Equal Space

The “Equal Space” project aims at training community education facilitators (CEFs) in the field of intersection of gender and cultural diversity in order to provide better integration into adult education of disadvantaged women with a migration or minority background. The project has developed methods and didactics through a community education approach for enabling more participation and empowerment of migrant and minority women.

The project envisages that trainers working in different local communities will be able to take into account in their approaches the gender and cultural diversity of the learners, the way to attract and retain them in different forms of adult education. Community-based development work is primarily concerned with motivating people to become part of the work in their communities and shaping them actively, and to bring in those who are referred to as “disadvantaged groups”.

Year(s): 2017-2019

Target group(s): Community workers, (adult) education organisations, social workers, relevant regional actors and stakeholders, institutions working with gender aspects, migrant or minority women

Website or other online channels: http://equalspace.eu/

Methodology

The “Equal Space” project has developed a set of studies, reports, toolkits and an online learning platform with the aim to unite theory and practice to train CEFs in the intersectionality of gender and cultural diversity.

The project initiated a study in order to analyse the status quo of the intersection of gender and cultural diversity in each partner country, the access and stay of migrant women in lifelong learning process as well as the intersectional aspects in adult education system with three main purposes:

• To provide the necessary information in order to guide the design and implementation of the methodology of the project.
• To provide with the necessary information in order to design and prepare the specific activities and products of the project.
• To improve knowledge and understanding about intersection dynamics in the fields of gender and cultural diversity within the community related from a lifelong learning perspective in order to apply to policies and programmes in this field and other interlinked relevant issues.

The study results were then incorporated into the development of all project outcomes described below.

Type of product

Online resource

Brief description of the outcomes

Studies

The aim of the study is to analyse the status quo of the intersection of gender and cultural diversity in each partner country, the access and stay of migrant women in lifelong learning process as well as the intersectional aspects in adult education systems.

On the base of national interviews with trainers, NGOs and stakeholders, the partner organisations carried out national studies which were then incorporated into a Final comparative report on Gender and Cultural Perspective in Adult Education and Community Education in Austria, Bulgaria, France and Portugal.

The national studies and the Comparative report are available here:

http://equalspace.eu/studies/

Curriculum

The Curriculum for Community Education Facilitators on gender from an intersectional and intercultural perspective proposes a model of competences for the framework, collecting appropriate theories and methodologies as foundations of the training for CEFs.

The Curriculum aims to innovate by identifying the appropriate learning paths that raises awareness about the problems that lie around intersectionality. It lays solid foundations for the training material of community educators.

Moreover, the Curriculum content can be transferred to organisations dealing with gender equality or cultural diversity. Thanks to the Curriculum, community educators will know the path  that they need to engage in if they wish to address gender issues from an intersectional/intercultural perspective.

The Curriculum is available here: http://equalspace.eu/curriculum/

Toolkit

Based on the results of Curriculum and Training development, the Toolkit is a bridge that unites theory and practice to train CEFs in gender and cultural diversity intersectionality.

The contents of the Toolkit could be transferred to organisations that work on the areas of gender and cultural diversity and also applied into standard education programmes as a way of mainstreaming gender and intercultural perspective. The methodology is based in non-formal education  and the activities are co-constructed with a pilot group of professionals and volunteers that work with migrants, refugees and minorities, particularly women, with CEFs and/or would-be CEFs, people who have an important role in their communities.

The Toolkit is available here: http://equalspace.eu/toolkit/

Transfer model of the concept of “Equal Space”

The transfer model has the following components:

• an assessment/monitoring tool checking to what extent existing programmes take into account the intersection of gender and cultural diversity;
• recommendations on how to adapt the program to gender/intersection priorities.

The transfer model produced is the specific and practical translation of the recommendations of the study and the good practices into the scope of work of each organisation, taking into account their own target groups, programmes implemented, resources, skills and coordination with other actors.

The Transfer model is available here: http://equalspace.eu/transfer-model-transfer-of-knowledge/

Learning Sections

Online Portal for Learning Intersection between Gender and Diversity for Community Education Facilitators: http://equalspace.eu/welcome-to-equal-space/

Each section has video lessons in it. If you think you are a beginner in this field, it is good to go through the sections chronologically, but if you already know much about some of the topics you may choose the sections, that will give you additional knowledge. You are free to decide.

Impact on target groups / Transferability potential

Intercultural opening, Gender Mainstreaming and Community Education should be further promoted in adult education by training staff, developing and implementing concepts. Special attention should be paid on the place to integrate educationally disadvantaged female migrants and minorities into adult education.

The “Equal Space” national trainings for Community educators and facilitators (CEFs) were organised in all partner countries with the aim to inform a wide audience of national and regional stakeholders about the project, the context, the objectives, the methods, the outcomes, the target groups and the impact.

The Community Education Facilitators follow a double-natured line of work – they can be facilitators, animators or mediators within the community and on the other hand, they can have a direct connection with various institutions and public offices, which enables them to mediate between the community and these services. This knowledge of public institutions and public policies is an asset to develop inclusion of communities into the dominant society.

Promoter of the initiative: PERIPHERIE Institut für praxisorientierte Genderforschung in Graz ; Center of Women’s Studies and Policies (Bulgarian partner)

Country: Austria Bulgaria France Portugal

Languages available: Bulgarian French Portuguese German

Website or other online channels: http://www.cwsp.bg/en/htmls/home.php (Bulgarian partner)