The Gender Alternatives Foundation did not miss the participation and a special presentation was presented by its leader - Milena Kadieva. For the second consecutive year, the Bulgarian Platform to the European Women's Lobby has organized an international forum, which has the ambition to contribute for the achievement of parity democracy. Several months before the European Parliament elections, the conference participants debated the equal representation of women and men in governance and how to ensure gender equality and women's rights as part of the priorities of Bulgarian and European policy. The conference provided an opportunity to share personal experiences of women who participated and took part in the management from Bulgaria and abroad, and presented good practices and policies from Europe that create the conditions for women to participate fully at every level of decision making.
The latest project of the Gender Alternatives Foundation called "No Gaps" - Transnational methodology for socia-labor intervention with young women asylum seekers and refugees (2018-2-ESO2-KA205-011654) , co-funded by the Erasmus + programme of the European union - started. The duration of the project is 24 months / 01.09.2018 - 31.08.2020 /. In partnership are two other foundations based in Madrid (Spain), one from Athens (Greece) and one from Vienna (Austria).
On 09.10.2018. part of the team of the Gender Alternatives Foundation took part in a meeting for exchange of experience in the field of children's policies in Southern Bulgaria, organized by the Bulgarian School of Politics "Dimitar Panitza". During the meeting they presented the results of the National Analysis of the Status of Children's Policies prepared by the Bulgarian School of Politics, with special attention on the problems related to the children in Southern Bulgaria. The analysis covers the last seven years (2010-2017), following the trends in the sections Economic Indicators, Justice, Health, Education, Social Protection. The meeting was attended by representatives of social institutions in Plovdiv and the region, Mr. Stefan Stoyanov - Deputy Mayor of Plovdiv Municipality, Mrs. Asya Peeva - Member of the Education Commission, Mr. Georgi Tyutyukov- Deputy Mayor of "Youth Activities, Sports and Social Policy" in Plovdiv Municipality.
The Gender Alternatives Foundation launched a new project, funded by the Bulgarian Fund for Women in partnership with Societe Generale Expressbank – Bulgaria. The duration of the project is 5 months and will be implemented in the period July-December 2018.
The main activities of the project are aimed to empower single mothers and overcome poverty and social exclusion. For this purpose, Gender Alternatives Foundation chose to include 3 women-single mothers, clients of the Center for Psychological and Legal Support of the Foundation. They will receive scholarships for taking a course for a qualification which every one of them wanted to take - cosmetics, manicure and graphic design. They will receive also psychological support, care for their children during the course happening and help in job searching in order to go forward and change their lives.
As of 01.10.2018., the Gender Alternatives Foundation will take part in a new project, funded under the Erasmus + KA2 VET program or adult education called "Be Aware– Strengthening competences to face sexual harassment on the workplace ". / Grant Agreement No. 2018-1-AT01-KA202-039286/. It aims to increase the ability to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace. Duration of the project will be 36 months /01.09.2018 – 31.08.2021/. The main idea of the project is Sexual Harrassment in Education and the Workplace.
Actual discourses in media show that not only does sexual harrassment occur in entertainment and sports, but also in the daily work within existing hierarchic structures. Especially those starting out in their careers are threatened. There are two main issues during training and employment:
Read more: Be Aware– Strengthening competences to face sexual harassment on the workplace