Programme: ERASMUS+: Youth, Key Action 1: training course for youth workers
Venue: Yerevan, Armenia
Dates: 8—16 August 2021
Please read the info-pack.
Participants: Eva Gotalská, Lucie Tatoušková
Participating countries: Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Romania, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
Hosting organisation: Armenian Progressive Youth NGO
Project report:
It was an unforgettable week full of gaining knowledge about gender inequalities, leading exciting discussions, meeting new people from all over the world and exploring the hidden gems of Armenia.
On August 8.-16. me and Lucie had a unique opportunity to attend a project called “PRO-GENDER – Promoting Gender dimension in youth work“ thanks to the organization EYCB, that supports young people and helps them to develop their skills through their participation in European educational programs. We joined other 23 participants from countries like Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia and Bulgaria and experienced an intense training course together.
„What are the expectations from different genders in the society? How are gender roles constructed?“ These and many other questions were discussed during this one week period. The aim of the course was to bring the awareness on gender mainstreaming, enrich our knowledge on gender equality, feminism, LGBT and much more. Even through it may seem like and overwhelming amount of new information, it was given in an entertaining way, so the participants never felt bored or tired.
Every day we had a schedule consisting of interesting seminars, debates, games and presentations on the topic. We learned new techniques and tools to improve gender-sensitivity in our work or everyday life. Furthermore – we had a chance to visit FemLibrary – a library that creates a safe space for feministic education.
An unforgettable experience was definitely visit of The Human Library, where a person becomes a book and shares their life-story while others become readers and can participate in conversations they would not normally have the access to.
What was extremely valuable was the chance to get to know people from all around the globe and their approach regarding the topic. Of course, an intercultural night, where the participants presented their country, taught us their traditional dances and prepared their typical dishes could not be left out.
One of the days was dedicated to the trip to an ancient Armenian monastic complex and a beautiful stone lake.
To put it in a nutshell – this training course did not only enriched our knowledge about gender issues, it also broadened our horizons and helped us to understand international differences. The friendships we gained during this training will probably last for decades.
In closing, we would like to say a huge thank you to EYCB for providing us the chance to participate in this project that literally changed our view of life.
Eva Gotalská
