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Ginevra Roli
Project Officer - SERN

GEMIS

Promoting gender equality for a more inclusive society.

About the project

The project stemmed from the desire of creating a network of cities that can help strengthen citizens’ sense of belonging to the EU by promoting the common democratic culture based on equality, universal rights and gender inclusion.
Specifically the project focused on increasing women’s participation in the society and reduce gender discrimination promoting concrete actions carried out locally, in the public administration. Gender equality is the essential condition for achieving an inclusive community which responds to the needs of all citizens, regardless of their gender. In the countries and Municipalities to which the partners belong, there is a shared need of leading all decision makers’ to make meaningful commitments to change women’s lives for the better.
There was a need of raising awareness among citizens, women, associations and young generations on necessary steps to build a more democratic and inclusive European society and a need for long-term strategies, based on European best practices and experiences, to increase women’s participation and reduce gender inequalities in society.

Objectives

The general objective of the project was to contribute to the promotion of gender equality and social inclusion of women in the European society.
The specific objectives were:
1. to raise awareness among decision makers, civil servants and citizens on existing gender inequalities and on how to accelerate the process towards gender equality
2. to exchange good practices on promoting a gender responsive governance
3. to promote a gender inclusive language against gender stereotypes

Activities

The target groups of the project were: decision makers,civil servants, stakeholders, women and public at large. The activities involved 589 direct participants in 7 countries (Sweden, Italy, Germany, Poland, Portugal, France, Czech Rep.).
In particular the partners arranged:

Event 1 Kick off meeting

Location: The event took place online – virtually hosted by the Municipality of Vienne due to the Covid 19 pandemic

Date: 30/03/2021 to 31/03/2021.

Participation: The event involved 37 citizens, including 11 participants from the City of Vienne (France), 4 participants from the city of Norrköping (Sweden), 7 participants from the City of Parma and SERN (Italy), 3 participant from the City of Esslingen (Germany), 4 participant from the Municipality of Piotrków Trybunalski (Poland), 4 participants from Gender Studies (Czech Republic), 4 participants from the Municipality of Santo Tirso (Portugal).

 The aim of the event was to let the partners know, to define the project implementation phase in order to achieve the project objectives, to divide tasks among partners (dissemination, monitoring, evaluation), the work plan in local and transnational events and present the city of Vienne and its good practices on the topic of promoting gender equality.

 

Event 2 Seminar: Gender equality and Gender Responsive Governance

Location: Norrköping (in presence and online). Due to the persistence of the Covid 19 pandemic it was decided not to gather a large crowd in presence, and to allow a part of the participants to follow the event online.

Participation: the event involved 75 citizens in total.

In presence 34 participants: 3 participants from Gender Studies (Czech Republic), 3 from the Municipality of Santo Tirso (Portugal),3 participants from the Municipality of Piotrków Trybunalski (Poland), 2 participants from Esslingen (Germany), 2 participants from Vienne(France) 6 participants from the Municipality of Parma and SERN (Italy) and 15 participants from the Municipality of Norrköping (Sweden).

Online 41 participants: 36 participants from Sweden, 1 participant from France, 3 participants from Italy, 1 from Czech Republic.

Date: from 16/11/2021 to 18/11/2021

The aim of the 3-day Seminar “ Gender equality and Gender responsive Governance” was to debate about the EU regulation and strategies to end gender inequalities and its application at national level in Sweden, to increase knowledge and awareness on gender inequalities in vulnerable groups (immigrate women) and best practices to counter them. The participants of the Seminar had the opportunity to reflect on the good practices of gender responsive governance implemented internally in the Municipality of Norrköping and the good practices implemented towards citizens.

 

Event 3 Transnational seminar: Gender stereotypes and gender inclusive language

Location: Esslingen

Participation: the event involved 58 citizens:  3 participants from Gender Studies

(Czech Republic),2 from the Municipality of Santo Tirso (Portugal),2 participants from the Municipality of Piotrków Trybunalski (Poland), 3 participants from Vienne (France) 10 participants from the Municipality of Parma and SERN (Italy) and 6 participants from the Municipality of Norrköping (Sweden) and 32 participants from Esslingen (Germany). 

Date: from 3/05/2022 to 5/05/2022

The 3-day Seminar “Gender stereotypes and gender inclusive language” was aimed at developing reflections on participants (decision makers, civil servants, politicians and public at large) around two main topics: gender stereotypes and preconceptions in the society and the role of language in combating sexism.

Particular emphasis was placed on the need to adopt a gender-sensitive language and communication, laying the foundations for the development of one of the two outputs of the project Guidelines for a gender sensitive communication. In addiction, the Municipality of Esslingen presented its best practices on equal opportunities.

 

Event 4 Coordination Meeting

Location: Santo Tirso

Participation: the event involved 45 citizens:  3 participants from Gender Studies

(Czech Republic),31 from the Municipality of Santo Tirso (Portugal),2 participants from the Municipality of Piotrków Trybunalski (Poland), 1 participants from Vienne (France) 4 participants from the Municipality of Parma and SERN (Italy) and 2 participants from the Municipality of Norrköping (Sweden) and 2 participants from Esslingen (Germany). 

