amore

The Council of Europe defines that gender equality means identical level of responsibility, visibility, autonomy and participation of both sexes in all the public and private spheres of life. Sexual and gender-based violence is defined as the violence applied against a person because of his/her gender or sex, including sexual abuse and harassment, rape, domestic violence, etc. Although everybody could be equally affected, women are the prime victims of this type of violence.

In times of globalization, we are more interdependent to these extraordinary but dangerous tools called internet and social media. The easy accessibility to them nowadays comes associated to a non-controlled ambiance where a wide diversity of people can enter and share a huge range of opinions and ideologies. It is in this context where the hate phenomena raise as a result of different ways to understand life and, with this line of thoughts, the hurtful cyber violence appears as well. As reported by the EIGE, 1 out of 10 women in Europe have suffered some type of cyber violence.
Talking about discrimination based on sexual orientation, a lot of people from LGBTIQ+ communities all around Europe cannot even expose or express themselves because they often suffer violent attacks. It was reported by the EU LGBT survey that 47 % of people from this community have felt discriminated or harassed because of their sexual orientation in the previous year.

Migrant women face challenges as both migrants and women, suffering a double disadvantage. In the case of conjugal violence, women tend to be more reluctant to denounce her partner when her legal residence status is dependent on him. In addition, often conjugal violence is not treated as a critical case by the authorities, as they could be attributed to cultural differences.
We all are regularly exposed to everyday sexism without being aware of it. We are extremely used to these situations or set phrases that are simply seen as social constructs that we usually acknowledge as being normal. The headlines in the media are often condemning the crimes that end up with a dead body. Nevertheless, they do not analyse the base of this phenomena, established over a society that see everyday sexism as “normal”. Research carried out by Foundation of Knowledge (FK, Hungary), Permacultura Cantabria (PC, Spain), Olemisen Balanssia ry (OB, Finland) and Oriel (Italy), in which alarming figures were found regarding gender inequalities in their counties, has motivated to create a Strategic Partnership and to give life to the project “AMORE: Adults ́ MicrOmachismo ReEducation”. Its purpose is to face everyday sexism of those who suffer the most (adult women, adult people of the LGTBIQ+ community and women with an immigrant background) in various media, especially in the digital world.

The goals of this project are to build awareness and to empower adult people to start recognizing everyday sexism and to prevent it. Participants will gain information, abilities and tools to notice everyday sexist situations and they are going to learn how to change them.

AMORE is directed towards 4 adult trainers from each of the 4 organizations, who will transmit through internal workshops the knowledge and tools acquired to the adult learners in their organizations and communities. Each participant organization will also count with a project coordinator and a dissemination manager.

The project will consist of:

Participatory Visit to Hungary: FK will transfer its best practices (BP) for the recognition, prevention and confrontation of everyday sexism in adult women, as well as tools to prevent gender-based violence and social problems based on prejudices and stereotypes. OB will transfer its tools and BP related to everyday sexism towards immigrant women, people from the LGTBIQ + community and adult women in general. Oriel will transfer its tools and BP regarding everyday sexism in the media, with a special focus on the internet and social networks. They will also transfer inclusive and non-violent communication tools in social networks.

The course organized by PC will compile all the knowledge obtained during the project and will incorporate the BP and tools gathered in the participatory visit. The aim of this course is that the adult trainers of the participating organizations would be able to reproduce it within their adult learners, empowering them with helpful tools to face sexist practices.

To summarize the expected impact, we strongly believe that the participants will improve their perception about everyday sexism, and will have a good collection of methods to empower adult learners to confront everyday sexism practices in different contexts and communities. We expect to promote the inclusion of adult people from the LGBTIQ+ communities and immigrant backgrounds pursuing real conditions of equality among adults, with a special emphasis on combating everyday sexism in the media.

OBJECTIVES:

1) Empower adult learners against everyday sexist practices through innovative identification, prevention and confrontation tools in various media and LGTBIQ+ and immigrant communities. We want to generate knowledge that contributes to the fact that the inclusion of adult women and men takes place under conditions of real equality. To achieve this, it is important that adult trainers and the adult learners themselves know where everyday sexism emanates from, learn to identify it and be able to fight it. Our aim is to give adult people innovative tools to understand their social reality from a critical perspective; that adult learners know how to identify and combat situations of inequality and everyday sexism. For this aim, it is necessary to empower adult learners. Therefore, social inclusion and empowerment are two dimensions that, to our knowledge, are intrinsically related. Our idea is to prepare ourselves to enhance both dimensions. We want to generate critical thinking among adult learners so they can be agents of social change by being speakers of equality between women and men.

