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“Voluntary Service for Gender Equality in Youth Relationships”
European Volunteering Activity in Heraklion, Crete
- Project Description
The “Equal Youth” project gives the opportunity to two young people to serve their European Voluntary Service for ten months in Heraklion, Crete, Greece, in the offices of the Union of Women Associations of Heraklion Prefecture.
The project aims at bringing forward the topic of gender equality, as well as gendered based and intimate partner violence in youth relationships. The issue of gendered based violence is of particular importance for young women as they constitute victims in a large percentage in the EU with 30% of women aged 15-19 having experienced violence by a partner. The objective of the project is to encourage young persons to engage with such topics that can influence their lives or their peers lives at an important level.
The volunteers will actively engage with significant issues related to social care and inclusion of disadvantaged groups, focusing mainly on women rights and the protection of victims of violence. The project will offer to volunteers the opportunity to work on innovative elements in the field of intimate partner abuse and will promote understanding and awareness on women rights issues and the situation regarding abuse against women and girls in Greece.
The project aims at promoting non-formal and work-based learning and will involve volunteers on a full time basis in order to bring out their full potential on work-related tasks of their interest and background. Capacity building activities will be offered to volunteers in order for them to enhance their skills and competences.
The project actively promotes the principles of volunteering as well as of intercultural understanding and mutual learning. The participating volunteers will gain several benefits from the project. They will improve their work-based skills, will familiarize with the everyday work of a busy non-governmental organisation, and will learn to work in multi-cultural setting. As well as this, they will gain in depth knowledge and experience on relevant human rights topics, and will enhance their professional profile.
- Project Aim
The main objective of the project is to offer the opportunity to young persons from other countries to get involved and gain hands on experience on the daily work of a local, non-governmental, non-profit organisation, in a different cultural setting. More specifically the project aims:
– To engage volunteers in supporting the permanent and running projects of the organisation, focusing mainly on young women rights and the protection of victims of intimate partner violence;
– To offer to volunteers comprehensive knowledge and compact hands-on experience on how a local, non-governmental, non-profit organisation functions, on all levels, from project management and beneficiary support to fundraising and events organising;
– To offer to young people the opportunity to work in a different cultural setting and improve their multi-cultural skills;
– To promote non-formal and work-based learning and to assist young persons to bring out their full potential on work-related tasks of their interest and background. Capacity building activities will be offered to volunteers to enhance their work-related skills;
– To offer to young persons the opportunity to work on elements in the field of domestic abuse that directly affect them such as gender equality in youth relationships, teen dating abuse, awareness raising among youth communities and get involved in project proposal preparation and development;
– To promote understanding and awareness on women rights issues and the situation regarding partner abuse in Greece (in correlation with the situation in the volunteers’ respective country);
– To give the opportunity to candidates with fewer opportunities to participate in transnational initiatives;
– To encourage more and more people to work in the field of the promotion of human rights.
- Basic Information
Project’s name: “Voluntary Service for Gender Equality in Youth Relationships – EQUAL YOUTH”
Type of project: European Voluntary Service
Hosting Organisation: Union of Women Associations of Heraklion Prefecture, Greece
Place of activities: Heraklion, Greece
Volunteers: 1 member of the European Solidarity Corps
Duration of volunteers’ project: 5 months starting September 2019
4. Volunteers’ missions
The volunteers will be involved in all activities of the organisation, according to their profile and background.
- NGO operation activities Support the everyday function of the organisation and engage with administrative tasks;
- Project management and assistance, project development;
- Contribution to the awareness raising activities of the organization at local and international level;
- Organisation and support for the implementation of fundraising and other events;
- Organisation and support for the implementation of awareness raising and educational activities and interventions;
- Desk research on human rights/women rights topics;
- Organisation of Equal Youth workshop for local young people and Equal Youth Magazine.
5. Volunteers’ Profile
The Union of Women Associations is looking for volunteers who show own initiative, are willing to undertake responsibilities and are taking volunteer work seriously. Our target group is young people who are communicative and passionate for human rights and gender equality, who show interest in supporting women victims of violence and engaging with vulnerable groups, and that are open-minded and willing to learn.
Moreover, a background in sociology, social work, psychology, political science, European studies or similar would be much appreciated, as it fits to the everyday work of the organization and would offer to the volunteer more possibilities to being involved in the activities of the organization. As the working language for the participants will be English, a very good working level of English will be required. Online Linguistic support shall also be in order in the context of the project.
