The project is implemented by the NGO "Labor and Health Social Initiatives" (LHSI) with financial support Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
Project duration 30 months from July 1, 2024
Project goal: promote gender equality by implementing innovative approaches to preventing online sexual violence against adolescent girls affected by the conflict in Ukraine, focusing on Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Vinnytsia regions.
Project description
The proposed project ensures gender equality for Ukrainian adolescents (boys and girls) with a focus on preventing online sexual violence against adolescent girls (13-17 years old), education and awareness-raising among child advocates and professionals, parents and caregivers. The project will use the developed and adapted Cybersafe Toolkit and online tools for outreach and education of girls, as well as through the developed special tool for guardians and parents on early support and prevention.
The project plans to train local stakeholders and inform professionals, parents, and guardians in three target regions (Kyiv, Vinnytsia, and Kharkiv) about the types, methods, and tools of preventing online violence against girls.
Main project objectives
— Strengthening the capacity of local and national stakeholders (teachers, social workers, psychologists, youth workers, police officers, etc.) to prevent online sexual violence against girls in the three target areas of the project.
— Supporting girls who have experienced online sexual violence through counselling and peer support (focusing on the most vulnerable IDP girls who have been affected by war, persecution or discrimination). This will be implemented in partnership with NGOs Teenergizer.
— Conducting information and awareness campaigns and supporting local initiatives through a small grants scheme in three target regions.
— Promoting project materials and impact stories among local and national partners and other stakeholders.
The project will deliver cybersecurity workshops aimed at preventing online sexual violence against girls, as well as developing a set of recommendations for adults (parents, guardians, foster parents, child rights professionals) to be able to reach adolescent girls with short messages, prevention, support and early intervention. The workshop will be delivered for three target areas using the developed materials and curricula. The recorded workshops will be available online during and after the project.
The project will work to raise awareness, educate, counsel, and support adolescent girls in all childcare settings, youth camps, sports and youth clubs, schools, shelters, and social media groups by implementing modern models of preventing online sexual violence, promoting safe and healthy relationships.
The project provides 3 (three) small grants to local NGOs in target regions to enable them to provide information and counseling to adolescents, peer support, or training for girls who have experienced online sexual violence and are seeking such support. The grants will also target the engagement of boys and adults in online and offline education.
The project will ensure broad visibility and disseminate the developed tools and collected best practices among national stakeholders to ensure experience sharing, further expansion and multiplication of the project.