Study Visit in Bucarest, Romania
The study visit was organized by The National University of physical Education and Sports in Bucharest Romania between 6 th -9 th of July 2023. The event welcomed the 10 staff members (6 traveling members) from 4 partner countries Romania, Italy, France and Spain; and included a topic-based discussion with local participants and further local staff.
The professional visit took place at a governmental institution, DGASPC 3, Sf Maria Center (a center for victims of domestic violence) & Centrul de zi “Lizuca” (daycare center), Str. Jean Steriadi nr.40A, sector 3, Bucharest. The staff members talked to the professionals that are working in these centers and found out more about the services and the procedures, about the most common social situations that Romanians face and that they address to the social services. Most of the vulnerable cases are women and mothers so the services considered the kindergarten and daycare for the children so that the women can enter or re-enter in the work force.
The second part of the first working day, the staff members visited a private institution, an NGO Centrul Filia that has many projects focused on women. The professionals from Filia Center presented us their work. At the end of the day we had the cultural visit to the Village Museum from Bucharest, a representative museum for the Romanian folk culture, traditions and customs.
The second day we talked more about the local institutions working in the field of gender equality, open discussions, exchange of good practices from all over the participant countries. For the first meeting face to face, the partners presented the organizations that they were represented, each one of them with their specific and unique approach on the matter. Further along the staff members of the EnEnWomen project talked about the status of the project and the future steps and activities that it is needed to be developed. We talked about the upcoming brochure at the end of the study visit and each partner’ perspective on the matter. We established the main and specific elements of the brochure.
To kick off the session, a brief topic-based discussion featuring local participants was held, focusing on the critical aspects of reaching the target group effectively and promoting active participation, all within the context of women’s rights and the challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This sparked insightful discussions on various strategies for reaching the target group. Panelists exchanged ideas, experiences, and perspectives on the most effective ways to engage and empower women in their communities. It was evident that comprehensive education on women’s rights remains pivotal, and innovative strategies are needed to overcome pandemic-related obstacles to dissemination. Participants emphasized the urgent need to address healthcare and economic disparities affecting women during the pandemic. Sharing and commenting on best practices from partners showcased successful initiatives, providing valuable insights for replication. Overall, the session fostered a collaborative spirit among attendees, equipping them with practical approaches to empower women and address the unique issues posed by COVID-19.
In the second part of the day, we talked about the future activities, the dates of the visit to the French partner and preparation of the next steps of the project. The end of the second working day finished with a visit of the National University of Physical Education and Sports (UNEFS) the hosting partner.
All in all, this meeting allowed partners to revise and mark next steps of the EnEnWomen project, tackling effective ways of collaboration, and to share different best practices in terms of gender equality and support to human rights, esp., of vulnerable populations, developing networking, too. (These were later developed and published together in a brochure as main deliverable of this WP, elaborated by UNEFS as lead partner of this activity).
06 – 09/07/2023