UK Feminista Teacher Training: Tackling Sexism in Schools

UK Feminista was pleased to sign this letter to the Prime Minister - calling for urgent action to stop sexual violence in schools and colleges ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dePPvDY5 Thank you to End Violence Against Women Coalition for coordinating it. The letter follows The Guardian's investigation which found that at least 1,700 sexual offences in schools against children aged under 13 are reported to police each year.   📕 Almost a decade ago, landmark research by UK Feminista and the National Education Union exposed the scale of sexual harassment and abuse in UK schools. Our 2024 joint survey with Unison provided further evidence that sexual harassment is widespread in the education system - with school and college staff also experiencing it. We should not still be having to ask the Prime Minister to act. We need system-wide change, now.   📒 Our recent System Change report shows what needs to happen: Government, inspectorates and individual schools & colleges must all work together to embed a 'Whole School Approach' to preventing sexism and sexual violence. One-off workshops or single lessons are not enough. We need long-term, school-wide action to make schools & colleges safe for girls. (Read our report here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e2Scf_tf)   📢 Add your voice now by emailing your MP and urging them to act 👉 https://lnkd.in/eWUmg8Zf Purna Sen Hannah Shead Olivia Dickinson Andrea West Venice Fielding Tania P M Ghosh Liz Speight Lucy Snow Amy Murtagh Kat Banyard Scarlet Harris Annie Poland Joanna Parry

Creating equitable and safe environments within the UK education system requires moving away from isolated fixes and focusing on long-term, structural culture change. According to data from 2026 Teachers' Union survey, nearly a quarter of female teachers in the UK faced misogyny from students over the past year. This is a profound challenge that affects workplace safety for educators and the developmental environment for young people. The question is: what does a truly effective, sustainable strategy look like? Evidence from UK Feminista shows that a 'Whole School Approach' successfully dismantles these toxic cultures—but its success relies heavily on a critical factor outside the classroom gates: collective action and parental engagement. The latest article breaks down the essential pillars of this strategy and outlines how school leaders, educators, and families can align to drive real progress. Read the full insight and discover the practical steps to take today: 👉 https://lnkd.in/eZ4hCUgw

We’re delighted to be partnering with The University of Manchester this year on an ongoing research project exploring whole school approaches to preventing sexism, gender stereotyping and sexual harassment in schools. As part of this, it was fantastic to join academic collaborators, Agenda Alliance and Bold Voices at a recent workshop, bringing together programme theory and practise to strengthen the evidence base for meaningful change in schools. Read our System Change report on why a whole school approach to preventing sexism and sexual harassment is needed - and how to make it work ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e2Scf_tf   Ola Demkowicz Jade Davies Eloise Adamson Natasha Eeles Delali Konu

FREE ONLINE EVENT for NEU members: 📅 8 July 2026, 2:30–3:15pm (Online) https://lnkd.in/e-g6C8dP The National Education Union and Uk Feminista have teamed up to deliver a FREE online session for all NEU members on how teachers can better support girls to take action against sexism and sexual harassment! It will cover what girls should expect from their school, why initiatives led by girls are essential and how staff can meaningfully support anti-sexist work. #AntiSexism #CPD #SexualHarassment

Important article by Vice Chair of the APPG on Commercial Sexual Exploitation Tracy Gilbert MP on why the Government should accept the House of Lords' vote to force pornography websites to verify the age and ongoing consent of everyone featured on their platforms 👇

From today, RSHE guidance becomes fully statutory in schools across England. This is a significant moment for safeguarding, culture change, and the way we support young people to navigate respect, consent and healthy relationships. The revised guidance makes it clear that teaching about sexual harassment, including public sexual harassment, is no longer optional. It’s a core part of what schools must deliver. Our worry is, not every teacher or school has the resources needed to implement these changes and teach with confidence. So while we welcome many of the positive updates within the guidance, we also flag the need for more in-depth training, funding and support to be made available. Without this, implementation can risk becoming inconsistent. If you're unsure exactly of what the changes are and how they are relevant to tackling public sexual harassment, you can read our short guide on our website. We also offer a range of lesson plans, all updated to comply with the new statutory guidance, and if you want further support, check out our staff training options: ourstreetsnow.org/schools

