GenderED Coalition Project

?? November 25th: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women Today, we unite globally to raise awareness and take action against violence targeting women and girls. Initiated by the United Nations in 1999, this day reminds us of the urgent need to eliminate gender-based violence, a widespread violation of human rights. Today a round table discussion was held by Sofia Development Association's chairperson Ekaterina Yordanova in SofiaLab. Experts, civil activists, and representatives from ministries gathered to address critical issues and outline future measures for improving institutional responses to violence. Despite all new advancements, the challenges in Bulgaria remain: ?? 4 in 10 Bulgarians know someone affected by domestic violence. ?? 18% believe domestic violence can be "deserved." ?? 69% say certain family aggression is normalized in society. Violence also manifests online, exacerbated by stereotypes and misinformation. As part of the GenderEd Coalition Project, Bulgaria is working with European partners to tackle gender-based misinformation, launch awareness campaigns, and involve influencers, civil society, and policymakers. ?? The time to act is now. Stay informed, challenge harmful stereotypes, and join the fight against violence. Together, we can build a world free from violence. ??

??We are Releasing the GenderED Coalition Project's Cross-Country Policy Brief That Highlights Good Practices to Combat Online Gendered Disinformation in Europe. ?? The GenderED Coalition Project, a European collaborative initiative involving partners FORMA.Azione Giove In Formatica, the DAISSy Research Group of Hellenic Open University, Savoir Devenir, Sofia Development Association (SofiaLab), and the Bureau for Integration and Social Innovations, is releasing a cross-country policy brief on the topic of gender disinformation and misogyny. ?? The brief, accessible at https://lnkd.in/dRrWhx3w brings together good practices identified across Bulgaria, France, Greece, and Italy to combat online gendered disinformation. The document outlines findings from a comprehensive analysis of 20 projects designed to enhance Media and Information Literacy (MIL) through gender-sensitive strategies. This initiative reflects the GenderED Coalition’s commitment to advancing gender equality and democratic values by promoting resilience to gender disinformation. The analysis addresses four main dimensions within the context of gendered disinformation: 1. Project Types – Most initiatives center on resources and direct engagement, with a significant focus on youth, even as educational curricula lag in gender and MIL integration. 2. Competence Frameworks – Gaps in the visibility of MIL frameworks persist, with a need for greater inclusion of critical thinking, participation, and intercultural dialogue. 3. Capacity-Building Instruments – EU policies play a crucial role in structuring projects; however, comprehensive frameworks and evaluation standards remain inconsistent. 4. Stakeholders and Networks – Public institutions and educational entities are leading actors, while media engagement varies widely, highlighting an opportunity for strengthened partnerships. The brief also proposes targeted actions to guide policy improvements and institutional support for combating gendered disinformation across the EU. Among the eight key recommendations are the development of unified competence frameworks for MIL and gender literacy, the establishing of baseline evaluation metrics to ensure effective project outcomes and also providing cross-national research funding and detailed monitoring systems to strengthen policy responses. ?? For more information on the GenderED Coalition Project and to read the full policy brief, visit www.genderedcoalition.net

?? Last but Definitely Not Least: Meet Team 8 – Rocks! ?? Wrapping up our lineup is Team Rocks, featuring Theodoros Thanos, Sarah Treb, Toma Tomov, and Anna Douvali. Their project, also called "Rocks," proposed the creation of an NGO focused on monitoring social media and language to tackle gender bias and disinformation. Their motto? "We can move mountains, one rock at a time." ??? A huge round of applause for this final team and their powerful idea! ?? Thank you to all our amazing participants for their creativity and innovation! ?? #GenderEDHackathon #GenderED

?? Introducing Team 7: Anti Patriarchy Revolution—Winners of the “Media, Information, and Literacy” Award! ?? This team - Linda Serra, Pavlina Michailova, Antonin Atger, Andromachi Koutsoulenti, and Konstantina Kallini - created "GenderWhat?", a website designed to flip the script on gender bias. ???? Their platform features an online toolkit with visual templates to help users craft new, inclusive narratives and challenge stereotypes. ???? Hats off to this award-winning team for their innovation! Stay tuned for more! ???? #GenderEDHackathon #GenderED

