Contributed by: Vanja Mikulic and Irena Milatovic, Montenegro National VAW Monitors

A new gender equality project: I Choose to choose, was implemented after several conferences organized in cooperation with women's NGOs, two 2-day seminars for trainers prepared in cooperation with “Azin” and “Women In Action” from Belgrade, publishing a “Manual for Young Women” with “Azin “ and “Women in Action.” The project started on February 1, 2005 and it spanned over the next three months – until May 1, 2005.

The project was initiated and coordinated by NGO ANIMA – Centre for Women and Peace Education in Kotor, and implemented together with partners’ organizations: SOS Hotline for Women and Children Victims of Violence Podgorica, SOS Hotline for Women and Children Victims of Violence Pljevlja, SOS Hotline for Women and Children Victims of Violence Niksic, STELA Cetinje, and accordingly it was implemented in 6 Montenegrin cities: Podgorica, Pljevlja, Niksic, Cetinje, Herceg Novi, and Kotor.

Project implementation and manual modification were supported by world organization – Kvinna till Kvinna.

Project goals were to increase awareness about the societal position of young women, to educate young women on gender stereotypes, to initiate female economic independence, and finally, to increase cooperation between women's NGOs.

The target groups were female high school seniors and the program involved 10 workshops for every group (some of them are: My future profession, The reverse world, My personal plan of action, 24 hours in a life of a male/female, My business plan, Writing a CV…).

Every team, along with one or two of its leaders/trainers, conducted the project in one school in their city. The target groups were not the girls from the classical gymnasium, as they usually continue their education, but mainly the girls interested in trade and craft vocations. Prior to the project beginning the Ministry of Education was presented with the project draft and asked for their approval. School principles, councillors and other school board members were contacted and the girls were attracted through posters, fliers etc. The workshops mainly took place at the offices of the local NGOs.

The project started with a survey that dealt with gender stereotypes and relations. The survey was followed by 10 workshops that ended with the repetition of the same survey (attached). The survey was used as a means of evaluation but it also increased awareness about gender stereotypes in Montenegro.

Attached is brochure published in Serbian for the project’s participants.

Source: ANIMA, Kotor

 Survey_s_analysis in English.doc  
 Brochure "I choose to choose".pdf