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Introduction
Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction |
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Welcome to the CDN Gender Group web-page! Gender Group was formed as a result of the CDN’s previous work on gender issues. Our first activity was the “Sexual (R) evolution” seminar. It was the starting point in dealing with gender related issues within this network. It was a good opportunity to share ideas and start working on the preparations for the upcoming “Gender Evolution” Study Session which was envisaged as an opportunity to involve young people, from different European countries and organizations, in answering important challenges by rising awareness on different gender issues that exist in our societies. By enriching the understanding of human rights, gender roles, gender stereotypes and gender equality in South-Eastern Europe and by providing the space for the practice of necessary skills and for the planning of future action, the study session aimed to enhance the capacity of young NGO activists from all over Europe to advocate for human rights as a way of achieving gender equality. For one week, from the 4th to 11th of December 2005, 27 participants from all over Europe approached traditional areas of action, as well as more recent one. Matters like equal conditions and equal treatment in employment, including reproductive health, non-sexist education and education for equality, equal access to political life and to decision-making were among the first; others, like sexual freedom and sexual differences, prostitution, trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation, violence in situations of armed conflict or the need to find ways of reconciling professional and family life were among the second. This study session was very important for the CDN and its future work in creating “Gender Group” because it gave us the opportunity to discuss and find differences and similarities between Eastern and Western European countries and also between different Eastern European countries on gender related problems. By doing that we have found grounds and the direction for our future work and have created projects we will have in future. This study session has given the direction for the future work because we have pinpointed the main problems and issues we will work on within our gender network. The very important findings are in the area of differences and similarities on gender related issues in Eastern and Western European countries. Since CDN is a network focusing on Eastern European region it has helped us to form a basis for the future work because we have concluded that for this region different approach for these issues has to be taken. We have concluded that the main way we will take is the education on several levels – home, schooling, work and decision making. Through the Gender Group as well as national and local organizations we will focus on educating and involving more young people to work on the gender related problems. The educational work will start with publications and e – newsletter that will be made by the international team and the dissemination of this material through the Gender Group will be the beginning of our work. We believe that the negative connotations and the state of gender issues and feminism in Eastern Europe will be changed when both genders become more involved in the work, as our non-mixed groups have concluded. Recommendations are to get more young people involved in the CDN work on promoting gender equality in Eastern Europe and to work on education and emancipation, fighting gender stereotypes, promotion of involvement of women in politics and active participation. The first stage is to work in local organizations and promotion in local universities. During the course of this study session the statement committee made up of participants and led by the prep team member has created this statement: We
need a Gender Revolution! Young people from all over Europe gathered to explore the role of gender on different levels of societies in Eastern Europe. We exchanged experiences, compared and analyzed the current situations of the gender issues in different countries. Coming from various cultural backgrounds we learned about our possibilities and came with several solutions which can help in the future. Also contacts were established for the future cooperation in Europe. The study session was organized by the Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe with the support of the Council of Europe. The participants were coming from the following countries: Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Greece, Macedonia, Bosnia, Italy, Croatia, Poland, Sweden, Germany, France, Serbia, Ukraine, Finland, Turkey, Belarus, Romania, Latvia and Hungary to gather. The participants reflected on how gender inequalities affect all spheres of life from family environment to economy and government. This is a very broad problem that requires different interventions at various levels, strategic thinking and measures promoting harmony and understanding within the “revolution”. The study session gave to the participants the opportunity to understand the actual causes and consequences of the gender inequality phenomena and reflect on the possibility that each of them has in contributing to making a change. The conclusions of the study session were that due to the lack of information and education, the main obstacles of gender equality are existing stereotypes as a result of the discrimination on different levels of the society depending on its culture, religion and history. Men and women are treated differently in family responsibilities, studying and working opportunities as well as on the political level. Both genders are made to play a certain role in the society under the pressure of stereotypes with becoming a victim of violence as being the most extreme result of it. The creation of a gender initiative is considered to make a positive change in Eastern Europe. It shall be a base for future actions created by the participants such as:
• Creation and development of a Gender Campaign, We need a Gender Revolution. We are young active citizens and want our societies to treat both genders equally!
Another part of the meeting was focusing on the CDN Political Platform and amendments on gender issues. We have also worked on preparation of the Gender e-newsletter that will be our main priority for the upcoming months, and we would like to invite all of you who are interested in participating in it to contact us and join in on our work!
Ivana Vujadinovic |
