‘WOMEN’S MARCH’ AN OVERALL JOURNEY TO AN ERASMUS+ YOUTH EXCHANGE

The ‘Women’s March’ Youth Exchange project was implemented by the SE.M.I association in Tredozio between the 19th and the 25th of June 2022. This project came to close a year of international mobility projects with Erasmus+ and SE.M.I association that for the year 2022 implemented two Youth Exchanges, including 50 young European citizens.

The European Union Strategy for youth includes three fundamental elements, ENGAGE, EMPOWER and CONNECT and provides numerous opportunities for young people across the EU. The Erasmus+ programme provides for young people the opportunity to meet other cultures and people, take part in a non-formal learning opportunity, promote the funding rules of the European Union and gain new skills and competences.

‘WOMEN’S MARCH’ YOUTH EXCHANGE

The project idea was initially proposed by Danai Nakou, a youth worker of SE.M.I and a similar idea was proposed by a group of young people during the youth exchange project ‘More Bridges, Less Walls’, the summer of 2021, implemented by SE.M.I and Danai Nakou. Giving a focus on the International women’s day, every 8th of March and the equality between all genders, SE.M.I proposed this youth exchange project in the second round of 2021, in October and got the approval in the early January of 2022. This project was based on the European Youth Goal, Equality of All Genders and the goal about Equality of Genders of the Agenda 2030.

The main objectives of the project were:

Highlighting the importance and beauty of the International Women’s Day
Deeper understanding of the fight of women to maintain their rights
Observe and tackle the different gender stereotypes and biases
Inform and reflect around the situation in different European Union countries
Promote the values and principles of the European Union and the different opportunities for young people

This mobility for young people project involved 25 young people from Spain, Italy, Hungary, Portugal and Greece. The participants had the chance to deepen their knowledge around the women’s suffrage, the importance of 8th of March, the International Women’s Day, to explore and tackle the different stereotypes and biases based on gender and to change their gender in order to perform using the theatrical technique, Gender role reversal theater. In the project were added two meetings with some important women of Tredozio and Faenza, as a chance to provide to the young participants the opportunity to get to know new people, hear the stories of successful and strong women, but also observe how the situation and the position of women changed with the passing of time. The first one was Maria Virgina Fabroni, a famous poetess from Tredozio. The participants had the chance to get to know this figure through Elisa Schiumarini, a young woman living in Tredozio and working also in different events to promote the figure of Maria Virginia Fabroni that got lost in time due to her gender. The young people read their poems, reflected on the position of women in her times and found the different elements in her poetry.

The project location was the Tredozio ex Monastery, an ancient building (dating back to 1060) and recently renovated.

The project included a day of cultural visit in Faenza where the participants met the second important female figure included in this project, Claudia Casali. Arriving in the city of Faenza around 9.30 o’clock the group moved to the MIC – International Museum of Ceramics, where they were expecting us for a guided visit. Before exploring the museum the participants had the chance to meet Claudia Casali, the director of MIC and discuss her career, the obstacles and struggles she had to overcome being a woman directing an International Museum, but also the change through time of female presence in art and the history of art. In the meeting was also present Davide Agresti, city counselor for youth policies, Europe and Well-fare.

Our activities

Day 1 – 20/06/2022

Ice-breaking and Team building activities, implemented by Rolando Leotta a young youth worker of SE.M.I

Day 2 – 21/06/2022

Introduction to the topic, the women’s suffrage, presentation and open discussion about the position of women in our countries, the difficulties and obstacles, group activities to observe the different gender stereotypes and biases, implemented by Danai Nakou. In the afternoon an interactive workshop about Maria Virginia Fabroni took place, implemented by Elisa Schiumarini.

Day 3 – 22/06/2022

Topic related activities to address the gender stereotypes and biases, create strategies to fight them and raise awareness around gender discrimination and gender based violence. In the afternoon session the participants came in touch with the Gender role reversed theater, a technique not so much known where the genders are changing and with them all the stereotypes that follow their gender. After an introduction they were split on teams and started working on their play based on the classic Disney stories. The participants had to first find and observe the problematic references to later address them and create their own play.

Day 4 – 23/06/2022

Cultural visit in Faenza. After the arrival in the city the participants visited the MIC, where they had a discussion with Claudia Casali and a guided visit in the museum. They enjoyed lunch all together and after that they played some city games and explored the city alone.

Day 5 – 24/06/2022

The last morning of this project was dedicated to the presentation of the participants theatrical plays and activities around the 8key competences. The later sessions were the reveal of our guardian angel that took extra care of each one of us during the project, a Youthpass ceremony, an evaluation session and the follow up, where the participants reflected on the 11 European Youth Goals and tried to create their own projects.