HerMainY - Project on Gender Mainstreaming

Written by Eleonora Ceschin Member of AEGEE-Udine and HerMainY Project Coordinator

AEGEE-Europe has in the last 3 years dedicated a part of its activities and advocacy work to meet the need for more gender equality inside the organisation and in society at large. Some examples include the activities and work of the Equal Rights Working Group, the Safe Person initiative, the SMASH project and especially the GENDERS project (have a look at gendersproject.eu for more information). Therefore, HerMainY is to be considered only a piece of the wider picture: The commitment of AEGEE-Europe towards gender equality.

The path towards a gender-friendly organisation

HerMainY is a project funded by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe, that has the aim of disseminating knowledge and good practices on gender mainstreaming. The project consists of five phases, including 1) training trainers to act as multipliers on the topic and creating a trainer’s toolbox for gender mainstreaming 2) Europe on Track ambassadors travelling through Europe to raise awareness on gender equality and basics of gender mainstreaming, 3) delivering trainings to locals and advising them on compiling a gender mainstreaming action plan and also organising some Summer Universities based on the principles of gender mainstreaming, 4) having an evaluation event to reflect and compile the best practices handbook, 5) disseminating both of the handbooks via final conference and webinars to partner organisations.

The first phase of the project, the Training for Trainers, was hosted by AEGEE-Moskva from the 2nd to the 9th March 2020. Nine trainers, selected among AEGEE members and six ambassadors of Europe on Track learned about gender mainstreaming and its many applications. Additionally, they learned how to both implement the principles of gender mainstreaming in their own training methodology and deliver sessions about the topic. “The training in Moskva really opened my eyes. In the past I never really stood still with how gender expression and orientation, biological sex and attraction are all a spectrum, but by learning about all aspects it gave me knowledge. By using easily graspable examples and explanations people are easily made aware of what it all means and people are open to discuss it.”

Once the Training for Trainers was over, participants were ready to organise their own training events for AEGEE Locals; unfortunately, COVID-19 pushed for the change of the format, therefore the training was adapted to be held online.

HerMainY is to be considered only a piece of the wider picture: The commitment of AEGEE-Europe towards gender equality.

In mid-April, Summer University, one of the biggest and oldest projects of AEGEE, had to be cancelled due to travel restrictions. Fortunately, thanks to the creation of an online catalogue of activities, HerMainY workshops could be submitted to the newly created online platform, working as an alternative to Summer Universities. This way any AEGEE local interested in learning about gender mainstreaming can request to have training and consultation on the topic.

The Trainers’ Toolbox has also been finalised. The Toolbox is a collection of workshops and sessions held by the trainers Viola Bianchetti and Alejandra Piot Perez-Abadin in Moscow, as well as original sessions created during the event by participants themselves. With its 14 workshops, the Training Toolbox on gender mainstreaming represents an original and simple resource for trainers with basic knowledge of gender. It is now available for use inside AEGEE and will soon be published to be used by the wide range of youth NGOs that operate in Europe.

It is still planned to carry out all the remaining activities of the project online or towards the end of the year. We hope Europe and the youth sector will emerge closer, stronger and more equal for all!