Last week Terre des hommes Foundation brought together a hundred partners, collaborators and representatives from the corporate and civil society area to talk to them about gender-based violence in schools.
The event presented by journalist and activist Razvan Exarhu brought to attention testimonies from schools and data from a unique research conducted this year by Terre des hommes Foundation in 15 schools in Romania and 5 in the Republic of Moldova. Thus, the guests found out, among other things:
- Boys who show themselves "vulnerable" and cry are marginalized, verbally assaulted and despised by colleagues
- Girls who do not conform to expectations related to physical or behavior are also "sanctioned" by comments or aggressive actions
- Schoolgirls are almost the only targets of sexual comments (especially those related to appearance), vulgar addresses and inappropriate touching.
- Boys declare physical violence and bullying to be predominant, while teachers claim that only bullying is characteristic in the case of boys
At the same time, the material situation of students in the communities in the project is often below a decent level, which makes access to support, health services or simple information much limited. And if we consider that all these situations represent simultaneous and daily challenges for children, their lives are an ongoing drama that will profoundly affect their future, not just the present.
At least 30 of the guests promised donations in order to create safety spaces in Romanian schools and thus facilitate the children's dialogue with specialists, to help them escape the spiral of violence of any type. Also, some of the guests have committed to mentoring children who want to learn more about their job, so that their dreams go beyond the limited space of the community where they live.
"We have brought to your attention the subject of gender-based violence in schools because one cannot prevent what one is not aware of and one does not understand. Violence is a body in its own right and we must fight against it in innovative ways and – very importantly – constantly. We are the carriers of stories whose solution is simple: everyone needs help. It is our responsibility to offer it", said Ana Vladescu, Project Manager.
Those interested may donate at any time to the Foundation's account, mentioning "Active/Activ". Account number OF FOUNDATION TERRE DES HOMMES - AIDE A L'ENFANCE DANS LE MONDE, bank account opened with UniCredit Bank. Bank account no. RO81 BACX 0000 0010 2791 3000.
This event took place within the ACTIV-ACT Against Violence project, carried out by Terre des hommes Elvetia (Romania), in partnership with the Representation in the Republic of Moldova of Terre des Hommes Lausanne Foundation – Switzerland and the Separate Division of Terre des Hommes Foundation in Ukraine, with the financial support of the Active Citizens Fund Romania, a program funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The project aims to bring positive changes on gender-based violence in the school environment, at the level of attitude and behavior on the part of children, at the level of strategies for addressing violence by teachers, starting from a better understanding of social norms, stereotypes, prejudices that underlie negative attitudes and through the involvement of children, who become active actors of change.
About the Active Citizens Fund Romania Program
The Active Citizens Fund Romania program is funded through the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The overall objective of the Grants is to reduce economic and social disparities and to strengthen bilateral relations between the 15 beneficiary states and the donor states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway). The program is managed by the consortium composed of the Civil Society Development Foundation, the Partnership Foundation, the Resource Center for Roma Communities, PACT Foundation and Frivillighet Norge, acting as a Fund Operator designated by FMO – The Office of the Financial Mechanism of the EEA and Norway Grants. Active Citizens Fund Romania aims to strengthen civil society and active citizenship and increase the capacity of vulnerable groups. With a total allocation of EUR 46,000,000, the programme aims to develop the long-term sustainability and capacity of the civil society sector, intensifying its role in promoting democratic participation, active citizenship and human rights, while strengthening bilateral relations with the donor states Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. For more information about the Active Citizens Fund in Romania, please visit www.activecitizensfund.ro. For more information about the EEA and Norway Grants, visit www.eeagrants.ro.
The content of this press release does not necessarily represent the official position of the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021; for more information go to www.eeagrants.org. Information about the Active Citizens Fund Romania is available at www.activecitizensfund.ro.
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