A European Project for Change
The “How Can You(th) Prevent It?” project was a European Erasmus+ initiative. It aimed to stop dating violence and promote gender equality among young people. The project lasted from February 2021 to July 2022 and involved 7 countries. It received funding of €39,520 from the European Union and was part of the “Learning Mobility of Individuals” action.
Why Was This Project Important?
Violence against women and dating abuse are major public health issues and human rights problems. These issues come from unfair gender roles, cultural beliefs, and power imbalance between men and women. This project aimed to help young people understand these problems and take action.
Main Goals:
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Teach 40 young people about gender stereotypes and harmful social norms.
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Help them become leaders for change in their communities.
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Provide a safe space to talk about dating violence and human rights.
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Build international connections for peer learning.
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Reach 5,000+ young people around the world through events and activities.
Activities and Implementation
The project included two key events:
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APV (Advance Planning Visit) in March 2022.
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Youth Exchange (YE) in April 2022.
During the APV, team leaders from each country met to plan the activities. The Youth Exchange lasted 10 days and included presentations, discussions, and skill-building exercises.
Participants:
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37 young people from 6 organizations across Armenia, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, and Turkey.
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Ages ranged from 18 to 30.
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58% were female and 42% male.
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Many had never participated in international projects and faced social, economic, or health-related challenges.
All participants were motivated, open-minded, and respectful. Many shared personal stories about dating violence, and some made real changes in their lives as a result of the project.
What Were the Results?
The project had a strong impact. Around 34 young people became local change-makers. They shared what they learned with others, reaching over 2,500 people directly. Through social media, public events, and their organizations, the total reach was estimated at 6,500 people across 8 countries.
The project also:
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Helped some participants improve their education and career paths.
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Built skills in active citizenship and healthy relationships.
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Inspired organizations to do more on the topic of gender equality.
Participants became more aware of gender bias and more confident in fighting violence in their communities. They created and shared activities to continue the work after the project.
A Lasting Impact
One of the biggest outcomes was the creation of a Handbook called “Seriously Awesome Book of Tools.” It includes activities and methods used in the project and is available online.
Partner organizations also planned more projects on this topic, showing a clear, long-term commitment to change and equality.
This project showed how youth can truly make a difference, creating safer and fairer communities for everyone.
