Avoiding Sexist acts in youth exchanges

Avoiding Sexist acts in youth exchanges

The project we had the honor of participating in took place in a charming small town named Mutzig, a few kilometers from Strasbourg, in France. Ambitious young people from nine countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, France, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Greece) had an amazing opportunity to discuss one of the most challenging topics of our time – sexism. During this project, we all saw that despite coming from different countries, with different cultures and customs, we also have a lot in common. We were able to exchange not only our national foods and drinks during the intercultural night but also our experiences related to the topic and beyond. Discussions about sexist acts and sexism opened new doors for all of us.

After this project, we are able to discard old stereotypes and prejudices that are deeply rooted within us. We all looked forward to spreading these ideas and knowledge further into the world, to show people how to think freely and be tolerant of each other. But in addition to the great conversations and activities related to our project, we also had the opportunity to explore the country during our day spent in Strasbourg, where we could experience France firsthand.

We visited the Council of Europe, where we had a great excursion and a very fruitful debate about the Istanbul Convention. After spending one very productive week on a youth exchange, I cannot even describe in words what a great opportunity it was for me from beginning to end. Meeting new people and forming new friendships that I certainly would not have had the chance to experience without this project is something I will be forever grateful for, and I hope to be able to be a part of as many projects as possible in the future.