March is Women’s History Month, where we celebrate women’s many achievements and contributions to history, culture, and society. It’s also a great opportunity for students to engage in discussions about the challenges and triumphs of women’s rights and gender equality.
We’ve put together some debate topics with our Kialo Templates to inspire those very discussions with your students. Whether you’re seeking debate topics centered around women in history, literature, or contemporary society, we’ve got you covered!
Women in society discussions
While recent years have seen a lot of progress toward encouraging and supporting women in STEM, there is still a significant gender gap in these fields. This is a great topic for students to engage with since they will be the future leaders and innovators in these fields. Have students sound off their thoughts on whether there should be a hiring quota for women in STEM in this template.
Traditionally, the job of running a household and caring for children fell to women and girls. Though these jobs are essential to society, they are often overlooked, undervalued, and unpaid. With this template, students can re-examine an issue with which they most likely have first-hand experience.
Finally, sports fans might love an opportunity to discuss the issue of gender bias in professional sports. While female athletes have made tremendous strides in recent years, they still receive less attention than their male counterparts. Here, students can discuss the role of gender in sports and opportunities for female athletes.
Women’s history discussions
Women’s history is full of struggles and triumphs, and one of the most important turning points is when they gained the right to vote. But did women have to use violent action to achieve this? This discussion is great for students to examine whether militancy was necessary or counterproductive in the push for change.
Similarly, the question of whether European women gained more rights and freedoms as a result of World War I tasks students to analyze the relationship between political events and social change. This discussion is a great way to work a traditionally underrepresented group into any World War I unit!
Women in literature discussion
Finally, what role does literature play in shaping our gender norms? Students can tackle this question by discussing whether Jane Eyre is a feminist novel. Here, students can examine the ways in which feminist ideas can be expressed through literature. Consider contrasting or pairing this discussion with another text that students study to make some higher-order connections about literature and gender norms!
Women’s History Month is a great opportunity for students to engage in these important and thought-provoking discussions. Check out even more of our Kialo Templates to get your students going!
