BRIDGE: connecting local community members for effective gender based violence solutions

Project duration: September 2019 – August 2021

Project aim – to strengthen the response of local communities to gender based violence and to ensure an effective prevention system is in place.

Expected results:

1) Contextualized and tailored algorithm to adhere the needs and capacities of professionals of different sectors on local level developed;
2) Built capacities and improved knowledge of school communities (teachers, school administration and students);
3) Raised awareness of school and local communities and society in general.

Activities:

• Mapping the needs and capacities of different professionals in pilot municipalities to be active agents in multi-agency cooperation in the field of prevention of gender based violence (GBV);
• In cooperation with different professionals creating an algorithm for GBV intervention in three pilot municipalities;
• Capacity building for professionals on GBV and algorithm;
• Round table for different professionals to discuss the algorithm;
• Assess attitudes on gender stereotypes and GBV in local schools;
• Capacity building for teachers and administration staff for pilot schools about GBV;
• Building up a support system in school “Equality lab”;
• Preparation of learning package “School free of gender stereotypes”;
• Forum theater activities in schools;
• Capacity building activities for students in schools;
• Recommendations for the Ministry of Education;
• Survey on attitudes regarding GBV in local communities in three municipalities;
• Awareness raising campaigns for residents of municipalities;
• Informational campaign for professionals in pilot municipalities;
• Drafting, piloting and finalizing an awareness raising tool for pupils’ audiences for nation-wide use using an online educational platform “Inconvenient Film Class”.
• Organizing educational and information events of Inconvenient films.
• Organizing a national conference

Activities will be held in 3 pilot municipalities: city of Alytus, Jonava region and Ukmergė region. Best practice will be presented to other municipalities and decision makers.

Project partners: Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, Lithuanian Centre for Human Rights and Nomoshiti.

PARENT: Promotion, Awareness Raising and Engagement of men in Nurture Transformations

Duration of the project: 2019 February – 2021 February

Aim of the project: Promotion of change in social attitudes and behavior regarding gender roles in caregiving

Objectives of the project:
1. To promote gender-transformative and synchronized approaches by engaging men in co-responsible parenting and caregiving and promoting the equal share of unpaid care work in 4 European countries (Lithuania, Portugal, Italy, Austria).
2. Contribute to the prevention of domestic and intra-family gender based violence.

The main activities:
1. To design a guide for health sector workers to help engage with men in health sector and promote active fatherhood, especially paying attention to male refugees and migrants.
2. Organize group education activities for fathers and their partners, including refugees and migrants in order to promote questioning of traditional concepts on gender roles.
3. To mobilize the community and implement national campaigns with the goal to raise the awareness of the importance of men’s involvement in non-violence, caregiving, parental and maternal health, displaying the diversity of masculinities.

ARTGORA: Creative Industries for an Equal Baltic

Duration of the project: 2018 September – 2019 September

Aim of the project: To reduce discrimination and empower women in creative industries field in accordance to Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Objectives of the project:

1. Bringing together the stakeholders from the Baltic Sea and Eastern Partnership regions in order to share experience and promote mutual cooperation in solving common problems through art and culture.

2. Raising awareness of the role of culture in promoting gender equality and sharing various best practices on how to address this issue in the target regions.

3. Develop and generate innovative solutions and project ideas for potential regional cooperation.

The main activities of the project are:

1. Sharing best practice and ensuring it in creative industries that promote gender equality and reduce the gender gap.

2. Organizing the Regional Forum in Riga in 2019 April 10-12 by including partner countries interested in promoting ideas and values of gender equality through art and cultural work.

3. Increase public awareness through a variety of audio-visual means, including the digital series of Talk Real | Art Real show and online publications.

Project partners: the National Museums of World Culture (Sweden); Tartu University (Estonia), Riga Technical University (Latvia), Centre for Equality Advancement (Lithuania), Foundation Laboratory of Research and Social Action SocLab (Poland), Taso Foundation (Georgia), Poruch (Ukraine), and European Alternatives (Germany).

Project activities are supported by the Baltic Institute Baltic Sea Region Cooperation Program.

STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: FROM (A)WARENESS TO (Z)ERO VICTIMS BLAMING

Duration: 3rd April 2017 – 2nd October 2019

Objectives: to develop targeted information & implement practical empowerment actions, education activities and awareness-raising to increase understanding of different forms of VAW & stop blaming VAW victims & ultimately contribute to promoting zero tolerance to VAW & strengthening gender equality. By using the framework of the “theory of change” the project will aim at finding practical solutions for complex social issues.

Goals of the project:
• Empowering VAW victims & women at risk through development of key messages and most effective communication tools to increase women’s abilities to recognise VAW and trigger motivation to reach out for help.
• Building capacity of professionals through training and development of practical information to ensure sensitive support for victims of VAW and input to VAW prevention.
• Raising awareness of the general public through informing society about various forms of VAW & challenging victim-blaming attitudes within society.

Target groups:
• Victims of domestic violence and women at risk to domestic violence;
• Health care professionals (primary health care level doctors and gynecologists);
• Social workers;
• Child rights protection officers;
• Journalists.

Project partners: Human Rights Monitoring Institute, Centre for Equality Advancement, social advertising agency Nomoshiti and Lithuanian Medical Association (associated partner).

Co-funded by Project is partially funded by European Union, Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme and by Global Fund for Women (programme “Voices Against violence GBC Global Initiative: Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Central and Eastern Europe”)