Projet Students 4 Change

PROJECT SUMMARY

The EU has clearly and lucidly identified the important challenges it is facing, such as human rights, and it is also aware that any challenge can only be won with the active engagement of all citizens, starting with the youngest. Gender-based violence is one of the main forms of human rights violations at national and international levels that cannot be faced off only by institutions. Its contrast has to be ensured primarily by the engagement of citizens through awareness, knowledge and practical instruments.

According to the latest researches, EU Youth main engagement trends are improving, even if some challenges persist: despite the interest in politics and in voluntary activities increased, youth seem more attracted to new ways and forms of participation and engagement.

STUDENTS 4 CHANGE aims to develop and promote a replicable model aimed at boosting young’s active engagement on a crucial challenge: fighting against gender-based violence and de-constructing gender stereotypes through deepening and stimulating reflection and raising awareness and practical activities able to stimulate active engagement, letting students embody the connection line among territory and policy levels thanks to the production of recommendations.
 

Role in the project

UniCA will take care of the scientific organization and the operational arrangement of 7 events in France (2 of which directly involving also Italian students), including 1 C&D Event, 4 Knowledge Acquisition Events and 2 Challenge Yourself Event. Moreover, UniCA will coordinate French students in the drafting of the multi-disciplinary recommendations (aimed at EU and national policy makers). Finally, UniCA will contribute to the scientific production process of the Consortium Recommendations containing STUDENTS 4 CHANGE Engagement Model.
 

Duration:

24 months (1/09/2024 – 31/08/2026)
 

Actions:

The project is based on an ‘engagement’ model, built on a progressive path of events, aimed at increasingly accompany university students towards a higher level of awareness, active engagement and solidarity with respect to the gender-based violence issue.
 

Results/impacts:

Main KPIs: at least 200 students involved in Italy and France; 144h training delivered; 312h practical activities realized in 4 different fields; 4 Recommendations produced; 1 Engagement Model validated and promoted.

Main Innovations: young-tailored and practice-oriented approach; Two-ways engagement approaches (bottom-up and top-down); crosscutting Recommendations; students contributing in raising awareness among their peers.
 

Keywords: 

Engagement; activism; participation; university students; youth; gender-based violence; gender stereotypes

PARTNERS

• COORDINATOR: Dipartimento di Giurisprudenza, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli (https://www.unicampania.it/), Italy Université Côte d'Azur (UniCA) (https://univ-cotedazur.fr/), France
• CIRSES Centro di Iniziativa e di Ricerca sul Sistema Educativo e Scientifico (http://www.cirses.it/), Italy
• Centre d'Information sur les droits des femmes et des familles des Alpes Maritimes (cidff06.com), France
• Associazione Culturale CreaCinema (cineventi.it), Italy

Moreover, the following external organizations support the project:

• Osservatorio sul fenomeno della violenza sulle donne della Regione Campania (https://www.cr.campania.it/osservatorio-violenza-donne/)
• Cooperativa Spazio Donna Caserta (https://spaziodonnaonlus.com/)
• Arcidonna Napoli Onlus (http://donnedinapoli.coopdedalus.org/392/arcidonna-napoli-onlus/)
• ALI della Mente (https://www.fabbricawojtyla.org/la-fabbrica-2/)

FUNDAMENTAL STEPS

Project concept is based on an engagement model build on a progressive path of events, aimed at increasingly accompany students towards a higher level of awareness, active engagement and solidarity with respect to the issue of gender-based violence.

The engagement path is articulated as follows:

• A first cycle composed of 12 “Knowledge Acquisition” Events (2024-2025), aimed at stimulating engagement both “bottom-up” (towards EU and national / local institutions) and “top-down” (towards the associations operating in the territories against gender-based violence);
• A second cycle composed of 7 “Challenge Yourself” Events (2025-2026), directly involving students in four practical strands of activities (design of recommendations aimed at national and EU policy levels, volunteering, social media management and creation of short films), in order to let them experience first-hand the impact they can have on their own lives and the lives of others.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS DEDICATED TO UNICA STUDENTS

WP2 – French Opening Conference (30/09/2024), aimed at presenting the project and its opportunities, and at sensitizing on gender-based violence and the importance of being actively engaged on the issue.

Knowledge Acquisition Events:

WP4 – French KA “Introduction” event (22-23/11/2024)
WP6 – French KA “Gender stereotypes” event (7-8/02/2025)
WP8 – French KA “Gender inequalities in society” event (11-12/04/2025)
WP10 – French KA “Gender-based violence” event (19-20/05/2025)
WP12 – French KA “Exploration of emotions, opinions and behaviors” event (19-20/09/2025), in collaboration with CIDFF06 
WP14 – French KA “Anti-violence centers, shelters and semi-autonomous homes” event (10-11/10/2025), in collaboration with CIDFF06 

Challenge Yourself Events:

WP16 – French CYS “Advocacy 4 Change” event (28-29/11/2025), realized in part at UniVan facilities and in part at UniCA facilities, involving UniVan and UniCA students, aimed at supporting students in setting up recommendations for policy makers at EU and national / local levels on the issue of gender-based violence.
WP18 – French CYS “Activism 4 Change” event (3-14/11/2025), in collaboration with CIDFF06, aimed at supporting and guiding students while carrying out volunteering activities.
WP19 – CYS “Storytelling 4 Change - Social” event (6-7/02/2026), realized online by UniVan and involving UniCA and UniVan student, aimed at supporting students in the running of social media pages meant to create engagement in their peers towards gender-based violence.
WP20 – CYS “Storytelling 4 Change – Short film” event (19-20/02/2026), realized online by CreaCinema and involving UniCA and UniVan students, aimed at supporting students in the production of short films based on the issue of gender-based violence.
WP21 – CYS “Final Roundtable” Event (11-12/05/2026), realized at UniCA facilities and involving a delegation of UniVan students, aimed at supporting students in the final draft of the recommendations for EU and national / local policy makers on the issue of gender-based violence.

WP22 – Final International Conference, aimed at presenting project results and outputs. 

COORDINATOR CONTACT DETAILS

Project dedicated email address: students4change.euproject@unicampania.it
For Université Côte D'Azur : Pr Ugo Bellagamba

PROJECT RESULTS

Communicated later

Points d'étape

Work packages