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Why Civil Discourse and Respect matter even more in the Year of Elections
2024 is the year of elections. There is an unprecedented number of national elections taking place around the world, with voters heading to the polls in at least 64 countries, including the UK, the US, France, South Africa, Mexico and South Korea. The results of these ballots will impact the lives of nearly 49% of the world’s population for years to come. In many countries, there is a real threat of new governments bringing in legislation that threatens to slow down the often slow and painful progress we have made towards equality, diversity and inclusion. In the US, for example, the rising challenges to women’s reproductive rights have become a significant and highly emotive issue for voters in the battleground states that could well determine the outcome of the presidential election.
Women’s voices are needed more than ever in those places where their rights are on the line and on the ballot paper. Of course, women are needed within party leadership, in the creation of manifestos and on the campaign trail. But ensuring women’s voices are included in political debate, not just when the electorate is choosing a new government, is essential if we are to continue to build on progress, rather than taking a step backwards on this journey towards equality for all.
“Elections are important educational opportunities to provide age-appropriate lessons around civil discourse and the practical experience of participating in the democratic process…”
This is why our GDST family of 25 powerful girls’ schools continues to stay focused on educating girls to be active and responsible citizens, fearlessly subverting stereotypes, challenging the status quo and campaigning for positive change. Above all, our schools encourage students to practise these skills respectfully and with empathy, always taking into account the points of view of people they might disagree with. Elections are important educational opportunities to provide age-appropriate lessons around civil discourse and the practical experience of participating in the democratic process, as well as reinforcing why the right to vote is a privilege that should never be squandered.
I am pleased to report that our schools’ politics societies are currently buzzing with lively and challenging debates about the hot topics from the campaign trail, and mock general elections are currently the most popular activity in our schools all across the country. Mock elections offer students the opportunity to put forward and debate ideas that they might not necessarily agree with – an increasingly important skill as society places more value on freedom of expression, whilst being aware of the perils of an increasingly “uncivil” world of social media.
Our schools in Bromley, Wimbledon, South Hampstead, Cardiff, Shrewsbury and Streatham & Clapham are holding mock elections with candidates presenting the main parties’ manifestos, followed by a student vote. In other GDST schools, students have been allocated tasks like checking the validity of ballots to help deepen their understanding of the full electoral process.
At Croydon High, pupils are being encouraged to find ways to propose and defend ideas and beliefs that may not be their own, and therefore learn to take the ‘big picture view’. Fascinatingly, voting will not be compulsory on the school’s mock election day, so that teachers can conduct some “action research” to find out whether student teams have broken through the reported apathy we see in the country right now ahead of the 4th of July.
Last week, we saw the opposite of apathy when a group of enthusiastic Sixth Formers from Wimbledon High School’s student leadership team visited GDST Trust Office. The girls shared some invaluable insights on the election issues they are most concerned about and how these are influencing their conversations. They spoke about their frustration that climate change was not higher up the agenda for the main parties, recommending that it should become a cross-party issue that is collaboratively championed through successive governments.
There was also healthy scepticism about the true value of political parties promoting their policies on social media platforms such as TikTok. For a generation that has been connected to the world of social media from a young age, they saw the main contenders’ reluctance to delve deeper into their foreign affairs policies and plans for conflict resolution as disappointing. In keeping with the findings of our landmark Girls’ Futures Report, which revealed that girls preferred a more empathetic style of leadership, they were turned off by the combative tone of the recent TV leadership debates.
Importantly, these young women agreed that schools should be teaching young people about the electoral process from an early age – from the basic principles of democracy, how different types of voting systems work and in later years more complex issues such as policies, how political campaigns are run and how to spot fake news on social media. This feedback gives us confidence that we are providing them with the best possible grounding to become politically engaged women who understand the tangible link between what happens at the ballot box and their future prospects and rights.
We are strong advocates of the inspiring power of female role models and work hard to provide our students with opportunities to engage with inspiring women across all sectors. The world of national politics and international diplomacy, where women are grossly underrepresented is no exception. Earlier this year, several GDST schools and their partner schools from the maintained sector participated in a ‘Careers in Diplomacy Day’ at the US Embassy, which gave them the opportunity to hear from US Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Jane Hartley, and leading women in the fields of Consular Affairs and Economics about their career journeys. We aim to create as many of these positive moments of inspiration for our girls as possible because the sobering truth is that as recently as last week, media reports suggested that abuse of female election candidates is becoming even worse in this electoral cycle .
It is well known from studies that women in politics are subjected to more hate speech, targeted online comments and physical threats than their male colleagues. For example, Electoral Commission research into candidates’ experiences of May’s local elections found that in England, 56% of female candidates avoided campaigning alone, compared with 19% of men because of concerns about harassment and intimidation. Nearly half of the women who responded to the survey also avoided discussing controversial topics to keep themselves safe, compared to 20% of men who responded. This is one of the clearest signs that even in a democracy as advanced as ours, women’s voices are still being muted in the political arena.
“We need to teach young people, especially girls, the art of civil discourse and how to use their voice when it matters most.”
Despite these obstacles, the brilliant and resilient students in our schools are still showing an active and healthy interest in being responsible citizens and playing an active role in shaping a better future for all. Women may continue to face challenges in politics, but giving them a voice and a seat at the table is no longer negotiable for our students. They need women in politics to demonstrate how they can advocate for positive change and equality for all citizens from their vantage point. After all, we do represent half of the population at any one time. At GDST, we believe we are educating the world’s future leaders, so we need to teach young people, especially girls, the art of civil discourse and how to use their voice when it matters most. And now is that time.
The GDST Difference
The Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) is the UK’s leading family of 25 girls’ schools including 23 independent schools and two academies. In 2023, the GDST published ‘The GDST Difference’ – a booklet compiling our own research, and analysis of the findings, setting out to break down why GDST schools and all-girl learning environments can offer the best start in life for young women.
Discover more about The GDST Difference
