FIT aimed to foster the exchange of good practices between two EU organizations to promote gender equality through the empowerment of women victims of gender-based violence (VAW). Addressing the urgent need to combat VAW—a pervasive issue affecting 1/3 women globally—the project focused on empowering women, many of whom are incarcerated due to crimes stemming from coercion or economic violence. Central to the project was the training of staff members, equipping them with tools to indirectly improve the lives of these women. Staff gained methodologies to: Support women in overcoming the physical and psychological impact of violence. Help rebuild their sense of self-worth and trust in themselves and others. Marseille Solutions provided expertise in the Quadra to empower women through physical and mental activities Lazzarelle offered training on job orientation and skills assessment to help women identify their abilities and plan for a better future. The mutual exchange expanded learning opportunities for marginalized women, enabling personal and professional reintegration. The project laid the foundation for systemic change, inspiring organizations to adopt similar strategies and address gender-based violence across Europe.
We applied for this project to address the needs of the participating organizations in terms of ameliorating their skills of social inclusion of women victims of violence or incarcerated. The training in Marseille transferred innovative knowledge about how to realise a Quadrathlon, fostering creativity, European collaboration, and awareness. Lazzarelle staff were equipped to support women in prison in rebuilding the relationship with their bodies and minds, improving well-being, autonomy, and self-esteem. Conversely, MS benefited from Lazzarelle’s training on job orientation and skills assessment, where further organizations like SF13 and UCPA enhanced their capacity to identify user needs and guide professional development. This cross-training enabled Lazzarelle to refine its tools, share them with organizations supporting women affected by violence, increasing opportunities for training and employment in personalized fields. Through project dissemination, these strategies can be adopted by more organizations, expanding inclusion and empowerment for women across Europe.