In our recent conversation with feminist lecturer, researcher and author Dr. Stephanie Wescott about the rise of misogyny in schools, we asked her about the conditions that are inflaming sexist behaviours and hostility towards gender equality in classrooms. Stephanie shared, 'Primarily it is exposure, training and instruction in the adoption of a worldview that is pretty seductive. That worldview is a mix of grievance, victimhood, and instruction in the attainment of power and superiority... Some young men accept, through manosphere exposure, that gender equity has stolen their ‘natural’, biological and rightful position as supreme.' She went on to say that improving the critical digital literacy skills of young people, so they can safely navigate online spaces, will be one crucial step in countering these harmful influences moving forward. Read more – about Stephanie's new book 'Schooling Misogyny: Exposing and Eliminating the Influence of the Manosphere in Education Settings', education as an arena for primary prevention work, and why she's not a fan of the latest Theroux documentary – on our digital journal, Folding Chair: https://lnkd.in/gAtP__Nm

🙌 *Important win* 🙌 Last night, the House of Lords passed an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that will require all pornography websites accessed from the UK to verify the age and permission of everyone featured in pornography on their platform - and enable withdrawal of consent at any time. This landmark vote will put power back into the hands of survivors and force pornography websites to take basic, preventative steps to ensure they are not profiting from child abuse and sexual violence. UK Feminista is urging the Government to implement the amendment without delay. Commenting on the vote, Nina Humphries, Director of UK Feminista, said: “This landmark vote in the House of Lords is a victory for women and girls. For too long, legislation has privileged the rights of pornographers over the women they profit from. This vital piece of legislation will shift the balance of power, ensuring predatory companies can no longer profit from pornography of a person against their will. Survivors demanded this law, and they have won it. “It beggars belief that pornography websites were not previously required to verify that the individuals featured on their platforms were adults or gave permission for publication. The consequences have been disastrous, with child abuse, trafficking and sexual violence published on mainstream pornography websites. This amendment will finally require pornography websites to introduce this most basic of safeguards.” Read our full statement 👇

Call for Contributors! The Girls Rights Collective is hosting an informal lunchtime webinar on the 29th July. The theme is "Needs and Offers" and we’d love for you to get involved. This session is an opportunity for collaboration between anyone with an interest in girls’ rights, equality and advocacy to share what they can offer, whether that’s a skill, idea, service, or insight, or to highlight an area where they’re seeking support. It’s an opportunity to connect with like-minded people, learn from one another, and explore how we can strengthen our work collectively. Whether you’re already part of the Collective or simply curious and keen to get involved, you’re very welcome to take part. If you have something you’d like to share, or a challenge you’d value input on, we’d love to hear from you. Contributions will be short, informal, and supportive. Get in touch here, or at grc@gfs.org.uk to find out more or to put your name forward. If you have a connection to the girls sector, through work, study, or your personal life This is a space for members of our collective to share something they can offer (a skill, idea, service, or insight) or something they need support with. It’s about learning from each other, making connections, and strengthening our community. If you have something you’d like to share, or a challenge you’d welcome input on, we’d love to hear from you. Sessions will be short, relaxed, and supportive. Interested in speaking? Get in touch with us at grc@gfs.org.uk to find out more or put your name forward.

How can schools tackle misogyny? By embedding equality in education. During the 16 Days of Activism to end violence against women and girls, Rachel Wilder and I joined an important & timely discussion on the role of schools in shaping gender norms and safeguarding young people. The event was hosted by ODI. Key takeaways: ✅ Misogyny is amplified by unregulated social media, creating a safeguarding crisis for our young people. ✅ Schools are critical spaces—teachers and peers influence gender norms from early years. ✅ We need gender-transformative approaches, safe and brave spaces, adoption of whole-school responses—not “one and done” interventions. ✅ Teachers face immense pressures; they need space, support, training, and collaboration to embed equality deeply. ✅ Policy matters: long-term funding, parental engagement, and political leadership are essential for systemic change. This is about the future of our country and young people —investing in education that promotes equality and safety for all. Thank you to the organisers and the brilliant panel for such a timely and thought-provoking conversation: Lib Peck, Dr Patrick Roach, Nick Dunne, Rachel Marcus of ODI Global and Daniel Guinness, PhD. If you are interested in finding out how you Mighty Girls CIC can help your youth setting or school promote positive relationships please get in touch - https://lnkd.in/es5mghwp.