[DMR: gender equality app] Levelling the gender playing field in Jordan
https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/10/1102652
This is a short news story about a Jordanian woman who volunteers with HeForShe, the UN gender equality campaign. She and her team have been all around Jordan promoting gender equality. She also worked on a project called WeRise that has become an app in which users can learn about gender (in)equality in a gamified way. The links to the app are in the article, but I’ll put them here too: ios Android
Hi Zoya! Thank you for sharing this article.
One thing that really stood out to me was the photo at the end. A stereotype that I think is still pervasive about the Arab World is that women do not work/are not educated/are not allowed to participate in social change, and I think even small things like this photo of the team behind the WeRise app challenges this notion. It’s also really great that this app is designed for young people, by young people.
I also am excited to follow this app and the popularity it gains in Jordan. The Jordanian royal family, particularly Queen Rania and Princess Salma, have aligned themselves with many initiatives aimed at gender equality and I’m curious to see if they will get involved in some way, or if the creators of the app would even want their involvement!
Although I’m all for increasing gender equality in all aspects of life, I have to disagree with the first sentence that’s used in the description of the article. I don’t think there are such things as “difficult” conversations because this language lets people avoid talking about necessary issues that need to be discussed. There are too many people hiding in the shadows and in plain sight that need to have their knowledge and opinions tested for everyone to see. Part of the reason for the success of particular social justice issues being discussed is that ethically ostracizing those who are against utilitarian (for lack of a better word) ideas a relation to these issues is effective. Moving on, I’m learning about gamification in my Marketing & Recruiting class and I like that Shahin is leveraging those strategies in order to spread awareness and encourage decisive action for the HeforShe campaign through the WeRise app.
Education serves as a fundamental pillar for advancing gender equality. In Jordan, efforts to promote girls’ education have made significant strides, with increased enrollment and retention rates at various levels.
Moving on, I’m learning about gamification in my Marketing & Recruiting class and I like that Shahin is leveraging those strategies in order to spread awareness and encourage decisive action for the HeforShe campaign through the WeRise app.
This is inspiring! The WeRise app sounds like a fantastic, gamified way to educate about gender equality in Jordan. It reminds me of the engaging gameplay of Retro Bowl, but applied to a much more important topic. Kudos to Zoya and her team for leveling the playing field! Where can we find more information about volunteer opportunities?
I very like it, thank you for sharing with us!
The DMR app approach is interesting as a data-driven intervention — instead of broad awareness campaigns, it targets specific measurable gaps in employment and education. Jordan’s context makes this especially relevant given structural barriers to women’s workforce participation. Curious whether the app engagement data has been used to influence policy at any level.
gamifying the learning with the WeRise app is a smart move to get younger people to actually engage with this stuff.
Gamifying the learning part through an app is a smart move if they want to actually reach a younger demographic.
Gamifying it is actually a smart way to get people to engage without feeling lectured.
Gamifying the learning through the WeRise app is a smart move. It’ll probably get way more traction with younger people than just lecturing them.
Gamifying the learning is the only way you’ll actually get younger people to engage with this stuff.
Gamifying it is a smart move. Might actually get people to engage instead of just tuning out.
Gamifying the topic through the WeRise app is a smart move. Hard to get people to care about this stuff if it just feels like a lecture.
Gamifying it is a smart way to get people interested without it feeling like a lecture.
making it an app for young people is definitely the move. gamification makes the topic way less intimidating
A gamified app is probably a much better way to reach younger people than just lecturing them.
gamifying this stuff is a smart move for reaching kids. wonder if people actually keep using werise after the novelty wears off.
Gamifying gender equality is a cool idea, but I honestly doubt an app is going to change deep-rooted cultural attitudes in Jordan overnight. Curious to see if people actually keep using it after the novelty wears off.
gamifying it is a smart move. probably the only way to actually get younger people to engage with these topics.
Gamifying the learning part is a smart move. Might actually keep people engaged instead of just lecturing them.
Gamifying it with the WeRise app is actually a pretty clever way to get younger people involved.
gamifying the whole thing is actually a smart way to get teens to pay attention.
Gamifying gender equality is a cool approach, though I wonder if an app is really enough to move the needle in a region where social norms are so deeply ingrained. Definitely curious to see the download stats after a few years.
Gamifying gender education is actually a pretty clever way to get people in the region interested. Be curious to see if that WeRise app has any staying power or if it just ends up being a one-off project.