„A new beginning“: Women’s Empowerment Project

1. „A new beginning“: Women’s Empowerment Project IP H.E.L.P.Topic Group: Voluntary work with people into crisis

2. Crisis • The crisis is a sudden and severe life changes, caused by turning - point situation, accompanied by strong anxiety, tension, danger, insecurity, confusion, and other similar experiences. (Polukordiene O., 2003) • Many women felt their material deprivation led to a loss of self-esteem and increased stress and depression.(Reid C. PonicP.,2004)

3. About the project • The aim of this project is to empower women and help them to improve professional, individual and social skills “A new beginning – WEP” is built up by six followingchapters: • The Problematic; • Intervention Methodology; • Intervention plan; • Expected Results; • Monitoring and Evaluation; • Conclusions.

4. The Shelter House

5. Defining the Problem • Why do you think that the intervention focuses on women? • Why do you think they need to be empowered? • Defining the problem: • Historical and social background • Conceptual map

8. Intervention Methodology Aims The institutional level The individual level Awareness Motivation Independency Empowerment

9. Intervention Methodology 50 women Age: 30-50 Action for education skills Action for social skills Action for recognition

10. Intervention Methodology Action for education • Basic business knowledge • Application skills • Computer Lessons • Vocational guidance • Arrange protocols with different kinds • Seminars in the institution presenting those companies. • Job fairs

11. Intervention Methodology Action for social skills • Express their own points of view and beliefs • Training assertiveness skills in group sessions • Promotion of debates about socially culturally relevant issues. For instance, gender, politics, stigma, human rights, job searching and environment; • Express themselves adequately depending on the • Role-playing techniques and undertaken by social workers and psychologists. • Bring to the sessions real-life situations and train pro-social behaviours, analysing beliefs and thoughts

12. Intervention Methodology Action for recognition • Work on pathways and life stories • Reflect control self-esteem and self-blaming • Reflecting about narratives • Seminars with the associated companies will be arranged by volunteers • Institution representatives create sustainable conditions for the women to feel more integrated and respected in that environment • Feedback and exchange knowledge (companies and institution)

13. Intervention Plan – Timeline

14. Intervention Plan - Bugdet

15. Expected Results • Professional skills – be employed • Social skills - relationships • Individual skills - recognition

16. Evaluation • external evaluation team more objective view • Diagnosis (beginning) resources, attitudes, individual aims, needs • instruments: questionnaire, ethnography • evaluation in the end  checking on signs proving achievement of targets, by… • observing, questioning, test.. • 1 month

17. Monitoring • Internal team  social worker (volunteer) + corresponding teaching volunteer • During + within the entire process check on how project activities are progressing • How often?  1-3x between start and ending of each course  Final evaluation in the end (`signs of proof`) • Instruments: • tests • reflections on process, difficulties etc. done by teaching volunteer and participating women • evaluation papers, evaluation interviews

18. Potentialities Limitations • The institution can promote more social cohesion • Community level of interaction with these women, striking gender stigma and promoting re-education of human rights through awareness activities • Successful women of this intervention could become mentors of other women who benefit from the project. • Research only lasted one afternoon • Include more the voice of the clients • More natural and intense observation • The project doesn’t include directly the children • The program also ignores the orphans.

19. In conclusion “We recognize that gender equality, the empowerment of women, women’s full enjoyment of human rights and the eradication of poverty are essential to economic and social development, including the achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals” (Keeping the promise: united to achieve the Millennium Development Goals)

20. Manual

21. Recruiting Volunteers to people in crisis • Organize open day • Respect the professionals • Volunteers: • Students • Employed people • Retired people • Benefits

22. References Baron, R. A., Tang, J.: Enterpreneur’s Social Skills and New Venture’s Performance: Mediating Mechanisms and Cultural Generality. In: Journal of Management 2009, Vol. 35, No. 2 Bartle, P., (PhD): The nature of monitoring and evaluation. Definition and purpose. 2007 See online: http://cec.vcn.bc.ca/cmp/modules/mon-wht.htm, 15.05.2012 Colleen Reid, Pamela Ponic, Living in isolation: Women’s experiences of poverty and exclusion. Report Card, October 15, 2004 Erikson, E.H.: Infancy and Society, Rio de Janeiro 1976 (free translation) Freudenberger, H.J.: Staff Burn-out. In: Journal of Social Issues 1974Vol.3, No.1 Gato, J., Carneiro, N. S., Fontaine, A. M.: Contribution to a Critical and Historical Review of the Preconceptions against Non-Heterossexual People. In: Crítica e Sociedade: revista de cultura política 2011 Vol.1 No.1 (free translation)

23. References Genzuck, M. (1993): Latino Paraeducators: A Source For Remedying The Shortage Of Spanish Speaking Bilingual Teachers. University of Southern California Latino Teacher Project, Los Angeles, California (free translation) Kelly, D. M.: Stigma Stories: Four Discourses about Teen Mothers, Welfare and Poverty. In: Youth & Society. Vancouver 1996, Vol. 27 No. 4 Lippa, R.: Gender, Nature and Nurture. New Jersey 2005 Littrell, D. & Quinsey, R. W. : Crisis intervention for yourself and others. In: Emergency Medical Services Division of King County 2011[2012-05] retrieved in www.kingcounty.gov/health. Lopez-Claros, A., Zahidi, S.: Women’s Empowerment: Measuring the Global Gender Gap. World Economic Forum 2005 Menezes, I.: Communitary Intervention: A psychological perspective. Porto 2007 (free translation)

24. References Mortenson, S. T.: Interpersonal Trust and Social Skill in Seeking Social Support Among Chinese and Americans.In: Communication Research 2009, Vol. 36, No.1 Nogueira, C., Saavedra, L.: Educate for na Active Citizenship: (Re)Thinking Teacher’s Role. Actas VI Congresso Galaico-Português de Psicopedagogia II Volume. Centro de Estudos em Educação e Psicologia da Universidade do Minho 2001 (free translation) Pickel, A.: The Habitus Process: a Biopsychosocial perspective. Centre for the Critical Study of Global Power and Politics Polukordienė O. Psychological crisis and overcoming, Jaunimo psichologinės paramos centras: Vilnius, 2003. ISBN 9955-9378-7-4 (free translation) Slovakia Home.: Roma in Slovakia (online). [cit. 2012-05-14] in research on the internet http://www.slovakia.org/ Slovakia Home.: Slovak Society (online). [cit. 2012-05-14] in research on the internet http://www.slovakia.org/ Trochim, W.: Introduction to Evaluation. 2006 See online: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/intreval.php, 15.05.2012 WebFinance Inc. (Ed.) (n.D.): Definition Monitoring, see online: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/monitoring.html, 15.05.2012