Education

CARE’s gender transformation education Young Men Initiative (YMI) has been a documented success in the Western Balkans. The program is focused on transforming the school environment to one that supports and nurtures gender equality and promotes a culture of non-violence. It seeks to achieve this outcome by both institutionalizing a gendered educational curriculum and a social norms campaign. The program has been piloted, evaluated and accredited in most of the Western Balkan countries. The curriculum has been implemented by peer educators, youth workers and educators as part of a multiplier effect. This focus was based on the understanding that adolescence represents a pivotal moment in the socialisation process, when attitudes towards violence and gender roles are formulated and solidified, as well as the recognition that schools are important institutions in constructing and reinforcing gender norms. The YMI program theory hypothesises that if students learn to recognise harmful gender norms and are provided safe spaces to practise questioning these constructs, then there is a greater likelihood of internalising new ideas in support of gender-equitable, healthy and non-violent behaviours. The methodology also emphasises supporting influences and structures, such as positive peer groups and role models, and the existing policy environment.

In evaluations conducted by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) using a quasi experimental design findings showed promising results, particularly in improving attitudes related to violence against women, homophobia, gender roles and the use of violence against peers.[1] In Kosovo, where the evaluation was able to track students over a longer period, the reviewer found using a modified Gender Equitable Men Scale to assess changes in participants’ gender-related attitudes that “For the vast majority of survey items measuring gender norms and homophobic attitudes, YMI participants showed significant shifts not observed in the comparison school.”[2]

[1] YMI Synthesis Report, ICRW 2014

[2] Kosovo Case Study, Brian Heilman 2016.

Learn more about YMI by watching this documentary!

Meet the Team

JOHN CROWNOVER | Program Advisor – Team Leader | CARE Balkans

John is currently the Engaging Men and Boys Program Advisor within CARE International Balkans Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Sector, which includes working in Serbia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Croatia. His main focus is on the development and implementation of programs around gender equality, fatherhood and young men, particularly dealing with issues around masculinities, violence and conflict; gender and health; and mobilizing youth in bringing about positive social change. In addition John Crownover supports CARE’s programs addressing gender based violence, peacebuilding and the social inclusion of the Roma. John Crownover has a master’s of science in youth development and has focused his post graduate work on issues related to young men, masculinities and violence in the region of the former Yugoslavia. He currently am active in the MenEngage Alliance, including as alternative representative for CARE on the global board and active in the regional MenEngage Europe network. John am also co facilitator of the CARE International working group on engaging men and boys. He currently on the steering committee for the European wide White Ribbon campaign working to prevent violence against women.

HILDE RØREN| Programme Advisor| CARE Norway

Hilde is Care Norway’s in-house engaging men advisor and she has extensive experience from the field of engaging men for gender equality. Prior to joining CARE she worked for the International Labour Organisation in India and Geneva where she developed and managed projects focusing on engaging men in trade unions to end sexual harassment. One component of this included designing advocacy messages for senior leadership. At CARE Norway she is responsible for ensuring the quality of all engaging men initiatives across the framework agreement and also manages a project engaging young men for GBV prevention in Burundi and DRC. This project is designed based on learning from the YMI in Balkans which she was the desk officer for at CN from 2009. Further, together with John Crownover she coordinates the CI Engaging Men network. She holds a Master in Gender and Development from the London School of Economics where she wrote her master thesis provided a critically reflection on the level of gender transformation in a selection of engaging men projects.

MARINA STARCEVIC CVIKO | Project Coordinator | CARE Balkans – Serbia

Marina by vocation is social worker, holding the bachelor degree of Faculty for Political Science, Belgrade University in Serbia. At year 2000 started the engagement in civil society sector in Serbia, working in local NGOs as Coordinator for livelihoods projects for IDPs and refugees, Counselor for SOS phone line for girls – victims of violence and as Coordinator for youth projects implemented throughout Serbia. In CARE Balkans since 2006, starting with coordination of projects related to empowerment of youth, anti-trafficking in human beings and finally in 2008 starting with the project Young Men Initiative (YMI). During the implementation of YMI in past 8 years, together with YMI team, she is in charge for monitoring and evaluation of project partners` activities, baseline and endline research, development of policy papers, manuals, publications and etc. Also, involved in program development and advocacy activities on national and regional level. Special interests are related to deconstruction of harmful masculinities, prevention of gender and peer violence and promotion of gender equality and gender justice in the Balkans.

