Women Overthrowing MENtalities Erasmus Project

Project Title

Women Overthrowing MENtalities

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Gender equality / equal opportunities

Project Summary

CONTEXT
Despite efforts at European level, gender inequality remains a major problem of the European Union. The causes are different: education, which places the woman in the position of being subject to the will and power of the man; education received in early childhood and stereotypical thinking (little girls have to play with dolls and boys with cars); distorted interpretations of religious texts; the influence of the mass media or the fashion industry, which build false value systems; opinions of politicians, who support the inferiority of women; stereotypes such as “nice / weak sex” and “strong sex”. The effects of these factual states are: the acceptance by women of low standards generated by false value systems; accepting social / financial dependence on men; low self-esteem, lack of confidence in one’s own strengths, acceptance of a humble condition, compliance with the roles that men pre-establish for them – caretakers, children bearers, housewives. Although the situation seems to have improved in recent years, at least on a surface level, we still witness a wide variety of forms of discrimination and abuse against women.

OBJECTIVES
The specific objectives of the project, which will be achievable through transnational and local activities, are:
1. to foster the mentality of gender equality at the level of both male and female students by at least 70%
2. to promote female role models in all cultures – at least 50 examples
3. to analyse the shifts of gender-related mentality from past to present in the partner countries
4. to raise awareness about women’s rights and how to defend them
5. to foster civic engagement of students and have at least 40% of participants actively involved in social campaigns
6. to encourage intercultural learning and awareness
7. to develop students’ soft skills – communication, critical thinking, creative thinking, team work, motivation etc.

MAIN ACTIVITIES
We have planned 5 transnational activities which will also involve a lot of activities done at local level, by all the partners involved.
C1 – Women’s roles – past and present (reports about how women are perceived in all cultures)
C2 – Powerful women figures – examples of leading women figures in various domains
C3 – Women’s rights – pioneers of women’s rights, national and international laws, national services
C4 – Women as victims of violence – domestic violence, trafficking, forced marriage
C5 – Fighting for women’s rights – a school-based monitoring service, organizing a campaign
All the 5 exchanges will be combined with virtual exchanges during which students present their work on the topic, within one month from the date when the physical exchange has finished.

RESULTS
As a result of the project activities, we will produce the following outputs: initial and final questionnaires to measure students’ attitudes to and perception of gender equality, presentations of and brochure with women models across countries and cultures (at least 50), interviews of successful women, reports and statistics about gender discrimination and violence against women, documentary films about pioneering figures in the defence of women’s rights, students’ campaigns, artwork – posters, photographs, videos, dissemination conferences, the final output which will contain all the data and students’ work throughout the project.

PARTICIPANTS
At the beginning of the project, we will select the main work group of the project, based on the students’ letter of intent and teacher recommendations. We expect to have a group of at least 30 students in each school (150 sts). They will be involved in the work between mobilities, participate in conferences on eTwinning, do research, create materials and artwork. From these students we will select 6 / country for each exchange (120 sts), depending on their involvement in the activities that precede the exchange, level of English etc.

IMPACT
For all partner institutions, this Erasmus+ project is going to bring benefits at all levels.
First of all, the institutions increase their student mobility and also the teacher mobility. These participants will bring back to the school new ideas and perceptions that they observe in partner schools. This will also motivate students and create an atmosphere of cooperation and team work in the school, in which all people involved will feel included.
Participants also grow personally and professionally, which is going to transfer into their everyday activities.
Secondly, the schools build up an international network which enhances the international profile of the school as well as its attractiveness in the local communities. Schools also strengthen the links with local authorities, associations, NGOs and also with members of the local community – parents, grandparents.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 159300 Eur

Project Coordinator

COLEGIUL NATIONAL PEDAGOGIC STEFAN CEL MARE & Country: RO

Project Partners

• 1st Vocational High School of Aridaia
• Institut Aiguaviva
• Istituto di Istruzione superiore V.Cuoco-G.Manuppella
• İstanbul Özel Hazar Anadolu Lisesi