged under five.
INCLUSION: Educator Shelly Bugden reads an inclusive book to children.
Eleven educators from Council's Spring Street, Yarrawong and Courallie early education centres attended a workshop conducted by WAGEC where they gained the knowledge, confidence and skills to challenge harmful gender roles and stereotypes that impact children in their care.
Orange City Council's Director of Community Recreational & Cultural Services Scott Maunder said early educators played a vital role in preventing family violence by developing positive behaviour in children at the centres.
"It's important to encourage healthy, respectful relationships in children from an early age, as well as supporting our educators to reflect on their own language and think about how unconscious bias could add to harmful gender stereotypes," Mr Maunder said.
"Programs such as this are vital in creating change and providing a long-term solution to prevent gender-based violence in the next generation."
With ongoing support from WAGEC, the staff have taken what they learnt at the workshop and passed it on to their colleagues to implement across Council's children's services, along with resources such as books and activity cards to share with children at the centre.
WAGEC's director of Primary Prevention, Moo Baulch firmly believes early childhood educators have an important role to play in challenging gender stereotypes and harmful gender roles.
"We know that children start internalising messages around gender and stereotypes at a very early age, in fact, during early childhood years. Early education centres are absolutely critical to ensuring children grow up without limitations placed on them by gender stereotypes.
"We are truly inspired by the educators who attended the All In project workshop in Orange.
"We saw how deeply committed educators were to the same objectives; to encourage healthy and respectful relationships in children during the early years so that they may grow up in safety, respect everyone as equals, and ultimately thrive.
"Council centres such as Orange illustrate how a partnership between council and primary prevention efforts like the All In Project can effectively challenge one of the main drivers of gender-based violence in NSW."
