By implementing the project, we wanted to achieve the necessary changes in the perception of violence in intimate partner relationships among young people. The main goal of the project was to empower young people to recognize different forms of violence and respond to it in an informed manner. With the project, we also wanted to increase awareness of the connection between violence and gender stereotypes, which often shape the behavior of young people and encourage the rationalization of violent behavior. We also went beyond the existing connections between gender (in)equality and violence in intimate partner relationships, thereby encouraging critical thinking about the roles and expectations that society imposes on individuals based on gender. By implementing various awareness-raising activities, we aimed to enable young people to become familiar with tools and content for more effective coping with violence and to sensitize them to the needs and problems that victims of violence face. In the long term, we wanted to contribute to greater openness and understanding of the issue of violence in intimate partner relationships and to the destigmatization of these issues, especially among the youth population.
The AWARE project was developed based on the need to identify and address the growing problems associated with violence in intimate partner relationships among young people. More and more young people are facing violence in relationships, which is often supported by gender stereotypes and norms that they often unknowingly use as an excuse for violent behavior. Through research and experience from previous projects, we have found that the existing forms and content of educational tools and materials are not sufficient for an effective understanding of the connections between gender and violence in intimate partner relationships, so we decided to develop a project that will raise awareness and eliminate these connections. The AWARE project was designed to enable young people to respond to violence in their relationships in an informed manner, either as victims or as witnesses of violence. The project continued the mission of the previously successful project "I can choose to say no" and focused on creating content that would help young people understand the impact of gender stereotypes and roles on violence and encourage them to reflect on the on the importance of forming respectful and equal relationships.