In this paper we present the outcomes of the Girl’s Empowerment in Politics 5 class intervention in Belgium, discussing both the development process, including co-construction workshops and pilot phases, and the subsequent redevelopment based on insights gained from the pilot. We present the results from the intervention conducted across four school and approximately 20 classes, examining intervention participants and comparing them with control groups. This research was conducted from January to April 2025, utilising propensity score matching and difference-in-difference analysis. The preliminary findings of the pilot phase were largely positive, leading to modifications to enhance the effectiveness of the intervention. In the case of improving self-confidence and understanding politics, the pilot presented significant improvements to the majority of the questions in the survey. And when it comes to analysing the qualitative results, students did not seem shy to express their primary emotions regarding politics. Regarding broadening the understanding of politics, the analysis of the open question in the survey showed that students exhibited a more expansive understanding of politics. And in the qualitative examination, most students were comfortable presenting their creative action in front of the class.  Regarding improving self-confidence in political activities in school, Belgium presents a significant increase in a restrthe item about “following a television debate about a controversial issue”.  In the case of qualitative examination, students  did not show visible signs of anxiety or nervousness in their facial expressions or body language when presenting. However, when we looked at their feedback, we found that it was reported as one of the most challenging activities. In terms of self-confidence in political activities outside school and in the future, the quantitative results show a significant improvement in confidence about engaging in political activities in school and in the future. However, students do not feel that they would be comfortable in public office involvement. This was accompanied by qualitative observations; there was little to no reaction from the class during the presentations. Finally, regarding challenging stereotypes, there were no significant changes in the questions of the surveys. Qualitatively, it was observed that students were slightly more aware of gender stereotypes, but only in relation to the under-representation of women in books. Based on these insights from the pilot, the lesson series were adapted to provide even more scope for increasing girls' degree of self-efficacy on political issues.

Hoskins, B., & Carrasco, D. (2024). Understanding Gender Inequality in Political Self-Efficacy in Early Adolescents: Different Measures, Different Gender Gaps. POLITICAL STUDIES REVIEW. https://doi.org/10.1177/14789299241264970 Hoskins, B., & Janmaat, J. G. (2024). Intergenerational transmission and the reinforcement of the political engagement gap: Identifying how university educated parents enable their children to become more politically interested during early adolescence. BRITISH EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL. https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/berj.4002 García-Albacete, G., & Hoskins, B. (2024). The gender gap in political efficacy: the accelerating effect of classroom discussions. Social Forces. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/soae100