GENDER EQUALITY MATTERS (GEM)

Is there a relation between school bullying and gender differences? What is the impact of relational bullying on adolescents? How can we contrast gender violence amongst the new generations?

The Fondazione Mondo Digitale is a partner of the new 24-MONTH European REC Programme Project GEM - Gender Equality Matters: Tackling Gender-based Violence". The main objective of the many project activities (research, education, awareness raising, communications campaign, etc.) will be to increase communities’ awareness of gender violence, promoting the adoption of correct behaviour that respect differences amongst human beings.

The Context

Recent research has revealed that school bullying can take many forms and target gender relations, discriminate against minority groups and the LGBTI community and against that those whom appear most vulnerable to their peers. Young men and women tend to start straying from the roles that are expected of them at 12 and become ore stigmatised and isolated. Even the bullies increase significantly between ages 11 and 15. There is a vast body of literature documenting the effects of gender violence on youth. This includes dropping out of school, increased depression, self-injury, anxiety and attempted suicide.

Notwithstanding the anti-bullying policies adopted at the national level in various countries, educational communities are not ready to face the phenomenon, as they are neither trained, nor used to collaborating.

Objectives

The project aims to increase awareness, modify attitudes and promote behavioural changes in relation to gender violence, in general, and with specific reference to violence against the LGBTI community.

Partners

• Dublin City University, Ireland (lead partner)
• Kentro Merimnas Oikogeneias Kai Paidiou, Greece
• Universidad De Murcia, Spain
• Fondazione Mondo Digitale, Italy
• European School Heads Association, Netherlands

Targets

• 47 schools
• 2550 minors aged 10-18
• 600 parents
• 560 teachers
• 60 coaches
• 16.800 school directors
• 250 aspiring teachers

Activities

• Evaluation of needs (through 3 identified target groups);
• Development of educational modules, self-evaluation tools and specific educational modules for the individual target groups (manuals for coaches, multimedia resources, etc.)
• Organisation of events to involve the target groups;
• Implementation of educational sessions:
• Modules for teaching educators (8 hours)
• On-line summer courses for teachers (20 hours) (MOOC, WP3)
• Courses for parents (3x2 hours)
• Modules for school staff per (2x2 hours)
• Development of web sites, on-line courses and multimedia resources

• Organisation of seminars;
• Organisation of on-line communication campaigns;
• Monitoring and evaluation of the training courses and tweaking of didactic products.

Expected Results

• Prevention and awareness-raising actions on gender violence (children/parents/teachers/school directors);
• Development of innovative, creative and attractive resources that can also be consulted on-line on partner websites;
• Trainer training;
• Development of key abilities related to prevention and the management of violent situations;
• Raising the awareness of parents and families;
• Improvement of school culture to make it a more powerful force defending children’s rights through the concrete improvement plans for gender equality developed by Project GEM;
• Involve and increase everyone’s responsibility, in each target group, to promote the equality and rights of all individuals in their schools and communities.