Training Course:
When: 3th -11th, December 2025
Where: Marrakech, Morocco
In both the MENA and EU regions, youth continue to face significant challenges related to gender inequality and hate speech that hinder their opportunities and reinforce harmful stereotypes. Young women often contend with longstanding gender biases that limit their access to education and professional development, while Youth with diverse identities experience additional layers of marginalization and exclusion. These issues are further intensified by digital spaces that although full of potential for connection can also amplify prejudice and silence open dialogue.
“Breaking, Bridging Barriers” seeks to address these pressing challenges by leveraging youth work as a catalyst for positive change.
The project brings together young activists, youth workes and youth-focused organizations from across MENA and EU countries to create a dynamic platform for networking and collaborative learning. Through the exchange of best practices, digital advocacy strategies, leadership development, and intercultural dialogue. Participants will be equipped to confront hate speech, advocate for inclusive policies, and challenge entrenched gender norms within their communities.
Objectives:
The project seeks to amplify voices that are routinely sidelined and unlock the transformative potential of youth-led action. To reach this aim, we’ll address the following objectives:
- Strenghten youth advocacy skills on gender and inclusion, to develop the technical and interpersonal competencies needed to confront hateful gender rhetoric and address systemic gender disparities.
- Foster inclusive policy dialogues by amplifying the voices of young activists in both regions. Besides, the project will encourage meaningful dialogue with local and international policymakers and its objective is to inspire legislative and institutional changes that protect and empower marginalized youth , an imperative underscored by the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2022, which points to enduring legal and social barriers limiting women’s and girls’ opportunities.
- Explore the GAMMAA+ model to foster reflection on the prevalence of hate speech online (specifically gender-related) and upskill youth workers with creative approaches to develop digital counter-narrative campaigns alongside highlighting the need for proactive youth engagement in encountering rising online harassment.
- Facilitate the exchange o effective support and mechanismsand ressources for vulnerable youth especially those experiencing gender-based discrimination so that youth workers can more readily identify signs of exclusion and provide timely, appropriate guidance. By sharing practical tools and best practices across regions, participants will be equipped to connect young people with specialized services, offer psychosocial support and help them navigate situations where their rights and well-being may be at risk.
- Build sustainable networks of cooperation by recognizing that fragmented advocacy efforts can dilute impact and the project will establish durable partnerships among youth-led organizations in MENA and EU countries.
Partner Organizations:
EGLSF, Cocunut, EQuality, Foreningen Framtidstagt, Youthfully Yours SK, FREEMINDS IN ACTION, MI HI For Training And Development, Association Voix d’enfant Rural, Desert Bloom for Training and Sustainable Development, Gaziantep Egitim ve Genclik Dernegi
Involved Countries:
Netherlands, Morocco, Poland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan and Turkiye.
Profile of Participants:
It is suitable for youth workers, being dedicated professionals and volunteers actively engaged in youth work within their respective organizations across Europe. They come from diverse backgrounds but share a common commitment to promoting inclusion, gender equality and rights through activism and using non-formal education who are as following:
- Currently working with young people in various settings such as community centers, educational institutions and non-governmental organizations.
- Involved in programs that aim to work on gender equality.
- Have experience or a strong interest in advocating for gender rights and supporting marginalized youth.
Dealine for submitting applications: 12th, October 2025
Contact:
office@coconutwork.org