KARAT is a regional coalition of organizations and individuals that works to ensure gender equality in the CEE/CIS countries, monitors the implementation of international agreements and lobbies for the needs and concerns of women in the region at all levels of decision-making fora.

 

 

KARAT's East-East Project ARAT's East-East Project: 'Building Capacity of NGOs from Eastern European Neighboring Countries related to monitoring gender equality standards in the process of European integration has 'officially' began. The Coordination Meeting gathering all the project partners took place on October 27th in KARAT's Office in Warsaw, Poland. The next project activity is the Capacity Building Seminar on European Neighborhood Policy and its implementation process. It will take place in February 2007, in Warsaw. The recruitment of the participants has already began and it is crried out on national levels by the Country Coordinators in Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
More information on the Capacity Builing Seminar
More information on the Project
In case of any questions related to the project, please contact Joanna at: secretariat@karat.org.pl

 

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KARAT Coalition East-East Project:

Building Capacity of NGOs from Eastern European Neighboring Countries related to monitoring gender equality standards in the process of European integration.

 

Implementing Agent:

KARAT Coalition,

Address: ul. Karmelicka 16/13, 00-163 Warszawa, Tel./Fax: +48 22 636 83 07,

E-mail: secretariat@karat.org.pl Websites: www.karat.org    www.womenslabour.org

 

Partners

Belarus: WOMEN'S INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT, Contact : Lyudmila Petina: petina@open.by

Georgia: CENTER FOR WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT, Contact: Shorena Dzotsenidze: sh_dzotsenidze@yahooo.com

Moldova: GENDER-CENTER, Contact: Valentina Bodrug-Lungu: lungval@mcc.md

Ukraine: WOMEN'S PROSPECTS, Contact: Maryna Saprykina:  m_saprykina@mail.ru

 

Description

KARAT as a European regional (CEE/CIS) coalition is extremely concerned about undermining of regional solidarity, identity and cooperation between women’s NGOs from the region caused by joining of the EU by 8 CEE countries. Strengthening of cooperation between CEE and CIS countries is one of the main strategic goals of KARAT. Such cooperation will prevent weakening of the link between women from CEE region and polarization between women living in ‘developed’ (i.e. EU members) and those living in the remaining parts of CEE/CIS. This can be achieved through capacity building on European Integration and democratic mechanisms including civil society monitoring, advocacy and coalition building. The need for such cooperation and capacity building was expressed by KARAT’s CIS members. The project will be build on the existing extensive experience of KARAT related to gender equality aspects of European enlargement process. The vision of many women of Eastern European neighboring countries is for all citizens of European continent to be equal. They do not want to be second-class citizens from “another Europe”. Their vision is to foster a better understanding, dialogue and cooperation among the women from entire Europe aimed at ensuring gender equality.

 

This project is aimed at: building capacity and knowledge among women’s NGOs from Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia on:

• European Union gender equality standards (included in: directives, European Employment and Lisbon Strategies, European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument [ENPI] for 2007-2013),
• civil society monitoring of these standards (example: National Action Plans related to ENPI in respective countries),
• advocacy at national and EU level. Its objective is also to strengthen the cooperation among women’s NGOs related to European Integration, in order to discuss possible future joint advocacy strategies.

This project will consolidate and strengthen the voice of NGO on gender equality in Eastern European neighboring countries, heard at the EU level.

 

The activities planned within this project:

• Coordination meeting - for above mentioned partners, aimed at needs assessment and common preparation of the capacity building seminar for gender focused NGOs from Neighboring countries (establishing of rules of cooperation, responsibilities sharing, drafting the agenda of the seminar, and rules of participants recruitment, preparation of the concept of on-line information package etc.)
• Preparation of on-line information package on monitoring of implementation the gender equality at EU level, EU Neighborhood Policy, National Action Plans related to ENPI etc.
• One capacity building seminar on: a) gender equality standards in EU;  b) civil society monitoring; c) advocacy; d) writing of position papers; e) transnational network/coalition building,

• Overall coordination, communication and exchange of information.

 

Expected results:

• Better understanding of EU gender equality standards among NGOs from neighboring countries.
• Better understanding of civil society monitoring of the implementation of gender equality included in policy documents related to EU.
• Better use of advocacy tools and mechanisms.
• Better understanding of network/coalition functioning.
• Improved NGO cooperation and exchange of experience on cooperation, monitoring and advocacy.