Date: from 18/10/2022 to 19/10/2022

Location: Municipality of Santo Tirso

During the coordination meeting, the project group met to discuss the development of the HANDBOOK on gender mainstreaming at the local level and GUIDELINES and the planning of local dissemination event. The Municipality of Santo Tirso presented its good practices in promoting Equality at local and regional level, (Presentation of Plane For Equality and not Discriminations of Santo Tirso, Presentation of work of Commission for Citizenship for Equality of Gender).

 

Event 5 Local event

Location: Piotrków Trybunalski

Participation: the event involved 71 citizens from Piotrków Trybunalski and neighboring cities

Date: 01/03/2023

The event aimed at raising awareness among participants about the necessary changes in attitudes, behaviours and beliefs about gender and their social responsibility on promoting gender equality.

Two experts have been involved in the activity Mrs Dr. Edyta Weigel who presented an overview of facts, figures and areas of monitoring gender equality in key areas of social life and Mrs Agnieszka Frączek, who presented an overview of psychological and cultural mechanisms shaping attitudes, stereotypes and gender expectations. During the event the project results have been presented by the project partner hosting the event, together with the EU law and programmes to end gender inequalities and their application.

 

Event 6 Local event

Location: Norrköping

Participation: the event involved 96 citizens from Norrköping and neighboring cities

Date: 28/11/2022

During the event, GEMIS project has been presented by the Municipality of Norrköping with the aim of raising awareness  among the participants about the importance of achieving gender equality and presenting the existing regulatory framework at European, national and local level to support strategies and actions aimed at promoting gender equality.

Micael Nilsson has been invited as expert during the event, due to his experience working with gender equality and gender equality integration.

 

Event 7 Local event

Location: Prague

Participation: the event involved 48 citizens from Prague and other cities from Czech Republic

Date: 01/12/2022

 The conference was attended by public administration officers and local politicians from the whole Czech Republic. The main goal of the event was to bring the stakeholders together and exchange different perspective about gender equality and introduce them to the GEMIS project itself and its outputs (Handbook on Gender Mainstreaming and Guidelines on gender sensitive communication). The conference was organized by Gender Studies in cooperation with the Czech Ministry of Interior, the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, and with the Institute for Public Administration Prague. In the final part of the conference, there took place a mutual discussion among public administration stakeholders, who shared their ideas for future work in the field of promoting gender equality in public administration.

 

Event 8 Local event

Location: Santo Tirso

Participation: the event involved 57 citizens from Santo Tirso and neighboring cities

Date: 23/01/2023

The local event held in Santo Tirso was aimed at raising the debate on the topic of gender inequalities in our society and presenting the European, national and local regulatory framework aimed at combating inequalities.

The project partner from the Municipality of Santo Tirso focused on the deliverables and the key elements that emerged during the project implementation phases. In the final part of the event, the sociologist, Cristina Parente, associate professor of the University of Porto moderated a round table with the stakeholders present on the issue of equality.

 

Additional local event in Vienne

An addictional event, not included among the events initially foreseen in the project, has been organised by the Municipality of Vienne

Location: Vienne

Participation:  the event involved 22 citizens from the city of Vienne

Date: 31/01/2023

The aim of the seminar was to inform and raise the awareness of the elected representatives of Vienne and Vienne-Condrieu agglomeration on the issue of gender equality through the presentation of the GEMIS project, discussing the gender equality from the point of view of economic integration / employment / training and presenting the role and actions of the departmental delegation for women’s rights and equality of the Isère prefecture.

 

Event 9 Final conference

Location: Parma

Participation: the event involved 80 citizens:  5 participants from Gender Studies

(Czech Republic), 5 participants from the Municipality of Norrköping (Sweden) 6 participants from Esslingen (Germany), 3 from the Municipality of Santo Tirso (Portugal), 2 participants from the Municipality of Piotrków Trybunalski (Poland), 4 participants from the Municipality of Vienne (France) and 55 participants from Parma and SERN (Italy).

Date: from 8/02/2023 to 10/02/2023

The 3-day conference “Women’s leadership in European societies” aimed at strengthening the European network of cities and partners working on the theme of gender equality and at disseminating the results (handbook and guidelines) and the reflections carried forward during the implementation of the project. During the conference the key elements of discussion have been the women’s leadership and the future perspectives, the generational and gender differences, female leadership paths in the public and private sector, as well as the presentation of the good practices of the Municipality of Parma and in the region Emilia- Romagna.

Impact

The first important effect produced by the project will be the increase citizens’ awareness on the existence of different forms of discrimination and the emphasis on the need of combating gender inequality with concrete actions. Awareness and knowledge on gender discrimination are in fact the first steps that lead citizens and the ones that represente them, in order to change and improve the society.

Results

The final outcomes included:
1. developed critical thinking among citizens on gender inequalities
2. Increased knowledge of national and european policies and programmes for reducing gender gap
3. promoted inclusion of women, and most vulnerable categories as immigrant women, in society
3. Best practices on the project theme exchanged
4. A handbook with concrete actions to be adopted in the different countries for a more gender responsive governance and for increasing the participation of women’s in decision making positions
4. Guidelines with recommendation for a proper gender inclusive language that does not perpetuate gender stereotypes to be used by policy makers, representatives of political parties, civil servants and media

Guidelines for a gender-sensitive communication

Click here to download the publication in the following languages:

Handbook of Gender Mainstreaming - Strategies and Practices

Click here to download the publication in the following languages:

News from the Project
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