Inclusive Lower Silesia - comprehensive support for the LGBT+ community

Project facts

Project promoter:
UP-DATE Association for Social Diversity(PL)
Project Number:
PL-ACTIVECITIZENS-REGIONAL-0030
Status:
Completed
Final project cost:
€102,476
Programme:

Description

The aim of the project is to provide educational and psychological support to local communities in the Lower Silesia Region, including people from the LGBT+ community, young people and their environment. The need for the project stems from the analysis of the current social situation at the local, regional and national levels. The report developed in 2017 for the years 2015-2016 entitled "Social situation of LGBTA people in Poland" shows alarming data on suicidal thoughts among people from the LGBT+ community. The highest percentage of those who have contemplated suicide are young people under the age of 18 (69.4%, of which 11.9% very often). Among respondents aged 18-25, 48.9% had considered ending their life, of which 6.1% very often, while among those aged 26 and over, suicidal thoughts were had by 28.8% of respondents, of which 2.4% very often. Respondents from villages and towns with up to 100,000 inhabitants thought about death more often (53.6%) than those from large towns with more than 500,000 inhabitants (37.8%). As part of the project, a Psychological Support Fund will be set up to enable LGBT+ people in a difficult life and material situation to receive psychological support and coaching. We will conduct sexual education workshops for young people. We will train parents, legal guardians, and teachers on how to talk to children and young people about their sexuality and psychosexual development, including aspects relevant to the LGBT+ community. We will prepare community organisations, offices and businesses to respond effectively to discrimination, violence and hate and to create an inclusive workplace. We will enable LGBT+ people and their families to exchange experiences. The project will contribute to the creation of a comprehensive support system for young people, LGBT+ people and their environment in small and medium-sized towns in Lower Silesia.

Summary of project results

Difficult situation of people from the LGBT+ community on the labor market, including: resulting from, among others, the COVID-19 pandemic and existing stereotypes, prejudices and systemic discrimination
- difficult access of young people, parents and teachers to comprehensive knowledge regarding human psychosexual development as well as methods and tools for conducting conversations with young people about sexuality, including psychosexual orientations and gender identities
- insufficient knowledge and skills of people representing non-governmental organizations, public administration units and enterprises in the field of methods and tools for counteracting discrimination and hate speech and using inclusive language towards people from various social groups.

During the project implementation period:
- 22 Individual Support and Development Plans were created for LGBT+ people registered to participate in the Psychological Support Fund mechanism. Ultimately, 21 people from the LGBT+ community used the mechanism.
- 32 workshops on sexuality, psychosexual development, aspects of discrimination and hate speech were held, including 10 workshops on sexual education for young people, 14 workshops on sexual education and psychosexual development of children and young people for parents and legal guardians as well as teachers as well as 8 anti-discrimination trainings for people representing local government units, NGOs and enterprises. As a result of participating in the workshops, 157 people over 13 years of age acquired knowledge and competences in the field of sexuality and human psychosexual development; 167 parents, legal guardians and teachers acquired knowledge and competences in the field of sexuality and psychosexual development of children and adolescents, with particular emphasis on aspects related to the LGBT+ community; 91 people from public administration, NGOs and enterprises acquired knowledge and competences in the field of legal and social aspects of discrimination and hate speech.
- two self-help support groups were established for young transgender people (14-19 years old) and parents and relatives of transgender people. 84 support group meetings were held. Both groups met regularly, on average twice a month each. 51 people from the LGBT+ community and their loved ones took advantage of the meeting offer.
A total of 633 people benefited from all project activities.

The implementation of the project contributed to the creation of a comprehensive support system for young people, LGBT+ people and their surroundings, with particular emphasis on Lower Silesian towns with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants. inhabitants. All people participating in the project unanimously agreed that the activities in which they participated had high substantive value and were highly professionally organized, and the leading staff was perfectly prepared to conduct them.
Thanks to the implementation of the institutional development component, the communication process between individual people in the team improved. The process of implementing individual tasks has been improved. The frequency and regularity of team meetings increased, which improved the process of documenting individual organizational activities. 8 people improved their competences by participating in specialized training, which in the future will lead to an increase in the offer and attractiveness of activities carried out by the organization. As part of the development of teaching and technical infrastructure, new publications were purchased, which makes our classes and workshops more attractive. By equipping the organization with equipment, the professionalism of the activities carried out and the possibility of conducting and documenting activities in the organization increased.

Information on the projects funded by the EEA and Norway Grants is provided by the Programme and Fund Operators in the Beneficiary States, who are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of this information.