2) Create awareness in society about the existence of everyday sexism and the importance of combating it. Through a campaign of strong and effective dissemination at the regional, national, European and international levels, we will increase awareness in the adult communities of the existence of sexist practices in everyday life and the importance of combating them. It is beneficial to carry out a transnational project, because the reproduction of discrimination and sexist attitudes among adults is worrying and exists in all parts of Europe. The experiences of each country are different and the support that adult learners receive in this area is different. All of us need to know the tools and best practices from Hungary, Spain, Italy, and Finland in this matter to be able to empower adult learners and combat everyday sexism. We are interested in doing so, following the internationalization objectives of our organizations and the spirit of a Solidarity Europe. Our project’s goals and actions also go in line with the “Gender Equality Strategy” (2020-2025), proposed by the European Commission, which key actions include: ending gender-based violence and stereotypes; ensuring equal participation and opportunities in the labour market, including equal pay; and achieving gender-balance in decision-making and politics.

The Participant Selection Plan has been proposed and agreed between all the partners. It consists of the following tasks:

1. Preparation of the call

We will maintain communication through Skype to prepare the call. The selection criteria are:
– Age: older than 18 years for adult trainers and older than 30 years old for adult learners.
– Availability to travel.
– Need and interest to acquire knowledge in everyday sexism and apply it in the future.
– Interest and the commitment to carry out internal workshops and develop future projects with partner organizations.
– Interest in participating and developing initiatives within the Erasmus + program.
– Interest and commitment in the fight against gender inequality.
– Be a positive influence within the organization and adult communities.
– Ability to communicate in English.
– Available to collaborate in the dissemination campaign.
– People with open character: friendly, motivated to have an exchange experience abroad, to meet people with other visions and cultures and establish a good relationship.
– Willingness to collaborate actively.
We will evaluate positively and give preference to adults from disadvantaged social groups, especially in the face of the obstacles described in the next question. More than half of the
selected participants will face unfavourable situations.
We will also pay special attention to the gender balance, selecting a similar number of men and women to participate in the project. We will emphasize that the participation of all
people is active and that all voices and ideas are heard.

2. Information dissemination of the call for participants

Each organization will spread the call between its staff and the communities with which it interacts through its websites, social
networks, etc.

3. Assistance to the participants during the call

The Project coordinator in each organization will provide all the necessary assistance and answer all additional questions related to the
project.

4. Selection of participants

The organizations involved will value the selection of different types of profiles. We know that a diverse group with different cultures, gender and perspectives leads to critical thinking and promotes non-discrimination among the team. In addition, we will facilitate access and participation in the project to people in disadvantaged situations.

5. Notification of results

The project coordinator in each entity will notify the results to all adult learners and adult trainers who requested to participate in the project, even if they were
not selected. An appeal period of 15 days will be opened.

The participants are divided into 3 groups:

Group 1: Made up of 1 project coordinator and 1 dissemination coordinator of each organization. Profiles are detailed in the description section of each organization.

Group 2: Made up of 4 adult trainers from each organization, which will be selected according to the process described above.

Group 3: Made up of adult learners from our organizations to whom the adult trainers will transmit the knowledge and tools acquired in internal workshops.

We will work together to encourage the participation of people with difficulties in project activities, in order to reduce economic, social, cultural and geographic obstacles and health problems as much as possible. As we mentioned above, we must maintain the privacy of the specific situation of each participant with fewer opportunities due to ethical reasons. However, all these participants are part of the following groups and will participate in the project activities as follows:

GROUP 1:

PROJECT COORDINATORS:
Project management: Budget and Time management, Documentation, Indicators, Evaluations, Training Activities, etc.
The project seeks for each organization to be a beneficiary in the specialization of new areas (See needs in Annex “Project details”). That is why the project coordinator will participate in the training activities, given that they have a great responsibility in the creation of new lines of action that complement the current activities of each organization.

DISSEMINATION COORDINATORS:
Management of the dissemination campaign: They will be the main responsible for fulfilling the dissemination objectives of the project. For this task, they will have the support of the people who have participated in the activities of the project. The coordinators of the dissemination will use the attached draft of the dissemination monitoring system. Once the project is approved, it will be adapted according to the activities, the distribution of tasks and indicators, and will oversee the entire team dissemination campaign.

Both will participate in:
Meetings via Skype: Monthly meetings will be held in which both coordinators must be present to carry out revisions both in the project and in the dissemination campaign.
Transnational meetings: Participation in the Kick-off and the Final Meeting in order to review all activities related to the project and the dissemination campaign.

GROUP 2:

ADULT TRAINERS
Training activities: The adult trainers from our partner organizations will attend the participatory visit and the course in Spain where they will acquire the best practices, tools and knowledge of the partner organizations. They will also actively participate in the training activity that is carried out in their country, contributing with their experience in the subject.
Internal workshops: A workshop will be held in each partner organization after the participatory visit and the course in Spain. The objective is to share the experience and knowledge acquired in the visits with the personnel of the entities, adult learners, collaborating organizations and interested persons. The workshop will be organized and taught by the people who have participated in the training activities.
Dissemination campaign: They will actively participate in the dissemination of the project.

GROUP 3:
ADULT LEARNERS
Internal workshops: They will attend the internal workshops to acquire the tools provided by the adult trainers. Dissemination campaign: They will actively participate in the dissemination of the project.