JUDIT KONTSEKOVA | Desk Officer | CARE Austria

Judit is part of the Asia, Middle East and Europe team at CARE Austria and having a strong focus on projects in the Balkans. She has been formerly working on public policy analysis and project evaluations specifically in the field of educational, social and labour market programs/policies. A special focus of her work has been related to marginalized communities in Central and South-eastern European Countries. In her assignments she liaised for instance with the World Bank, UNDP, Roma Education Fund and national NGO partners to support the set up M&E systems and to introduce participative monitoring and learning tools. At CARE Austria she is involved in project development, contract management and donor liaison.

PAUL-ANDRÉ WILTON | Conflict Policy Advisor | CARE UK

Paul-André is Conflict Policy Advisor for CARE International UK based in London. Focused on Type 4 responses as well as deeper advocacy on South Sudan, he also works on multiplying impact in the thematic areas of gender in emergencies, resilient markets and engaging men and boys to protect and empower women in conflict. Previously at CARE, Paul-André led the Conflict Community of Practice, connecting staff working in conflict areas around the world to share their approaches and experiences, and as a technical trainer in conflict analysis, Theories of Change in peacebuilding DM&E and Do No Harm.

AMANDA MOLL | Knowledge & Learning Advisor | CARE USA

Amanda provides leadership and technical assistance on knowledge management and monitoring & evaluation to the Education Team. Specifically, her current work focuses on implementing, evaluating and documenting education-based projects to address the causes of marginalization affecting girls in developing contexts. Before joining CARE, she worked on social and political issues, as well as teaching and providing supplemental instruction in both high school and college settings.

THOMAS KNOLL | Project Manager | CARE Germany-Luxemburg

Thomas is Sociologist (University of Trier) born 1968; had several positions in International Development Cooperation (two years with the German Development Service in Agadez, Niger), two years for the Chamber of Crafts in Ruanda and Rumania with two episodes at Universities (University of Saarbruecken, University of Tuebingen) before coming to CARE DL at the beginning of 2011. Five years at CARE as Manager for Volunteers and School Campaigns, since January 2016 Project Manager for the KIWI Project (work with youth migrants).

BESNIK LEKA | Project Coordinator| CARE Balkans – Kosovo & Albania

Besnik is the project coordinator for YMI project in Kosovo and Albania. He has a degree in Sociology and a certificate Program in Women’s and Gender Studies from Dartmouth College Ivy League School. Besnik has more than 14 years’ experience in coordination and management projects at national and international level including strong financial and personnel management expertise. He has worked with several local and International agencies and local government (i.e. the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education, Deputy members from parliament, Local Municipalities, and Schools.) He is well connected with organizations and individuals who are all actively involved with community development work.

ZVJEZDANA BATKOVIC | Gender Equality Coordinator| CARE Balkans

CARE in the Balkans Regional Gender Program Coordinator has over 18 years of experience in post-war, multi-cultural environment related to emergency and developmental issues. She has strong skills in managing projects and cross-border regional programming processes focused on gender equality and women empowerment, social integration of minorities and vulnerable groups, education, youth development and good governance. She has been with CARE in the Balkans for eleven years in different capacities, from project manager of national and regional projects related to Gender Equality and Women Empowerment to Gender Advisor and Acting Program Director. She has been engaged with the Young Men Initiative since its beginning through developing project proposals, providing advisory support to the project team, defining guidelines for monitoring and evaluation, creating synergies with other projects, coordinating fundraising and research activities and conducting related assessments. She holds a Master degree in Public Administration with management and leadership focus from, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, USA, is a co-author of the first CARE in the Balkans’ Evidence of Change Report on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment 2005-2012 and a lead author of CARE International in Pakistan Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Model (2015).

SAŠA PETKOVIĆ | Project Manager| CARE Balkans – Bosnia and Herzegovina

Saša has master’s and PhD degree in Economics at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Banja Luka, where teaches as an associate professor Economics and Management of SMEs subject undergraduate students and Globalization and Entrepreneurship, Management of Entrepreneurial Projects and International Project Management. He works in CARE since 1999, and as a project manager he led various regional projects, in cooperation with youth local NGOs and government representatives. He is leading the YMI project since in its beginning and has intensive experience in work with young men.

