The transnational project CARING aims to understand, prevent and reduce gender-based violence among young people in school settings in 4 countries: Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia. Challenging existing social norms, perceptions and attitudes, it seeks to promote positive practices for gender equality in schools and communities, through awareness-raising and participatory actions for teachers, school staff, young people aged 13-18 and parents, around issues of gender-based violence. Program duration: May 2023 – April 2025.
Project Objectives
- To capture and understand existing perceptions, norms and the specific social stereotypes that promote and perpetuate gender-based violence in the 32 selected schools in 4 countries.
- To enhance the awareness and knowledge of young people, aged 13-18, about gender stereotypes and gender equality, with an emphasis on empowering them to become agents of change and promote non-violent behavior and communication.
- To increase and expand the capacities of school teaching staff to adopt a tolerant and non-violent inclusive behavior and to promote positive practices related to gender equality in schools at a structural level.
- To promote collaborations of agencies at local and regional level in partner countries and to promote a gender-sensitive approach in their efforts to address the prevention of school and community violence.
Expected Results
- In the short term, young people and school staff will gain a better understanding of gender issues and the scale of school violence by participating in the initial assessment. Then, based on the adapted methodology, school facilitators will train members of the school staff and management.
- In the long term, professionals will have gained a better understanding of the dimensions of gender-based violence and will be equipped with knowledge to recognize it as well as skills to prevent, mediate and combat it. They will also be empowered to systematically promote gender equality and non-discrimination at the institutional level.
The CARING program is coordinated by Terre des hommes (Tdh) Romania in collaboration with Tdh Hungary, Tdh Hellas, Brave Phone Croatia, Institute of Social Activities and Practices (SAPI) and Association Roditeli Bulgaria.
For more information, please contact George Kanaris, Child Protection Programs Coordinator at george.kanaris@tdh.org
The program is co-funded by the European Commission (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme).
