See for yourself:

Take a few moments to read through one of the booklets posted above in PDF format. These booklets were developed as part of a display of the Wall exhibited at the International Congress of the Public Services International (PSI) in 2002. Click on the language of your choice.

Common Questions

Why hold a Wall workshop?

You might use it to:

Develop an understanding of the connections between women's daily lived experiences and global economic trends;
Analyze how women and men are affected differently by economic changes;
Identify differences and similarities among women of diverse social situations;
Analyze a specific trend in the economy (such as health care reform) in order to identify actions for change.
Provide an analysis to use in developing a strategy, campaign or collective action.

To see some of the ways people have used it, see Who's Used It.

Why use the image of a Wall?
We use the image of a stone Wall to represent the economy as it is made up of inter-related parts that build upon one another. We look at how the stones in this Wall are changing and how we can contribute to the building of a different Wall.

How do you build it?

Participants share their ideas, write them on paper stones and post them on a large paper Wall. We then look at the relationship between the paper stones.

How long is the workshop?

Usually it is a 7-hour workshop, but many groups have chosen to hold a 2-day workshop in order to deepen the analysis and the action planning. Some groups have used parts of it for shorter sessions. One group developed a five-day workshop with the Wall as the centrepiece; a college teacher had students build the Wall throughout a semester course.

Is the Wall Workshop only for women?

The Wall workshop was created as an economic literacy tool for women. That has been its greatest contribution. In women-only workshops, women have an opportunity to learn from each other, discover strengths and identify actions women can take to create a more just society.

However, the workshop has been adapted for mixed-gender groups and provided an experience for women and men to dialogue on these issues. The Guide offers some suggestions for developing mixed-gender workshops.

How many people can be in a workshop?

A group with 20-24 people is ideal. There can be as few as 8, but no more than 28.

Who can facilitate it?

It is important that you have some experience in facilitating participatory education sessions. We draw upon feminist popular education, which begins from the participant's experience to help them understand their world and take action to improve it. It is an education grounded in principles of equality and equity. It seeks to integrate the whole of our being in a learning process: heart, body, mind and spirit. Your commitment to the aims of this kind of education is key to the process.

What help will I need?

Since there are many materials and steps to follow, we recommend co-facilitating. If you do not have someone with whom you can co-facilitate, you will want to ask someone to assist you in posting and distributing materials.

How much do I need to know about the economy?

You do not need to be an expert on the economy. You will be drawing upon the knowledge of the participants and utilize handouts that will provide some facts and analysis. However to prepare, you will want to do some reading about the key economic trends in your country, sector or a specific issue you want to analyze.

How would I prepare to facilitate?

The facilitator's guides, available in English, French and Spanish, will take you through each step of the process. See Guides to find out how to order one.
If you already have a guide, see Your Design to get ideas for designing your own workshop.