Chat! Contraception, an integrated behavior change communication (BCC) package, was created in 2015 and aims to improve the health of garment factory workers though empowering young women to make informed, healthy, sexual choices, access reliable reproductive health services, and prevent unplanned pregnancies. Improving the health of workers and preventing unplanned pregnancies also has benefits for factory management, as in turn, workers will take fewer sick days and are more likely to continue working at the factory for longer—both significant factors for productivity. Chat! Contraception harnesses the reality of young urban women in Cambodia, integrating both entertainment and technology to achieve its goals. The concept adopts an innovative, three-pronged approach, to “Inform, Engage, and Challenge.”

Julia Battle | SRMHR Advisor | CARE Cambodia

With over 12 years of diverse global health experience in the governmental, non-profit, academic, and private sectors, Julia Battle spent five years in Tanzania, planning and overseeing evidence-based, innovative reproductive, maternal and newborn health programs before relocating to Cambodia in 2015 to take on a Technical Advisor role. Her accomplishments include designing and implementing effective programs, managing diverse staff, conducting rigorous evaluations, building strategic partnerships, and writing various publications and proposals. Her passion and technical expertise is in sexual, reproductive, maternal, and newborn health, with a particular interest in applying evidence to increase quality and access to essential health care at both the community- and facility- levels.

Julia holds a BA in Philosophy from the George Washington University and an MPH in Global Health (Community Health) from Emory University.

Supraja Suresh | Apparel & Garment Sector Projects Advisor | CARE Cambodia

Supraja Suresh joined CARE Cambodia in April 2015. In her current role she develops and manages relationships with retailers, industry bodies, other stakeholders and advises the factory team on implementation design and training. With a strong background in Sustainability Management, Quality, and Corporate Communications, Supraja has previously managed capacity building and safety programs in garment factories in India and Bangladesh. She is also fluent in five languages, including Tamil and Telugu.

Chenda Net | Project Manager | CARE Cambodia

Chenda joined CARE Cambodia in 2015 and is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the package in the

garment factories, including work planning, budgeting, and managing the local NGO partner. She also led review and revision of the Khmer materials. She finished her postgraduate work in health and international development at Flinders University

and has a background in physiotherapy and women’s sexual & reproductive health.

Maly Man | Senior Program Officer | CARE Cambodia

Maly joined CARE Cambodia in 2013 and is the master trainer who facilitated the field testing and training-of-trainers for all aspects of the package, manages factory relationships, and provides regular monitoring and supervision in the factories. Her responsibilities

include overseeing the delivery of diversity training by sub grantees and localpartners, and monitoring impact and

innovation, particularly in garment factories with CARE and other key stakeholders. Maly has over a decade of

experience training in various settings including communities and local schools throughout Cambodia.

Jenny Conrad | Communications Advisor | CARE Cambodia

Jenny joined CARE Cambodia in 2013, She is responsible for sharing program successes, increasing brand visibility in Cambodia, and managing the Country Office’s online presence. This

includes managing a team of communications and knowledge management staff and regular support to program

teams. Jenny provided input on the design of the Chat! Contraception package and materials to ensure these met donor branding requirements and has developed a potential social media strategy for Chat! Contraception.

With a BA in English from the University of Bristol, Jenny also served as a freelance writer previously and an editor in various roles specializing in communications for NGOs and social enterprises.

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Tanya Barnfield | Program Director for the Socially Marginalised Women Program | CARE Cambodia

Tanya Barnfield joined CARE Cambodia in May 2012 and is responsible for the Socially Marginalised Women program, which focuses on rural people and urban migrants who have limited productive resources and lack social protection, especially women. She has the overall responsibility for the development, implementation and management of the program and its projects. Projects include working with young women in business, strengthening access to maternal and child health services and ending violence against women and girls. Tanya developed the vision for the Chat! Contraception package.

Originally from Warwickshire, UK, Tanya has worked throughout Asia for over a decade. She has a strong background in program management and has managed humanitarian and development programs in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Tag: Education

Meet the Teams: CHAT! Contraception