The #WeCoLead project is a KA2 international strategic partnership, supported by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. #WeCoLead encourages young women to engage in social responsibility, to initiate creative and innovative processes to create a new and sustainable norm that promotes gender equality and mitigates climate change.
The international cooperation has two objectives:
- Encourage young women to become active citizens in order to establish new norms;
- Develop sustainable international cooperation on sustainability issues within the European Union.
The project will take the following steps:
1) #WomenToWomenOnReels: analysis of social media content, production of short social media videos (reels), and an international roundtable discussion with young women.
2) #CoCreateTheToolkit: the creation of a digital toolkit to provide young women and community leaders with information and theoretical and practical support for active citizenship.
3) #SoThatMoreCanCome: the creation of a digital booklet for youth workers on the results of the project.
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#WomenToWomenOnReels
Online Questionnaires
The aim of our initial research was to identify the trending topics on social media platforms discussing the intersection of gender issues, health, climate change, covid-19 in the past year.
Young women’s voices are fundamental to understanding how climate change and the covid-19 pandemic have been causing unsustainable gender narratives and increasing socioeconomic inequalities across Europe.
We collected responses and inputs from 143 young women overall in 5 different EU countries (Hungary, Italy, Sweden, Luxembourg, Greece). We found out that most respondents believe that the Covid-19 pandemic has had major negative consequences, especially in terms of mental health, social life and job opportunities.
Get an insight into our findings!
General overview
GO TO THE COLLECTED INTERNATIONAL POSTS
Social Media Analysis
In our ever-changing world, the media and people themselves represent the main source of information and knowledge. Social media has gained a scope never seen before, becoming a means for people to interact, communicate, and fill their lives with activities such as TikTok challenges and watching/creating reels during quarantines and lockdowns.
Based on this, the main goal of the first project result of #WeCoLead is to bring our target together to engage in critical analysis, lead reflection, and collectively speak for themselves.
To gather information on the current trending posts on social media, all the partner organizations conducted a #-research on a few social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter). Each partner identified the main trending topics and key terms to be investigated in their national contexts that were most relevant to the target group and the project’s topic.
Focus group discussions
Each partner organization organized a few occasions of local focus group discussions to get insight into the experience and opinions of the 10-10 chosen young women on COVID-19’s effect on health, gender roles and climate change and sustainability.
The participants of the focus groups were young women – who were involved in all of the project’s stages so they could speak for themselves, and build their critical thinking and their sense of initiative. Some of them were women coming from ‘disadvantaged backgrounds’: women with economic obstacles, cultural differences, and migrant backgrounds. The staff members of the partner organizations were also involved to be moderators/facilitators of the discussions and of the creation of the reel videos.
Additionally, the Subjective Values Foundation organized a transnational focus group discussion with the participation of at least 1-1 woman from each partner’s focus group to discuss local contexts, share experiences and find out the similarities and differences between the countries.
Get to know the Hungarian Team and the topics they worked on!
- Sustainable development and COVID
- Specific workplace difficulties for women during the coronavirus epidemic
- The impact of the coronavirus epidemic on socialisation, the changing role of the internet in young people’s lives, and the dangers of online space
- Mental and physical health problems related to the coronavirus
And check out their reels!
How to do shopping in a sustainable way?
Women’s mental health related to social media
Check the TikTok videos of the partners: https://www.tiktok.com/@wecoleadproject
If you are interested in more details of this project phase, read our Cross-national Analysis Report:
GO TO THE INTERNATIONAL REPORT
#CoCreateTheToolkit
This project phase seeks to use education to promote female empowerment and encourage young women to collectively start the change in themselves and in their communities, challenging structural oppression and female roles, as well as challenging unsustainable actions.
For this purpose, each partner conducted online survey research to gather additional information on the most common barriers women phase and experimental knowledge community leaders have on the following subjects:
- Women entering Higher Education
- Women entering the Labor Market
- Personal Life vs Labor Market
- Women entrepreneurs
- Inspiration from others
Besides, each partner conducted workshops with young women and representatives of supporting organizations of all ages who act/work as leaders within their communities, either as individuals, either in formal groups (NGOs/organizations) either in informal community groups. The aim of the workshops was to identify what impact local organizations and communities collectively have on young women, as well as to identify the gender-based barriers when looking for jobs or starting a business in the local contexts.
GO TO THE INTERNATIONAL HARVEST RESULTS
Using the harvested data, our partner COMMON developed a toolkit in a digital format which includes modules that are considered key to female empowerment and advocacy.
The toolkit was inspired by the Civil Society Toolbox’s experience and format, it includes a step-by-step process with methodologies, theoretical modules for empowerment, and exercises.
Supporting Document #WeCoLead Harvest Analysis
Supporting Document #WeCoLead Methodology Chart
Supporting Document #WeCoLead Inspiration Activity Chart for Environmental Sustainability
The handbook can also be used in other areas of advocacy and representation, only the sample tasks and additional research results provided are relevant to the topic of our project, young women’s empowerment.
#SoThatMoreCanCome
In the third phase of the #WeCoLead project, we have developed an interactive and practical digital e-booklet specifically for professionals working with young people. The aim of this handbook is to bring young women closer to the challenges and issues they face and to help them develop their leadership skills and build sustainable, collaborative communities. The 64-page manual also provides useful guidance on how to make effective use of the toolkits produced earlier in the project.
The following topics are covered:
- Gender
- Climate change and sustainability
- Physical and mental health
- Critical thinking
By analyzing these issues and using the toolkits, professionals can help young women better understand and address the various challenges they face, preparing them for successful leadership and the creation of sustainable communities. The handbook also includes contact details for relevant support organizations and key information on where to seek assistance if needed.