?? Meet Team 6: The Cat Ladies! ?? This incredible team - Sabina Leoncini, Elena Lulcheva, Nathalie Nouailles, Anthony Da Silva, and Christina Tsoulfidou - introduced #ShameOffMe, an educational toolkit website designed to uplift and support! The platform offers resources, personal stories from women who’ve overcome public shaming, a support network, and even includes accessibility features for individuals with disabilities and neurodiverse users. It’s all about reclaiming the narrative and creating a safe space for empowerment! ?? Stay tuned for more inspiring teams! ?? #genderedhackathon #GenderED

?? Meet Team 5: Gender Fact Patrol! ?? This talented group—Giulietta Zanga, Yordan Kirev, Hajer Tlili, Vivian Rangel, and Ismini Binta—introduced the "Gender Desinfo House", a website dedicated to breaking down gender stereotypes across different countries. The team earned the overall award in Challenge 1 - “Monitoring gendered disinformation on social media platforms.” ?? Their platform uses video, audio, and text-based reports to shine a light on the global impacts of gender disinformation. It’s an innovative tool for raising awareness and promoting gender equality worldwide! ?????? More inspiring teams coming soon—stay tuned! ???? #GenderEDHackathon #GenderED

?? Meet the Winning Team of Challenge 3! ?? Huge congratulations to Team "Guerilla's Voices"—the winners of Challenge 3: “Cancelling the impact of misleading and offensive representations of women and girls online.” ?? ??♀? The team includes Enrica Perotti, Aleksandra Dimitrova-Nenova, Teodor Minchev, Lamprini Chartofylaka and Myrto Prodromidou! Their project, "We Are All Sexist, Bro", features an online platform paired with a guerrilla marketing campaign for public restrooms ??. The platform encourages users to assess their own sexist narratives and see how widespread they really are. ?? Stay tuned for more incredible projects from the hackathon! ?? #GenderED #GenderEDHackathon

?? It's Time to Meet Team 3! ?? Say hello to Team "Macho Free Zone"! ?? ??♀? This creative crew - Alina Medoia, Veselka Stoyanova, Monika Simeonova, Léa Samain Raimbault, and Souzana Maria Serveta - took a bold approach to gender disinformation by blending humor with activism! Their project? ?? An online platform that uses humor to expose double standards in gender disinformation, along with the "Media Fair Play Badge" ??, recognizing journalists who challenge gender biases and promote honest, inclusive reporting. ?? The team was the winner of Challenge 2! ?? More teams and projects are coming your way—stay tuned! ?? #GenderEDHackathon #GenderED

?? Next Up: Meet Team 2! ?? Introducing Team "Hack the Bias" — Bruna Almeida Paroni, Martina Droandi, Vyara Momcheva, Maud Trosseille-Saroq, and Konstantinos Kalemis! ?? For the challenge of combatting gender disinformation online, this talented team designed an exciting mobile game app called "Tabooboo" ??. In the game, players work to repair a broken Earth (representing society and gender discrimination) by answering quiz questions. It's a fun and interactive way to tackle serious issues! Stay tuned for more incredible ideas from our hackathon teams!?? #HackTheBias #Tabooboo #GenderEDHackathon #GameForChange #InnovationInAction

?Team Introduction Time! ? We're thrilled to introduce the teams who took part in the GenderED Hackathon in Perugia, Italy last week! These brilliant participants crafted innovative projects to tackle gender disinformation and misogyny online. ?? First up, meet Team 1, a.k.a "SCWA"! ?? The team consisted of 5 talented people - Sandra Perez Hernandez, Giada Materazzo, Vladimir Milev, Zoé De Nadai and Christina Margioti! This team took on the challenge of monitoring gendered disinformation across social media platforms. Their solution? The "Gender Disinformation Observatory" — an educational platform complete with a reporting tool that tracks gender-based disinformation and flags hateful speech. ?? Keep an eye out for our next team reveal – you won't want to miss it! ?? #GenderEDHackathon #GenderEDHackathon