We4Change aims to contribute to the EU Youth Strategy by engaging, connecting and empowering young people with skills and confidence to contribute to prosperous, cohesive and sustainable societies. Specifically by adopting a gender specific approach, the We4Change project is concentrated on empowering girls and young women (aged 15-25) from disadvantaged backgrounds and supporting them to build their confidence, develop digital and innovation skills, increase civic engagement and unlock their changemaking potential from a young age. Responding directly to the needs of girls and young women to break down stereotypes, develop their creativity and confidence and contribute to society, the project will offer an innovative combination of hands-on activities, training on digital, innovation and environmental awareness skills, problem-solving and co-creation of prototypes to address climate change and drive environmental transformation. In this respect, during the We4Change project the following activities, outputs and results are foreseen: 1. The project will develop the We4Change Changemakers Event Curriculum, that will offer the basis for organising and facilitating 15 Changemakers events in 5 European countries whereby more than 200 socioeconomically disadvantaged girls and young women will be provided with the skills, resources, inspiration and confidence to collectively design projects that address climate change. 2. We will create the We4Change “Train the Trainers” Programme and train and enable more than 50 youth workers and trainers to deliver effectively the We4Change events. 3. We will develop the We4Change “Train the Mentors” Programme offering a training package for adult women who will be involved in the project to provide mentoring, coaching and role models for girls and young women from disadvantaged backgrounds. We expect to train and engage more than 50 women mentors. 4. Our team will create and promote 40 Inspirational videos showcasing how young girls and women from disadvantaged backgrounds are leading positive change in their communities. 5. Finally, the project will develop the We4Change community platform that will act as a unique reference point for engaging girls and women from any background to raise their voice on climate change and to collectively innovate to deliver a sustainable future.
By developing the We4Change concept and delivering the We4Change Changemakers Events the project strived to develop girls and young women digital and innovation skills; increase their environmental and active citizenship competences; build their leadership skills and confidence and encourage them to actively engage in society. Equally important, the project aimed to equip youth workers and trainers with the necessary competences and experience to enable them to effectively support female youth empowerment through digital action and civic engagement. Finally, the project succeeded to involve actors from the local community that were able to share with the girls and young women know-how, resources, and inspiration, contributing to the development of the project ideas from concept to self-sustainable products, being the main factor for achieving continuity beyond the We4Change Changemakers events.
The decision to apply for this project was driven by the shared objective of the project partners to enhance their capacities to better support girls and women aged 15-25 years old after recognizing the importance of addressing the unique challenges faced by this demographic that all partners work with, to create opportunities for growth and empowerment in various areas. Through this project, the partners aimed to build their own capacities, leveraging their expertise, resources, and networks to design and implement impactful interventions. Responding directly to the needs of young women to break down stereotypes, develop their competences and confidence to contribute to society, the project aimed to offer an innovative combination of hands-on activities, training on digital, innovation and environmental awareness skills, problem-solving and co-creation of prototypes to address climate change. The gender perspective in the project was essential because the youth sector as an area remains highly influenced by gender-based inequalities. Young women, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds, face gender specific challenges related to education, employability and civic participation.