#IfIwant

Germany – Turkey

The project

To be a young woman or a LGBTIQ + person means fighting against different difficulties within the patriarchal structure. Despite progress in gender equality, young women continue to be left behind and discriminated against in society.

Gender discrimination has been built up over time and is based, among other things, on the domination it attempts to establish over the female body. The female body is not free because it is expected to be ideal, perfect. This body perception has been created by a standard perception of beauty through media, social networks and art. However, the Body Positivity movement, which has recently become widespread, attempts to make the female body visible outside of these artificial beauty standards.

Discrimination against young women and LGBTIQ+ people, as well as discrimination regarding the body are universal. These discriminations take different forms in different societies, therefore we would like to create a space for dialogue and exchange for the German and Turkish participants to share experiences of gender discrimination. This project aims to (re-)give confidence to the girls and to encourage their physical emancipation through a common and intercultural sharing.

We will base the program on different pedagogical, linguistic and intercultural methods of non-formal education. The activities will offer a space for dialogue so that each young person can express themselves, exchange and think with the participants from the other countries.

We would like this online exchange to become a physical exchange project when it will be possible to travel again. We are therefore planning physical meeting phases in Germany and Turkey in 2021 with the same groups we will have worked with online.

When and where

Phase I:Online – 12th-14th February 2021

Digital format

Due to health and international mobility restrictions, we are committed to developing online projects to continue our intercultural and youth work but also to democratize digital tools and maintain international dialogue between young people.

In addition to the online meetings, in-person meetings with the participants of the national groups are also being considered as long as health restrictions are respected.

Participants

This exchange is intended for young girls* between 16 and 23 years old who have little access to international mobility programs and who are motivated to meet young people from partner countries.

As interpreters will be present during the project meetings, no prior language knowledge is required.

(*) The aim of this project is to create a protected space dedicated to dialogue and the sharing of experiences of young girls, that’s why this project is only open to people perceived as women (and/or non-binary).