MUSLIM WOMEN AS COMMUNITY HELPERS DIVISION: Primary
Division: Intermediate
Duration of the Lesson(s): 90 minutes (plus extra time for Consolida- tion activities)
DURATION OF THE LESSON: 40-60 minutes
BACKGROUND INFORMATION (FOR THE EDUCATOR)
BACKGROUND INFORMATION (For the educator)
Embedding Intersectional Feminism in the Classroom Kindergarten to Grade 8
Social movements around the globe have inspired women and girls to dream of spaces where liberatory practices for gender equality and anti-racism are possible. In Canada, the lived experiences of women and girls are diverse and social issues that entangle these realities require an approach that recognizes historical harm, encourages social action, and values the contributions of women in ways that empower. Te Places We Meet is designed to support educators with strategies and tools that will centre the voices of women who have been historically marginalized, shiſt power dynamics, and eradicate systems of oppression that serve to disenfranchise. Te Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is committed to creating resources that restore empower, and shiſt the discourse around women’s equality. Te resource honours the work of intersec-
Te Places We Meet: Embedding Intersection- al Feminism in the Classroom, Kindergarten to Grade 8 was developed to help educators and learners critically examine issues of intersectional feminism. Tis resource will support conversations around equity issues, change-making, and shiſting power to achieve social justice for all.
Te Places We Meet includes:
• Teacher/educator guides with helpful tips for using the resource to enhance classroom practice
• Dynamic lessons and reproducibles for the Primary, Junior, and Intermediate divisions, linked to up-to-date Ontario curriculum expectations
• English and French glossaries of equity terms
tional feminism, a framework that highlights the interconnectivity of social identities such as race, ability, gender, religion, language, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and age. It will be available for free download on
etfo.ca in August 2023.
• Booklist of picture books featured in the lessons
38 ETFO VOICE | SUMMER 2025
Although Canada’s Pay Equity Act came into effect on August 31, 2021, there still exists a gender pay gap across many industries and at a variety of professional levels. In 2021, female employees aged 25 to 54 earned $3.79 (11.1%) less per hour, on average, than their male counterparts. In other words, women in this age group earned $0.89 for every dollar earned by men (Pay gap, 1998 to 2021). Other studies and data have also shown that pay inequities disproportionately affect those who are 2SL- GBTQ+, newcomer women, and women living with disabilities.
Tis lesson examines the gender pay gap in Canada by comparing the numerical data from the article Te Gender Pay Gap is Not a Myth. Here are 6 Common Claims Debunked with an infographic based on the informa- tion in the article. Learners will then be en- couraged to find their own data on a subject of their choosing and create an infographic based on their findings. Trough analysis and conversation, this lesson encourages learners to consider the effectiveness and purpose behind infographics.
Muslim women are important members of our communities. Tey fulfil various roles and responsibilities that support the productivity, sustainability, and growth of the community. However, they are oſten portrayed in media texts (e.g., books, televi- sion, movies, etc.) through a stereotypical lens. In Western culture, Muslim women are oſten portrayed as being oppressed, un- educated, passive victims in need of saving. Tis misrepresentation of Muslim women is pervasive and influences the perception and ideologies that are held by society. As educa- tors, we can support students to learn about different Muslim women that serve various roles in their communities. It is important to represent and celebrate the diversity of Muslim women in our classrooms.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Canadian Women’s Foundation –
• Te gender pay gap is a myth
Global News – Te gender pay gap costs Canadian women almost $16,000 a year Pay Equity Office, Ontario
Tis lesson will introduce learners to differ- ent Muslim women who impact and create change in their communities. By highlight- ing Muslim women as community helpers, we are working to disrupt the stereotypes
• Te gender pay gap: Pay gap in Can da: ba Te Fact
In this lesson, the goal is to counter the singular narrative by sharing diverse repre- sentations of Muslim women. It is important to remember that Muslim women are not a homogenous group and have various social identities that intersect. Muslim women may choose to express their religious beliefs in various ways, such as by wearing scarves or veils, or choosing not to wear religious markers of their faith. Tose who choose to wear a hijab are more recognizable and may experience acts of injustice, bias, or hate sed on Islamophobic ideology.
CANADA’S GENDER PAY GAP
CURRICULUM CURRICULUM
THE PLACES WE MEET
KEY TERMS (FOR USE WITH THE LEARNERS)
about Muslim women sometimes created by the media and single-story representations.
Annual Income/Earnings: Te total value of income earned during a fiscal year.
KEY TERMS (For use with the students)
Cumulative: Increasing in quantity by suc- cessive addition.
Community: A group of people who may live and work together. People in a commu- nity help each other.
Glass ceiling: A metaphorical invisible barrier that prevents certain individuals in a workplace from accessing promotions, opportunities, and higher pay. It most com- monly refers to the barriers faced by women and those who experience marginalization in society.
Community helper: A person who helps others in their community. Everyone who lives in a community can be a community helper. Some examples of community help- ers are: educators, bakers, doctors, grocery store clerks.
Non-binary: One term used to describe genders that do not fit into the two categories of male or female. Other terms include genderqueer, agender, bigender, or pangender.
Muslim: Term for people who follow the Islamic faith.
Systemic barriers: Institutional policies and/or practices that reinforce institutional structures and power dynamics resulting in the differential and unequal treatment of members of certain groups.
Muslim woman: Someone who identi- fies as a woman and is a follower of the Islamic faith.
BIG IDEAS: Muslim women, Diversity
Trans: An umbrella term that describes people with diverse gender identities and gender expressions that do not conform to stereotypical ideas about what it means to be a girl/woman or a boy/man in society.
LEARNING GOALS • We will learn about different Muslim women who are community helpers and learn how they express themselves.
Two-Spirit: A term used by some Indig- enous individuals to describe their sexual, gender, and/or spiritual identity. SUCCESS CRITERIA
BIG IDEAS
Gender pay gap, power and privilege, intersectional identities
• I can describe community helpers.
• We will learn that community members are diverse and can hold many roles and responsibilities within the community.
LEARNING GOALS • We are learning about the gender pay gap in Canada and why the Pay Equity Act came into effect.
Te following are suggestions for what could be included in the success criteria. Effective practice includes co-constructing success criteria with learners:
• I can share information about community helpers I know.
• I can provide examples of Muslim women working and helping in the community.
Hijab: A head covering worn by some Mus- lim women as part of their Islamic faith.
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