More than a Certificate by GEC Learning Facilitators Xhanti Jona and Andile Bidi
Categories : Blog
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Author: Digital Frontiers Institute
The Digital Frontiers team asked our Learning Facilitators to provide us with a personal perspective on the GEC programme. What they felt were the most valuable aspects and how the programme made a difference in the lives of other.
Xhanti Jona and Andile Bidi share:
There is much more to Digital Frontiers Institute’s programmes than merely a collection of certifications. We find purpose in establishing connections, enhancing capacities, building capabilities, and having a long-lasting effect. Not only are the programmes intended to foster personal growth, socio-economic growth and transformation, but they are also geared towards the overall goal of creating a better world for everyone.
The Gender Equality Changemakers (GEC) programme is a programme where we aim to make a difference for all and for good. The participants are educated on gender-related problems both within and outside of the workplace as one of the programme’s goals. We furthermore strive to facilitate the exchange of ideas and to pose intellectual challenges with the intention of fostering ongoing personal and community growth.
The GEC programme will help you identify blind spots and equip you to confront longstanding and deeply ingrained views around gender in the professional setting. The process of learning and unlearning may be challenging, but the subject matter experts (SMEs) and material covered in the courses are excellent guides that not only give you the power to create positive change but also provide you with the skills necessary to do it effectively.
A great way to learn from your peers is to attend Class Calls where you can have engaging and interesting discussions with SMEs and other students with whom you share interests. The online learning environment is a terrific opportunity to meet people from all walks of life with whom share similar interests, career aspirations, and sometimes values. Most importantly, it provides you with a community where you continuously learn and unlearn.
“I can speak to the influence that this programme has had not only on myself, but also on the other participants since I have both been a student and a learning facilitator. I can attest to the fact that these courses are great for one’s personal and professional development.” says Learning Facilitator Xhanti Jona. Students who began by asserting that “it is my given right as a man to lead and this is how things are done” eventually transitioned to stating that “I acknowledge the underserved privilege I have enjoyed and I am willing to do my part toward gender transformation.”
Although it is happening slowly, the world is evolving, and the concepts of equal access, opportunity, and redress are coming to the forefront. There is so much intersectionality that gender equity and equality are not “issues” that are exclusive to women; rather, they are issues that touch everyone. Join us, and you will walk away with more than just a certificate; you will also have the ability to effect meaningful change for everyone.
“We are not here only to demolish discrimination but to envision the benefits to the human race of integrating this forgotten half of humanity in development.” – Sirimavo Bandaranaike.
By Xhanti Jona and Andile Bidi
DFI Learning Facilitators
Established in 2015, Digital Frontiers Institute is a proud brand of Digital Frontiers. Learn more about the Gender Equality Changemakers programme and find out how to enrol: https://genderequality.digitalfrontiersinstitute.org/