END GBV in VET – Full service to increase capacity and awareness for disrupting gender-based violence in the VET sphere

Period: January 2022 – September 2024

Project number: 101049592

Co-financed by European Commission by CERV-2021-DAPHNE

About project:

The END GBV in VET project focuses on piloting a full-service operating office for students, trainers, schools administrative staff and parents to increase the capacity and awareness for disrupting gender-based violence in the VET sphere. This is achieved by improving the development of VET school students, their teachers/staff and interested parents in addressing issues relevant to GBV, to strengthen the existing structures of the institutions by offering an integrated approach through the operation of a full-service in the campus that will provide information, training, support and consultations.

Context:

Gender-based violence (GBV) is the most extreme expression of unequal gender relations in society and one of the most widespread violations of human rights.  While GBV disproportionally affects women and girls, it also affects men and boys. GBV is preventable and educational institutions can play a central role in ending it. 

Students in Vocational Institutes (VET) typically fall between the ages of  18  and  30  and evidence shows that young people in this age category lack adequate information on the spectrum of violence based on gender and they are unaware of the existing means to report and address the abuse behavior.  The college admission period often represents the first time many young people experience “real” independence from their parents, guardians, relatives, and teachers who supported and guided them during their early teen years. However, many young people are unable to successfully handle the independence that comes with college life, opening them up to negative outcomes related to sexuality.

Studies have found that young women’s rights to a safe learning environment, free from sexual and other kinds of violence, with access to information and services, are currently limited at the tertiary level.

All project partner countries (Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxemburg, Spain, Slovakia, Romania and Austria) are well advanced in the fight against GBV in general but also in the areas of education with information and training mostly for teachers and students and in a lower degree for parents. There are national plans or projects in place to promote respect of gender equality and the prevention of  GBV  and all forms of discrimination. Even though initiatives exist in the education system and are promoted by public institutions, little has been done for the Vocational Training providers.  The topic of violence against women and GBV should be included in the training of teaching staff and students. Schools can also be subject to prohibition orders (i.e., of entrance), and they could prevent GBV inside the campuses.  At present, corresponding training is not compulsory, which means that participation in workshops and training on violence due to gender depends on the individual interest and commitment of the training provider.

The Commission Communication on a Union of Equality: Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 highlights the importance of vocational education and training for women and men to ensure a gender balance and to tackle gender stereotypes. The Council Recommendation on VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience targeted measures to promote gender balance in traditionally  “male”  or  “female” professions and address gender related and other types of stereotypes together (COM(2020) 275 final).

Goal and objectives:

END GBV in VET aims at the creation of a more supportive VET school environment for learners in vocational education and training on issues relating to gender-based violence.

Specific objectives: 

• Improved knowledge, policy, and practice of VET students and teachers/staff, as well as interested parents for addressing GBV.
• Increased operational capacity of VET institutions through the operation of safe spaces for VET students to receive support, to critically reflect on and speak openly about GBV.
• Outreach to VET students through the online support service to support addressing GBV, outreach to VET related stakeholders to increase their knowledge and raise awareness.

Work packages:

WP1: Project Management-Quality Assurance-Evaluation (Coordinator EVBB)

WP2: Comparative approach on disparities among and within participating countries (Coordinator ICCV)

WP3: Guidelines to support cases of GBV in VET (Coordinator AKMI SA)

WP4: Design and pilot of the END – GBV Office as a support office full service (Coordinator EVBB)

WP5: Creating synergies through networking, dissemination and exploitation (Coordinator ENAIP NET)

Partner organisations: 

• EVBB – Europäischer Verband Beruflicher Bildungsträger (Belgia), 
• AKMI – Akmi Anonimi Ekpaideftiki Etairia (Grecia) 
• IBIS ACAM – EMPOWERING PEOPLE (Austria) 
• CSV – CENTRO SAN VIATOR (Spania) 
• ENAIP NET – Impresa Sociale Societa Consortile Srl (Italia) 
• ICCV – Institutul de Cercetare a Calitatii Vietii (Romania) 
• NEWPORT – Newport Group As (Slovacia) 
• NOVEL GROUP – Novel Group Sarl (Luxemburg) 
• SYMPLEXIS (Greece)

Associated partners:

• Agentia Nationala pentru Egalitatea de Sanse intre Femei si Barbati (Romania)
• Asociacion de centros de formacion tecnico profesional de inciativa social de euskadi hetel heziketa teknikoko elkartea de durango (BIZKAIA) (Spain)
• Asociacion de centros de formacion profesional (FPEMPRESA) (Spain)
• Štátny Inštitút Odborného Vzdelávania (Slovakia)
• Ústredie práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny (Slovakia) 

More information about the project and its results can find at https://endgbv-in-vet.eu/