A collaborative model between teachers and parents to tackle gender-based discrimination: the project consortium launches the Free Project web platform

The Erasmus+ funded “FREE” programme is pleased to launch its new website. Our web platform will deliver the results of the pan-European initiative aiming to address the issue of gender-based discrimination in schools that can be potentially a breeding ground for violence, and lead to a series of harmful effects for girls taking their first steps in life.

Gender-based discrimination is a problem present in schools all over the world. It can have a devastating impact on the comfort, wellbeing, and success on the children who experience it, long after they leave the school environment.
Recognising this, FREE will bring parents and teachers from across Europe together, and develop the tools and techniques to address this problem. By doing so, together, we will ensure that children’s school experiences are as safe, positive, and as enjoyable as they deserve.

IARS Director, Dr. Claire Bonham said “the FREE project offers an innovative approach in bringing both parents and teachers together in collaboration to eradicate gender discrimination and violence in the school environment. At a time where the world is considering the structural effects of discrimination in its various forms, the scope of this project in exploring this in a number of European countries will be an important addition to the debate.”

Free will help parents to understand the issue in schools and support schools to pursue a ‘whole school approach’ to tackle gender-based discrimination.

Through various steps, the project will design and test methods to:
1) Develop the skills needed to tackle gender-based discrimination
2) Identify and address incidents of gender-based discrimination
3) Help parents and teachers work together to fight discrimination.

The web-platform will feature news, blogs, project’s findings and updates, such as reports, policy briefs as well as opportunities for collaboration, e.g. events announcements, workshops and training opportunities.
The programme, currently in its first phase, is co-ordinated by IARS (UK) (Project coordinator), and delivered in partnership with 5 European partners, namely SYMPLEXIS (Greece), ASOCIACIÓN CAMINOS Asociación para el intercambio educación y desarrollo social (Spain), Aintek Symvouloi Epicheiriseon Efarmoges Ypsilis Technologias Ekpaidefsi Anonymi Etaireia (Greece), NOVEL GROUP SARL (Luxembourg) and SUBVERSIVE FRONT (North Macedonia)

Note to editors

  • To find out more about the FREE Programme and to get involved in the activities please follow the link https://www.projectfree.eu/
  • Follow our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/freeuropeanproject
  • FREE is co-funded by the European Commission under the Grant Agreement: 2019-1-UK01-KA201-062092
  • Project leaflets are available in English, Greek, Spanish and Macedonian here
    https://www.projectfree.eu/documents/

This press release is also available in Spanish, Macedonian and Greek

Leave a Comment