Constructing a ‘Pedagogy for the Privileged’ in Gender Training

Feminist pedagogical principles and practices form the basis of (feminist) gender training. However, there are a number of disjunctures between the application of feminist pedagogies in the education sector and in the arena of gender training. A particular challenge is dealing with training participants who are in positions of privilege and power within organisational and global hierarchies. In this paper, we explore what a ‘pedagogy for the privileged’ might look like in gender training. The paper begins by establishing some core principles of feminist pedagogies, then exploring how these relate specifically to the field of gender training, and what kinds of practical challenges arise in applying these principles in training scenarios. Next, it reviews debates on ‘pedagogies of the privileged’, and how these have played out in different educational settings. Finally, the paper offers some ideas and suggestions for constructing a ‘pedagogy for the privileged’ for gender training, and what kinds of practical and conceptual measures this would involve.