PREPARATORY PHASE:

Once the project is approved, we will notify the result to our partners and begin to coordinate the project. We will send to our partners an internal agreement that will include a work plan, the distribution of tasks, the responsibilities of each party, the deadlines, the indicators for each result and all the necessary documentation for the presentation of reports. We will begin our monitoring activities and dissemination campaign and carry out the activities indicated in the sections “Project Management” and “Dissemination”. We will begin the process of selecting participants according to the criteria defined in the “Participants” section.

During the project we will carry out a series of transnational activities. The entity of the country where the activity takes place will be responsible for the preparation tasks.

The activities are the following:

First transnational meeting: Olemisen Balanssia ry
Second transnational meeting: Oriel
Participatory visit: Foundation of Knowledge
The course in Spain: Permacultura Cantabria
Preparation activities for transnational activities.
Each organization will be in charge of the following tasks:
* Transportation tickets: each entity will be responsible for the management of the transport tickets of the participants.
* Linguistic preparation: As speaking English is one of the requirements that participants must meet, each organization will help them to issue the Europass Language Passport. In this way, we can know their English level and see if any participant needs additional assistance before the activity. Each organization will be responsible for providing English classes and / or tools for those who need to improve their level before the mobility.
* Pedagogical preparation:

We will perform the following activities:
– Project preparation: we will send an infopack to each organization. The package will include a summary of the project and the program of the course. A meeting will be held in person,so that the project coordinator of each organization can explain to the participants all the details about the project and the transnational activities (course in Spain and participatory visit).

– Preparatory meetings: The project coordinator in each organization will organize the meetings that are necessary with the participants to prepare the project tasks.
* The entity where each activity is developed, as host organization, will be responsible for the following tasks:
– Support for the participants: The host organization will provide the participants with the Infopacks (transport, justification of expenses, country information, etc.), as well as the main information of the activity. The assigned contact person will answer all the questions of the participants and will support them in everything they may need to go to the country of destination.
– Management of the accommodation of the participants: The host organization will search and reserve the accommodation. This place must have facilities that allow the mobility of people with special needs.
– Organize Cooking Service: the host organization will be responsible for organizing breakfast, lunch and dinner according to the needs of the participants. Before their arrival they should be asked about their special needs (vegetarians, vegans, etc.) and about possible food allergies.
– Security and protection measures: the host organization will establish security measures to avoid any accident:
a) Prohibit the consumption of substances that alter the behaviour or perception.
b) Have an open space for smokers.
c) Have a first aid kit and a vehicle 24 hours a day in case an emergency transfer is necessary.
d) Have personnel with experience in first aid.
e) Define an evacuation plan and provide it to the participants upon arrival.
f) Show areas or elements that could be dangerous (if any), as well as exits from the facilities.
g) Avoid high-risk activities or exposure to dangerous places or environments that may affect the health of the participants.
h) Request from participants before their arrival information about their health problems, as well as the telephone number of a contact person in case of emergency. This information will be given to all the trainers, as well as to the accommodation staff.
– Transportation management: Before arriving in the country, the host organization will provide the organizations with an Info Pack that includes the best options to get to the country and the place of the event.
– Communication: There will be constant communication with the participants to ensure their full participation in the project.
These activities have been planned according to the “EUROPEAN QUALITY CHARTER FOR MOBILITY” developed by the European Parliament and recommended by the National Agencies.

The partner entities have defined the expected impacts in each area of incidence of the project, based on the system recommended by the British National Agency: “The Impact+ Exercise” tool.

ADULT TRAINERS

The participants will have expanded their knowledge in everyday sexism.
They will have acquired tools to empower adult learners in the identification, confrontation and prevention of everyday sexism practices in:
a) Adult women
b) LGTBIQ + groups.
c) Women with migrant backgrounds
d) Various means of communication, especially on the internet and social networks.
They will have acquired skills to work on Erasmus + projects in collaboration with other entities. They will have acquired capacity to manage inequality conflicts, converting them into safe integration spaces.
They will have increased their leadership capacity.
They will have developed quality adult initiatives with a gender perspective.
They will have empowered adults in the identification, confrontation and prevention of everyday sexism practices.

ADULT LEARNERS

They will have been aware of the existence of everyday sexism practices in society.
They will have gained knowledge about everyday sexism and their impact on adults.
They will have acquired tools and knowledge to identify, prevent and confront everyday sexism practices within their social circles.
They will have acquired tools of inclusive and non-violent communication.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

They will have improved their capacities to empower adult learners in the identification, prevention and confrontation of everyday sexism practices in adult women, LGTBIQ + groups and women with immigrant backgrounds in various media.
They will have promoted social inclusion of adult people in real conditions of equality and contribution to the empowerment of adult learners from a critical perspective.
They will have become reference entities in the confrontation with everyday sexism.
They will have increased their visibility at European and international level, as an internationalization strategy.
They will have created awareness in society to avoid everyday sexism practices in everyday life.
They will have consolidated their knowledge on the subject to continue generating new initiatives.

FOUNDATION OF KNOWLEDGE

They will have expanded their lines of action to empower adult people from LGTBIQ + communities and immigrant-backgrounds, with tools, best practices and knowledge to identify, confront and prevent everyday sexism practices in these groups.