Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Gender Issues – Online Educational Programme for Cultural Mediators

Symbiosis-School of Political Studies in Greece organised an Online Educational Programme on Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Gender Issues for cultural mediators and interpreters working with refugee and migrant men. The Educational Programme took place via the Zoom platform, from 19-22 April & 5-10 May – each day corresponding to a different educational module.

The main objective of the dialogue-oriented Educational Programme was to empower participants to challenge their reflections on the topics of gender roles, self-care, social relations, violence prevention, and caring masculinities. The webinars provided an opportunity for conscious reflection on role model function and influence within family and/or cultural community and to encourage the shaping of relationships between adults and children that are characterized by mutual respect. Another core objective was the development of competencies that would allow participants to deal with violent situations, including the identification of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in their field of work, the recognition of potentially violent situations early on and the management of such situations in a non-violent way with the aim of de-escalating the tension. Further, it aimed at creating a multiplying effect that could effectively reach the communities of migrants and refugees. The Educational Programme covered the topics: migration; gender and masculinity; legal and institutional aspects of gender in Greece; gender-based violence and prevention; social and intimate relationships; self-care and social media.

The modules involved outstanding experts: Stavros Boufidis, Psychiatrist-Psychotherapist; Despina Syrri, Director of Symbiosis-School of Political Studies in Greece; Aikaterini Georgiadou, Lawyer; Nicole Petalidou, Psychologist, FOMEN Researcher in Greece, Symbiosis-School of Political Studies in Greece; Elli Papastergiou, Programme Officer, Symbiosis-School of Political Studies in Greece.

Twenty-three (23) participants attended the Educational Programme, all of them cultural mediators and interpreters with important experience in the humanitarian sector working with the international NGO Arbeiter Samariter Bund (ASB) Greece.