In March Glow TV was delighted to broadcast an event entitled International Women’s Day – Be What You Want! It was a great success with many schools across Scotland joining us on the day. If you missed it the recorded version can still be viewed in Glow TV’s Watch Again.

Following on from this is the Be What You Want campaign which may be of interest to schools and pupils. Despite the improvement in educational attainment of girls and young women, choices are constrained by assumptions about women’s capabilities and suitability for specific roles. Women and men are still segregated into jobs and industries which are based on stereotypes. The subjects that girls and boys study at school, and in further and higher education, are also heavily segregated according to gender.

The Be What You Want campaign aims to help young people make informed decisions about subject and career choices. The campaign, which was launched by Close the Gap in 2011, has produced a series of posters and comic strips depicting the different situations young people might experience when making decisions about their future. A campaign pack, which also includes a resource for teachers, has been sent to every primary and secondary school in Scotland. Close the Gap has also delivered a number of sessions on the Be What You Want campaign to pupils in schools across Scotland, which explore gender stereotyping and the causes of the gender pay gap.

For further information, campaign materials, or if you are interested in Close the Gap delivering a session in your school, please contact Anna Ritchie, Email: aritchie@stuc.org.uk or Tel: 0141 337 8146. Information on the Be What You Want campaign can be found at www.bewhatyouwant.org.uk where campaign materials can also be downloaded.