On 31 January in Ankara was launched a ten-month joint project between CWSP (Bulgaria), CEDIF (France) and the project coordinator Flying Broom (Turkey). The initiative is financed by the European Commission’s Small Project Program in Turkey, named “Young Women are Building Bridges for EU”. During the first part of the project a questionnaire shall be drafted and used as a common method for the tree partner organizations to carry out a survey of the students’ opinions and knowledge on national gender equality policy and legislation and relations of Bulgaria, Turkey and France with the EU as a factor for strengthening gender mainstreaming.

After the evaluation of the questionnaires and collecting of information about the students’ basic knowledge and personal interest in these topics, the project team will organize shooting of interviews with the students from the universities in Ankara, Sofia and Nimmes and produce a documentary. The documentary will be shown at forums in Ankara, Sofia and Nimmes and will allow the students to learn more and discuss their opinions regarding the national policies and legislation on gender equality in the three countries.

The approach of the project is intended to challenge discussions on gender equality issues among young people and raise their gender awareness and sensitivity. The project aim is to increase the young people’s interest in debates on overcoming gender stereotypes and the specific barriers that women face in the political, cultural and educational life and participation in the labour market in the three countries.

The second aim of the project is a survey on the attitude of young people to Turkey’s candidacy for the European Union in the context of gender equality.