2024-10-02

Beyond Gender

This EU funded Erasmus+ youth exchange took place from 07-14 of August 2024 in Coma-Ruga, Spain and was organized by Youth TGN. 

Wayoh was partner for the first time and send 5 participants to represent The Netherlands. Other participating coutries were: Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, North Macedonia and Spain.

During the project, we explored gender from different approaches, such as culture, sport and other daily life aspects.

The goals of the project were:
- to understand what gender equality is
- to achieve awareness of gender-based inequality and discrimination
- to promote gender equality

Facilitators Tam and Mimi, from Youth TGN, took care of us during this youth exchange, guide us during activities, help us to step out of our comfort zone and assist us in other aspects of this unique learning process.

During introduction day, we were informed about what a youthexchange is, the aim of the youth exchange and together we decided the house rules for this week. We made posters were everyones could contribute their fears, expectations and contributions. We ended the day with a fun mission impossible assignment in and arround the venue, where we had to create pictures, videos and a song.

During the week, each country facilitated a group activity to explore the topic ‘gender’. The dutch team facilitated two workshops.

The workshop ‘Gender Equality and Sports’ was done by groupleader and korfball trainer Marten, where he used the mixed gender team sport Korfball as a tool, to promote gender equality in sports. As a result of the workshop, the participants ended up giving presentations, performing theatre, creating posters and making promotional video material to promote equality in sports.

The workshop Dance and Gender, was facilitated by dutch participant and dance teacher Mandy, assisted by Ibrahim, where they broke the ice with a dance energizer and discussed gender-based stereotypes in dance. The participants ended up, creating and perfroming dances in groups and break gender-based stereotypes. 

The facilitators gave us an assignment during the week, to spend time in between activities, to work on a video to promote gender equality, devided over several related topics. For example, the video created about gender equality and sports, you can watch here!

Devided over three days, each country had to prepare a presentation, where you can introduce participants from other countries to your countries food and traditions, as traditional dances. Because of the extreme hot weather conditions, we decided to perform them outside, like you can see in the picture above.
During the dutch ‘cultural night’, the dutch participants prepared to old dutch traditional game of ‘koekhappen’ and brought several traditional dutch snacks and candy.

As part of exploring the region, we visited the city Tarragona, where we also got the workshop of building a human tower. This is a very spanish mixed-gender traditional activity, with their own clubs, competitions and tournaments.

WAYOH is looking back on a succesfull first partnership with Youth TGN and is looking forward to be partner again in the future!