Romanian Youths Learn About Their Rights
With the objective of promoting social and economic rights through advocacy and related programmes and service, the “Youth Rights of the Romanian Young Women, Girls and Teenagers, a European life” programme was launched. Thanks to the funding received from the World YWCA Power to Change Fund, the National Young Women’s Christian Association of Romania (ANTFCR) was able to start the programme, which targets young people in Romanian high schools.
The project began in February 2010 with the selection of three high schools; The Tehnic College Petru Rares from Bucharest, Traian High School from Deva, and Nicholas Titulescu the National College from Pucioasa with a total of 1630 students participating. The courses began in April and continued for two months in which the students were taught about their labor rights and human rights.
During research carried out by the association prior to the project, it was found that young women and teenagers don’t possess basic knowledge on their labour rights and human rights within the context of the Romanian and European Union (EU) legislation. Thus the project sought to inform them on these issues by providing basic information about human rights under the EU instruments and also about the European and Romanian labour code. The YWCA of Romania believes that professional issues have a great impact upon the other aspects of life and that it is important for everybody to know their rights.
An online forum created by the association also allowed people who were not students to get involved in the discussions, thus expanding the reach of the project to over 2000 people.
Direct beneficiaries of the project are not only the young people who participated and acquired new knowledge, but the ANTFCR has also profited from the initiative. Their visibility throughout Romania has improved as well as the image that is projected of the organisation.
The first phase of the project has been completed and there are plans to continue in the new school year beginning October 2010 until March 2011. The courses will also be updated to include career orientation, writing of CVs, interview-taking skills, etc. In addition to making participants aware of the laws and legislation of Romania and the EU, the revised programme will also introduce ways in which they can promote and protect the human rights of young people.
The YWCA of Romania’s project is just another example of how the Power to Change Fund is being used to equip women and young women with skills, knowledge and resources, which will allow them to become powerful forces in changing the lives and communities around them.
