Description
The project aims at increased the understanding of equal/unequal power relations between women and men in order to identify adequate responses to imbalances that persist in a gender-based power structure in Slovenian society. The project will be identifying the historic context as well as documenting current and future challenges related to imbalanced power. It will also promote a positive environment for introducing legislative measures, and carry out behavioral monitoring through surveys and awareness raising activities and development of gender sensitive policies at local and national level. The target groups for the project are policy and decision-makers on national and local level, gender equality experts and the general public. The partnership with the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities will broaden mutual understanding in both countries in the field of gender equality issues and give new perspectives on addressing those issues through participation in conferences and organised study tours.
Summary of project results
From 1992 to 2012 the Office for Equal Opportunities was a central government gender equality policy-making body that was taken over by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities in 2012 due to the reorganisation of public administration. In order to render the power fully effective, the gender equality body has had to continuously develop gender expertise within itself and as capacity builder for gender equality at different levels of government and administration. Therefore, the nature of project’s objectives increased support of the gender equality body and also increased its ability to influence government decision-making which guarantees sustainability of the project’s results. The overall objective of the project was to increase understanding of (un)equal power relations between women and men in order to identify adequate responses to imbalances that persist in a gender-based power structure in society and accelerate the achievement of substantive equality of women and men. The project was comprised of interrelated and mutually supporting objectives and activities. According to the project’s outcomes the objective was reached to a high extent. Impact of the project mostly showed in an increased awareness of gender equality, including in policy-making. Project delivered various outputs: - published reports on historical background, legislation and a national research, - implementation of public opinion survey, - implementation of gender sensitive policies at the local level, - implementation of awareness raising campaign. Project reached all expected outcomes to a high extent: - ability of target groups to identify major historic developments and future challenges of gender equality policies, - establishment of supportive environment for introducing legislative measures relevant to gender equality, - implementation of a monitoring instrument to measure changes in men’s and women’s behaviour, attitudes and perceptions in the field of gender equality, - capacity of national and local authorities to implement gender sensitive policies, - improved awareness of target groups in the field of gender equality. Main beneficiary was the Ministry as the project leader that managed to achieve all planned objectives of the project. Beneficiary was also a project partner that contributed to the implementation of the project’s objectives by adding Norwegian perspective into the implemented activities and has also learnt from project’s activities.
Summary of bilateral results
The main achievement on a bilateral level was increased institutional capacity to identify, design and implement informed gender sensitive policies at national and local level, that resulted in the adoption of gender equality action plans in 10 Slovenian municipalities. Project partner (KS) gained knowledge on the preparation and adoption of gender equality action plans at a local level. With the purpose to facilitate networking, exchange, sharing and transfer of knowledge, experience and good practice the Norwegian experts were included to ad hoc exchange and collaboration on different topics through project’s events organised. Bilateral collaboration contributed to the effective cooperation for the promotion of gender equality at local, national and international level, including through sharing of experiences and good practices between Slovenia and Norway. The project provided an opportunity for an enhanced positive interaction at the local, national and international level and was seen as an added value to such cooperation, which was generally recognized as an important strategy for the effective promotion of gender equality.