Last but not least, UWAH focuses mainly on helping young people with fewer opportunities. Thus, our young people with social and/or educational difficulties as well as persons from a different cultural background are more than welcome.
Each of the sending organizations will implement the same process for selecting participants:
- age of the participants : 18- 30
- young people must submit their Europass CV and a cover letter
- Participants must be registered at the European Solidarity Corps database.
The sending organizations will make a first selection and will forward the selected applications to UWAH for a final selection. Candidates will be selected based on merit, without any discrimination. Their age and sex will not constitute a criterion for selection. The main criterion that can be determinant for the selection will be the motivation of the candidates and their willingness to invest in the project.
6. Achieved Competences
The volunteers that will participate in this project will:
- Improve the work based skills of young persons on the fields of social care and protection of vulnerable groups;
- Have the opportunity to explore the working environment of NGOs;
- Have the opportunity in the beginning of their career to work abroad and improve their intercultural skills;
- Increase their knowledge and interest on the topics of women rights, domestic violence and victim support and encourage them to actively engage with the sector.
During their EVS, the volunteers will be involved in diverse activities that will develop their social and working skills: managing conflicts, managing their free time, working in a multicultural team, taking initiatives and responsibilities.
- GUIDE FOR THE VOLUNTEER
Preparation before departure
- Read carefully : the Info Pack, the contract, the EVS rules, your rights and your obligations during the project, the information concerning your insurance ;
- Plan your travel, but don’t buy any ticket before informing the Sending and Hosting Organisations!!!
- Bring with you : ID card, European Health Insurance Card (if you have one), laptop, money to live the first days, whatever you could use during the 10 months, smiles and lot of energy!
If you have any questions or doubts, do not hesitate to contact your sending organization or the Union of Women Associations of Heraklion Prefecture!
Financial Aspects
Travel costs:
We will reimburse the travel costs to go and return to/from Heraklion, Crete, Greece within the limit set by Erasmus. Every cost over this limit will be on your own charge.
• Please keep all the bills and original tickets, without them we cannot reimburse you!
- Don’t buy any ticket before our Also, feel free to contact us at any moment so that we can help you with your travel plan.
Allowances:
Each EVS volunteer will receive a monthly sum of 152.5 euros (pocket money).
Each EVS volunteer will receive a monthly food allowance of 100 euros.
Accommodation
Volunteers will be hosted in an apartment at walking distance from the city centre and the offices of the organization.
Travel to Heraklion
By plane:
Heraklion Airport (Kazantzakis International Airport), is 20 minutes away from the city centre. There is a public bus connection with the city center (cost around 2-3 euros). There are direct flights from several European countries, especially during the touristic period (May-October).
By boat from Athens:
There are a several boat companies that travel daily from Athens (Piraeus Port) to Heraklion: Minoan Lines, Anek Lines, Superfast Ferries. The price from Athens costs about 40 euros (single trip) and the journey lasts around 9 hours.
No matter the means of transport, someone will wait for you at the airport or at the port! 🙂
About Heraklion
Heraklion (http://www.heraklion.gr/en ) is one of the biggest cities in Greece and the capital of Crete. With 170.000 inhabitants is one of the Mediterranean region’s most fascinating and vibrant cities. Heraklion is a very vivid city with many students as it hosts the University of Crete and TEI of Crete campuses, and also the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas. As well as this, it is a very multi-cultural city as it welcomes thousands of tourists every year and is home to the European Commission Agency ENISA.
Heraklion hosts many archeological (Knossos Palace) and medieval sites as well as several interesting museums. It is full of places to discover. Most importantly, it is really close to some amazing beaches that you can enjoy during most of the year!
Situated in one of the southest points of Greece and Europe as a whole, Heraklion has a hot-summer-Mediterranean climate. Summers are warm to hot and dry with clear skies. Dry hot days are often relieved by seasonal breezes. Winters are very mild with moderate rain.
Contact details
For any question, problem or difficult situation, you can contact us:
Facebook: @Unionofwomenassociations
E-mail: unionofwomenheraklion@gmail.com
Phone number: +30 2810 24 21 21
Person in charge of the project: Nancy Saripapa, Nicholas Spetsidis
