A walk in someone else’s shoes

Duration of activity: 80 minutes

Learning objectives:

• Cultivate empathy of diversity
• Understand how people’s experiences with regards to their gender, gender expression and sexual orientation differ
• Explore the difficulties, challenges, obstacles, discrimination and human rights violations experienced by people with  diversity related to Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity/Expression and Sex Characteristics
• Explore ways in which people can feel supported when they are experiencing exclusion and discrimination
• Explore ways that people’s rights can be safeguarded

Materials needed:

• Flipchart paper 
• Masking tape, scotch tape (to stick more than one flipchart papers together)
• Coloured markers, crayons, pencils etc.

Recommended prior reading 

• Section 5.2 Dealing with our own prejudices as trainers
• Section 5.5: Using inclusive language and why it is important
• Section 5.6: Teaching about sensitive and controversial issues
• Section 5.7 : Dealing with difficult questions
• Section 7.4: Tips for engaging participants online (if applicable)
• Section 7.2: Creating a safe, welcoming space for participants online (if applicable)

Step by step process of the activity:Duration: 40 minutes

1. Introduction: Since we have spoken a lot about the diversity regarding our gender, sex characteristics and sexual orientation, let’s explore now what it means to be a person who does not conform to the norms and what type of experiences this person may have during their life.
2. You can work on this activity individually or in pairs/triads if you like. 
3. Start by imagining that you are different person than the one you are. If you are a boy, you can imagine yourself as a girl or as a trans, nonbinary or  intersex person. If you are heterosexual, you may imagine yourself to be gay/lesbian/ bisexual/asexual etc. If you identify as an LGBTIQ+ person, you may decide to explore what it means to be a cis-gender, heterosexual person. Alternatively, to make sure that all different identities are picked out, you may decide to allocate the ‘roles’ for the group specifically and split the room into groups, with one working with cis vs trans, straight vs gay, dyadic vs intersex.
4. Start by drawing a winding path which will represent the path this person you have imagined will take in the course of their lives.
5. On this path, draw some pictures that will represent important milestones in this person’s life (for instance you may draw a house to represent the family, a school, friends, a heart for relationships, money to represent the job etc.). The important milestones that is important that you include are: birth, family, school, relationships, jobs, public spaces, social acceptance. You can also choose to include other milestones in addition to these.
6. Use the worksheet to guide you to map this person’s experiences during the course of their life path. Read the questions under each milestone and write a few keywords on your drawing
7. You have 30 minutes to complete your drawing
8. Once the drawings are completed invite 3-4 people who feel comfortable/willing to share, to show their drawing and talk about it. (10 minutes)

Facilitation questions for reflection and debriefing: 40 minutes

Wrap up the activity with a reflection on the activity, using the following questions to lead the discussion:

• How was this experience of you, to think of another person who is different  than you and to also imagine their life path?What did you feel while you were drawing and mapping their life path?
• What did you learn from this exercise? 
• What did you come to realize regarding the different obstacles, difficulties and challenges certain people may experience? 
• How do these experiences different from those of others , for instance the experiences of men, cisgender persons or people who identify as heterosexual?
• What does walking in someone else’s shoes teach us about how we, as individuals but also as a society, should be treating people who are experiencing discrimination because of their gender, gender identity or sexual orientation?
• What could help in each stage of a person’s lives so they could feel appreciated, valued, included, safe and that their rights are safeguarded?  What can help create more just and equal society for all?
• How can families help? How can the school help? How can work environments be more inclusive? How can public spaces be safer for diverse groups of people?
• Document these suggestions on the flipchart
• Ask young people to go back to their drawings and write some key words under each milestone that represent the support young people need to have their rights safeguarded.