Libres para elegir [Freedom to Choose]

Free to choose 1

Free to choose 2

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Client: European Commission – Justice for Equality and Citizenship Programme

Dates: 2019-2017

Field: Social projects

Service: Training, Research, Evaluation, Materials, Consultancy and Development.

Description:

Recognized by the European Commission as a good practice, this project culminated in a useful and user-friendly board game to help eradicate the cultural origins and causes of gender stereotypes and roles that hinder equality between women and men in education, training and the labour market.

The project was coordinated by Cooperativa Sociale Itaca (Italy) and implemented with the participation of Opciónate, the University of Valencia, Apload (Portugal), IRES FVG (Italy), Regione FVG (Italy), University of Modena (Italy), Playres and Unimore (Italy), Nefiks and McBit (Slovenia) and the Institute of Mediterranean Gender Studies (Cyprus). Financed by the European Commission, intensive work spanned over 30 months, which served as the basis for the production of the game as its by-product. In the first phase, qualitative research was carried out with students and teachers in order to identify the main gender stereotypes in adolescents while considering potential professional careers. Once the research had been carried out and systematized, an expert team took on the development of the game’s educational material. Once finished and tested, at prototype finally came to light in the form of a valuable tool to raise awareness.

Opciónate was responsible for the monitoring and internal evaluation of processes and results, and hosted an event to present the project ‘Freedom to choose’ at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. On 11-12 December 2018 the project was introduced and advertised in local, national and international media outlets at a meeting organised in Gran Canaria. It was attended by participants from all the organizations involved in the process, sharing the development and outcomes of 2 years of work and testing of the game with the support of local team of young individuals.

Opciónate continues to use the game as a tool for the fight against gender stereotypes in adolescents while considering professional careers, offering workshops and support to entities in relation to its use and adaptation to digital format.