Donor: Swiss Confederation, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs – Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Project name: I can choose to say no - Empowering youth to stand up against cyber sexual and gender-based violence

Project duration: May 2020 – February 2021

Objective: The overall goal is to contribute to ending cyber sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in youth intimate partner relationships, by especially empowering girls and supporting them to stand up to violence. 

Main information about the project and envisaged activities:

The project will involve primarily youth (15-19), but also teachers, psychologists, pedagogues, parents and the wider local community. Also, through the project implementation AWC will further improve its capacities to deal with the topic of cyber sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls.

The project activities envisage peer education and training, guidebooks for youth and teachers, psychosocial support to young women victims of violence through SOS line and an awareness raising campaign. These activities specifically deal with gender-based violence in partner relationships, focusing on how technology accelerates patterns of controlling and abusive behavior specifically in partner relationships. Awareness-raising activities explore self-defense strategies, as well as strategies and online tools for expressing unacceptability of cyber SGBV, while providing support to those exposed to such violence.