“FOR SOCIAL INCLUSION: YOUNG WOMEN TAKE EUROPE” Erasmus Project

Project Title

“FOR SOCIAL INCLUSION: YOUNG WOMEN TAKE EUROPE”

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Inclusion – equity; Gender equality / equal opportunities

Project Summary

The European Union faces the challenge of defending its values of tolerance, respect, equality and diversity in the face of the fear and violence that radical groups try to impose with attacks and hate speech. To do so, far from advocating for the limitation of rights or establishing isolationist measures, more voices are calling for inclusion and reaffirm European values of justice and equality as the best weapon against intolerance, hatred and lack of humanity.

Promoting a full inclusion of young people in our culture and values is the way to stop violence and keep them away from extremist groups that are nourished by groups at risk of social exclusion and poverty (both national and migrant). Among these groups, the role of young women is especially relevant. According to a confidential report from the Intelligence Center against terrorism one of the biggest threats to Europe is the entry of women into the jihadist scenario. On the other hand, among the Islamophobic groups, young women (mostly minors) also take on special importance by providing a less aggressive image that is a key figure for recruitment.

In February 2018, 6 prestigious European entities (La Fundación para la Europa de los Ciudadanos – SPAIN, the Nikos Poulanzas Institute – GREECE, Transform Italy – ITALY, Transform Austria – AUSTRIA, the March 8 Institute – SLOVENIA and Espaces Marx – FRANCE) We decided to establish a long-term strategic partnership that would allow, thanks to the exchange of experiences in each of the participating countries, to combat hate speech and the rise of radicalism. For this, we began to develop the project “FOR SOCIAL INCLUSION: YOUNG WOMEN TAKE EUROPE” that focused our efforts and actions in generating inclusion mechanisms (which would be promoted by public institutions and social entities) for young women in situations of exclusion, separating them from violent groups and turning them into multiplying agents of European values.

After 21 months, four transnational meetings and various national meetings of young people, technicians and public authorities we have managed to establish a strategic partnership of organizations that work for the integration through employment and equality of young women in the labor market, as well as for stable and quality employment as a tool for social inclusion. A network that seeks to strengthen European values and build a more equality and inclusive society that transfers the demands of women and social movements to the public and responsible authorities in political decision-making, which cannot forget their fundamental role in fostering an inclusive society based on stable and quality employment.

We have also exchanged experiences and created the “WOMEN’S PLATFORM FOR INCLUSION IN EUROPE” that has a DIGITAL TOOLBOX with resources designed for the inclusion of young women. Currently the toolbox is an interactive space that has been shared with dozens of social entities, regional governments and municipalities, providing a multitude of training tools, information and assistance to young women to promote their social inclusion through employability within the social economy and municipalism, while promoting their European citizenship and fighting hate speech.

Results generated through a methodology where the young woman has been not only the beneficiary, but one of its main creators, because all the materials available on the web have been compiled or created jointly by the young women themselves in collaboration with expert technicians , political institutions and people of recognized prestige. This way of creating the materials has allowed young women themselves to have devised innovative services that strengthen their interests and promote them, enabling them to find their social inclusion, develop tools for their emancipation by strengthening their confidence in theirselves and in the society.

All these results have allowed us to collect and generate good results for the inclusion of young women, but above all to promote the inclusion of the dozens of young participants who have seen how their life has changed after this project. In addition, the results are allowing various municipalities, regional governments and social entities nationwide to launch a training, information and comprehensive assistance service that offers young women, various tools to improve their employability and social inclusion away from extremist groups.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 55980 Eur

Project Coordinator

Fundación por la Europa de los Ciudadanos & Country: ES

Project Partners

• March 8 Institute
• Nicos Poulantzas Institute
• TRANSFORM! Italy
• TRANSFORM!AT
• Espaces Marx