Say NO to gender based discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual assault!

<< Background >>After #MeToo movement across USA and Europe, the topic of gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment andsexual assault becomes a hot subject in the attention not only of the public opinion, but to simple people around the world. The low incidence of repercussions for abusers also shows a lack of knowledge and awareness among employers and victims on how they can prevent the phenomenon.#NOT ME project aimed to provide skills and knowledge for young people (aged 18-30) to prevent and react towards gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual assaultand for youth workers, trainers, counselors, mentors and volunteers who work with young people to assist them in dealing with the phenomenon and to ensure a safe environment where they can discuss this sensitive topic. The project #NOT ME focused on two categories of target groups: a) youth workers, counselors, trainers, mentors, volunteers working with young people, representatives of employers (young employees’ mentors, supervisors, leaders) b) young people enrolled in a study program or an internship program and young employees, aged between 18-30 years.<< Objectives >>The main objectives of the project were : a) To raise awareness of more than 300 young people (aged between 18-30years) on their level of exposure to sexual harassment, on the associated risks, behaviors and on the appropriatesolutions for prevention and reaction, by developing an assessment tool for measuring gender-based discrimination,sexual harassment and sexual assault. b) To provide youth workers, trainers, volunteers,counselors, mentors as well as youth skills, knowledge and effective tools to prevent gender-based discrimination, sexualharassment and sexual assault, by elaborating a full highly innovative training package including the curriculum, thetraining contents and the methodology. c) To raise awareness on sexual harassment at workplace and toequip young employees aged between 18-30 years with skills and knowledge to prevent, to change the attitude, and toreact against it, by creating an online course. d) To raise awareness of representatives of employers(as work place mentors, internship leaders) on their responsibilities, ways of actions, and ways of supporting youngpeople employed to prevent sexual harassment at organizational level, by elaborating guidelines on this topic.<< Implementation >>In order to develop the project results, the consortium referred to the latest evidence-based research and educationalstrategies in this area. This ensured a functional pedagogical development of the training material, especially sincemembers of consortium had successfully developed training material for youth workers etc., and youth in other European projects. The overall guiding framework to monitor the project was based upon a Utilization-Focused evaluation approach. The main focus of this method was that the evaluation (internal) should be made by the their utility and actual use. The evaluation process incorporated the monitoring of performance indicators together with continuous quality improvement throughout the project. With this background in mind, the utilization of the theory of change was also be incorporated. The following steps were used:1) Input (month 1 – 4): Assessment Algorithm for Measuring Sexual Harassment - PR1 2) Activity (month 5 – 13):Elaboration of the innovative youth training package` `How to say no! Prevent gender based discrimination, sexualharassment and sexual assault!`` - PR2 4) Output (month 14– 16): Elaboration and testing of the online course for theyoung employees ``Sexual harassment at work place`` - PR3 6) Output (month 17 – 20): Elaboration of the guidelines forrepresentatives of employers ``Prevent sexual harassment at work`` - PR4 7) Impact (month 21 – 24): The projectproduced materials for a European training course that would equip youth workers, trainers, counselors, volunteers, representatives of employers and youth with the knowledge, skills and competences required to be aware, prevent and intervene in gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual assault (further details about the impact, can be found in the impact section of the application). Strategic working groups: the partners formed a youth strategic workinggroup in their locality, that could include representatives of NGO's, youth organizations, universities, employers, tradeunions, professional associations, police forces and other relevant stakeholders. Partners worked with their groupsthroughout the project, using them for information, feedback and evaluation. They were also useful for project resultsdissemination. Strategic networks: each partner formed a strategic network, either regional, national orinternational, for the purpose of disseminating the aims and the results of the project.<< Results >>The project results exceeded the planned ones. They consisted in: an innovative assessment Algorithm for Measuring Sexual Harassment piloted on 309 youth, an innovative training package piloted internationally and tested in each partner country (innovative curriculum, attractive training contents and materials, creative and interactive methodologies for face to face training) for youth workers, trainers, counselors, mentors, volunteers working with young people to learn how to help and support them to prevent and to react towards gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual abuse, attractive and innovative online and face to face course for young employees on preventing sexual harassment at work place, tested by 129 young employees in the 5 countries, - solid guidelines for representatives of employers on how they can prevent sexual harassment at work place and encourage young people to report it discussed with 86 employers, a short term joint staff training ``How to say no! Prevent gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual assault!`` based on the developed training package for 20 youth trainers, 150 young people from all partner countries participating at local training courses on the prevention of gender based discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual abuse, -126 young professionals in the 5 countries attendant of the online course for the young employees ``Sexual harassment at work place``; 393 participants to the sexual harassment prevention multiplier workshops in the partner countries, 19 face to face and online informative events with 619 participants organized, more than 26600 visualizations of the project information registered; more than 35000 persons informed about the project.The project ``Say NO to gender based discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual assault!`` provided improved knowledge and skills, as well as new adopted strategies and attitudes of young people to prevent gender based discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual abuse in their lives in different contexts, well equipped youth workers and trainers with competencies, skills and knowledge on how to assist and support young people in their process of preventing prevent gender based discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual abuse, well informed employers on sexual harassment at work place and appropriate actions that they can take to prevent and to reduce all its costs. The project results were highly innovative, actual, easily transferable to youth, youth workers and employers all over Europe.