Scale-Up YMI – SIT and THINK

Scaling up “Young Men Initiative” project aims to create a culture based on human rights, gender equality, nonviolence and healthy development amongst young men and young women and the community in general.

Specifically, through engaging young men and women from five communities Albanian, Serbian, Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian aged 14 – 19 by helping them to embrace attitudes and demonstrate behaviours which support more gender-equitable social norms, healthy lifestyles and discourage violent behaviour against community, young women, men, and peers.

These objectives will be achieved by working on:

“Be a Man Club” and Healthy Lifestyles component– SIT will be working not only with youth directly involved in the project, but there will be also an open campaign where everyone will be invited to be part of and to share, promote, inform wider public about the values of the project. Through workshops on violence, conflict and healthy lifestyles, young men and women will be mobilised to promote more equitable gender norms, healthy lifestyles and nonviolence. Through school based clubs, school community events and media campaigns young people will be actively engaged. Through special campaign events and educational opportunities, parents, teachers, sport coaches and other adult role models will be targeted.

Capacity development of local partners (other NGOs involved in our projects) and government authorities – new tools and training opportunities will be provided for new partners involved in work around gender, violence prevention and health. In addition, education and youth sector officials will be targeted to strengthen key government institutions.

SIT anticipate the following key outcomes for work in the 4 municipalities at the end of the 6 months’ project:

Young men and women from five communities Albanian, Serbian, Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian aged 14 – 19 by helping them to embrace attitudes and demonstrate behaviours which support more gender-equitable social norms, healthy lifestyles and discourage violent behaviour against community, women and peers.

Enhanced capacity of participating NGOs to articulate their voice, participate in local and national development debates around gender equality, work with young people and violence prevention, and engage policymakers. This will be achieved through training (on gender norms and violence, peer education methodology), mentoring, and access to resources for continued organizational development, advocacy, and program delivery:

Enhanced institutional capacity of selected NGOs and institutions in the pilot municipalities to identify and respond to gender-based violence-related topics.

Expanded youth participation and mobilization through improved skills and leadership in addressing gender equality, gender-based violence, and unhealthy lifestyles. More than 100 youth have been trained on peer education skills with a focus on gender, violence prevention and raising awareness around these and other themes relevant to the lives of youth.

Youth participants display more gender-equitable norms and have challenged their attitudes around gender-based violence and articulate the importance of human rights for all citizens.
Youth have increased awareness and knowledge about gender equitable social norms and gender-based violence.

The project will expand in four (4) local schools (Gjakove, Prishtine, South Mitrovica and Kamenice) where violence is very present at the moment. The target schools are the electrotechnical and technical high schools. First Cycle of schools will start in October: recruitment of participants, agreement with schools, the establishment of groups whereas the one cycle will start on November/December.