Start Date: 2023
End Date: 2026
Funding Source: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Principal Investigator: Catherine Vanner
Research Assistants: Kathleen Rose, Yifei Wang, Valerie Alexander, Yan He
This project studies the agency and activism of educators, educational leaders and student activists working to enhance gender justice in education across Canada. Gender justice includes the realization of rights and opportunities for people of all genders. The project conducts open-ended interviews with education administrators (teachers, principals, school board officials, teachers union representatives) and student activists to understand their experiences working to advance gender justice and equity in education. Following interviews, interested participants will be brought together in participatory workshops to analyze interview data and create resources to support other educators and activists. Stay tuned to see these resources posted here as they emerge.
Achieving Gender Justice in Education: A Research Report on Systemic Advocacy in Canadian Schools
This report showcases the findings from our national participatory research project with 18 educational leaders striving to ensure gender justice in Canadian schools. Often based on testimonies, guidance, and recommendations directly from their students, they recognize that schools in Canada are spaces where misogyny, patriarchy, homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia can thrive, affecting students of all genders, often with devastating implications.
Achieving Gender Justice in Education: A Guidebook
A companion piece to the AGJE report, the Guidebook captures brief recommendations from our 18 educational leaders to those looking for help in their gender justice advocacy. It offers resources, tips, samples, and hypothetical conversations to guide gender justice advocates through their crucial work.
New Interactive Tool
The Gender Justice in Education Pathway
This interactive tool is designed to help educators navigate their readiness in relation to gender justice advocacy. It is derived from the original work of Walter Cassidy and informed by the experiences of education leaders who participated in the AGJE project.
Publication
Who Wants Gender Justice and Transformation? Efforts to Challenge Gender-Based Violence and Discrimination in Schools in Canada
Author: Dr. Catherine Vanner, Yifei Wang, Kathleen Rose
Published in: Agenda
DOI: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10130950.2025.2606023
Research update
On May 1 and 2, 2025, nine participants gathered to engage in a participatory research workshop in which they analyzed interview data and discussed the co-creation of resources to support other education leaders to build upon their experience to enhance gender justice in education in their data. This picture shows some of our process to collaborative data analysis to identify significant themes from the interviews. Stay tuned for the research report in the coming months.
