Aware – Armed: Raising awareness of youth and adults in Zhytomyr region to counter security challenges in wartime

Goal: Increasing the level of competence of implementers of the regional action plan, youth, and adults in Zhytomyr region, in particular women, regarding tools for countering security challenges, understanding of the 1325 agenda through the implementation of training studios with practical skills training.

The following activities were carried out within the framework of the project:
Security camp for young leaders from the communities in Zhytomyr region.
Result: Awareness was raised and skills of participants were developed under the following subjects:
● Mine safety. Rules for safe handling of explosive objects. Algorithm of actions when detecting suspicious or obviously dangerous things;● Self-defense measures in wartime and the course of action in non-standard situations. Practicing basic self-defense techniques;● Maintaining resource status in wartime. Practices of self-care;● Information security/cyber hygiene;● Pre medical aid training;● Agenda of resolution 1325 “Women. Peace. Security”;● The influence of gender stereotypes on the personality formation.
Gender equality studies for cadets of the S.P. Korolev Zhytomyr Military Institute.

Results: the level of awareness of young people on the basics of gender equality, in particular the components of the concept of gender equality, the influence of gender stereotypes on personal life and professional self-determination has increased.

Feminist self-defense for women WenDo for women from among IDPs, wives of militaries, students of Zhytomyr universities, etc.
Result: the level of awareness of the participants was increased and techniques were developed on how to take care of one's safety using voice and body as well as algorithms that we can use to protect ourselves. Wen Do is:

● providing self-confidence● teaching tools that will help to resist and deter various forms of violence● mutual support and a sense of sisterhood● assertiveness, as the ability to understand where my boundaries are and how to protect them at work/in the family/from strangers is a key element of WenDo.

Conducting a study “Social portrait of people with IDP status (internally displaced people) in Zhytomyr region using examples of Zhytomyr and Brusyliv territorial communities (TC)”
Result: the social portrait of people with IDP status was outlined and their basic needs were identified in Zhytomyr and Brusyliv territorial communities (which accepted the largest number of IDPs in Zhytomyr region) in order to increase the efficiency and targeting of state social services and implement case management.

Supervision meetings for psychologists
Result: issues related to the development and implementation of a correctional program for offenders were discussed with psychologists of territorial communities in Zhytomyr region who are implementing a correctional program for offenders.