Projects Against Gender-Based Violence: 150 Students Have Become Agents of Change

Gender-based violence is increasingly the focus of media and institutional attention. Unfortunately, this is also due to the young age of those involved. In fact, this type of violence also involves adolescents in a continuum of forms between off-line and on-line, from harassment, sexual violence, on-line violence such as cyberbullying, sexting and grooming, to extreme events such feminicides. Gender-based violence has its roots in stereotyped conceptions of femininity and masculinity, and combating this phenomenon requires the active involvement of young people as agents of change.

This is also the approach behind the CarMiA (Caring Masculinities in Action) and Engaged in Equality projects which, over the past two years, have carried out training activities with about 150 secondary school students and about 60 teachers. Both initiatives, aimed at fostering gender equality and preventing violence, promoted peer education and awareness-raising campaigns. Forum theatre and theatre of the oppressed, role plays and pop culture were some of the teaching methods used.

The threads of this intense work, which took place with the scientific coordination of the Istituto degli Innocenti, were brought together yesterday at the final project seminar in Florence. The closing event, introduced by Raffaella Pregliasco, from the Istituto degli Innocenti, was opened by the keynote speech of Prof. Burgio, full professor of General Pedagogy at the University of Enna Kore, who reflected on the costs of masculinity in adolescence. His speech was followed by a presentation of the training course, the methodologies used and the teaching tools implemented within the two projects, given by Erika Bernacchi from the Istituto degli Innocenti and Antonio Raimondo Di Grigoli, a collaborator of the organisation.

During the afternoon, videos made by the peer educators for the awareness-raising campaigns under the coordination of Luca Bicocchi and Davide Morena were presented by the students themselves.

There was also a forum theatre activity on gender-based violence that directly involved participants thanks to the presence of Olivier Malcor, an expert in theatre of the oppressed. The seminar closed with a round table discussion coordinated by Paolina Pistacchi for the Istituto degli Innocenti. The discussion, which saw the participation of a number of local actors working on preventing gender-based violence, in addition to the Institute, the Regional Equal Opportunities Commission, the Regional School Office and the National Institute for Documentation, Innovation, and Educational Research (INDIRE), aimed at reflecting on how to continue the work and share good practices on the topics covered by the seminar. The event, which took place in the Brunelleschi Hall of the Istituto degli Innocenti, was attended by teachers, educators, students and organisations with expertise in the topics that were discussed.

Caring Masculinities in Action - CarMiA

The project, funded by the European Union, aims at preventing gender-based violence among young people by encouraging a critical reflection on traditional gender roles and introducing the concept of caring masculinity in the work with boys and young men. Methods and techniques aimed at non-violent education of the identity of young males were developed for and with teachers, educators, social workers and professionals with the coordination of the Istituto degli Innocenti. The prevention of gender-based violence and the promotion of caring masculinity concepts were encouraged through peer-to-peer and agents of change activities. The project also launched an awareness-raising campaign aimed at young people to foster a culture of quality at local, national and European levels. The target groups of this project are adolescents and young people who acted as role models, i.e., “agents of change”. Together with their teachers, educators, social workers and/or professionals, they were empowered to promote alternatives for non-violent conflict resolution, options of caring masculinity and a rethinking of male gender stereotypes.

Click here to view the videos made by the Project.

Engaged in Equality – Challenging Masculinities and Engaging Adolescent Boys to End Gender-Based Violence

The project, funded by the European Union, aims at engaging young men as allies in the fight against gender-based violence through questioning rigid gender stereotypes and roles and the concept of hegemonic masculinity among adolescents. During the activities, traditional gender roles and hegemonic masculinity were challenged by involving the young men themselves, but also by supporting the young girls in empowerment processes to identify potential risks and gain confidence to reject abusive behaviour and relationships. Exchanges, understanding and cooperation between young men and women were encouraged to help them build healthy and positive relationships. Among the tools that were used, music and pop culture played a key role in challenging hegemonic masculinity, gender norms, and stereotypes, while promoting diverse and positive male role models among adolescents. Also in the case of Engaged in Equality, training courses were set up for teachers, a teacher toolkit was developed with resources and activities to involve young people, and an awareness-raising campaign was carried out together with the young people involved in the project.

Click here to view the videos made by the Project.