EWA - Empowering women athletes

E.N.D.A.S. (Ente Nazionale Democratico di Azione Sociale – National Democratic Institution of Social Action) is a non-profit association whose origins date to 1949; since 2002 it is an independent organization legally recognized by the Italian National Olympic Committee (C.O.N.I.).

ENDAS can count on over 300.000 members all over Italy. More than 900 volunteers in 20 Italian Regions and in 105 Provinces develop its activities, with more than 4.000 centres on the national territory.

ENDAS operates on a national and international level through amateur sports associations and societies; cultural, social, recreational, environmental, travel and leisure clubs; social co-operatives, social enterprises, foundations, non-profit organization affiliates and delegations established for that purpose.

ENDAS can thus successfully and tightly interact with the social environment in which it is immersed thanks as well to the considerable preparation and dynamism of its management, both at national and local level, in terms of organization and coordination, and thanks to a potential internal and external communication able to reach and engage all areas of interest of the organization.

ENDAS has become a stable point of reference in the panorama of Italian associations. It is claimed and continues to perform its function in order to develop and consolidate a conscious participation of the citizens in the life of the Republic, encouraging a democratic participation and involvement in the country’s civil society processes. This aim commits the agency to take actions that foster sociability in full respect of the human person.

Tenaciously pursuing this ideal, ENDAS promotes, without any profit, sports, cultural, educational, welfare, tourism and recreational activities, programs for environmental and civil protection.

SPORT ACTIVITIES PROMOTED: A FOCUS

ENDAS can count on about 2.000 sports associations. It is one of the most important organizations at national level able to spread the culture of sport among people; it develops projects and activities both at national and international level, dealing agreements with international associations (golf, rugby and football with Argentina associations).

ENDAS believes in the social value of sport and its mission is to promote sport as a tool for the complete development of the individual; to protect the well-being and health of citizens and encourage their full participation in the life of the community to which they belong. Through sport, ENDAS tries to answer the perceived needs and challenges such as social inclusion (in particular of women), youth empowerment, environmental protection and sustainable development.

ENDAS carries on a policy of gender equality in sports, and promotes specific related initiatives, amongst which:

National Championships under-14 women's volleyball.
The project is addressed to young girls aged up to 14 years. A number of volleyball tournaments are organized at the provincial and regional level with a final national phase. The National Championship is one of the simplest and most effective ways to bring the sport to teenagers. Volleyball, in fact, is one of the most practiced sports by girls who have the opportunity to improve their soft skills (self-confidence, team building, team leading...).

National Championships of Artistic Gymnastics
The project is addressed to young girls under 15 years and has been run by ENDAS for more than 20 years at the local, regional and national level (final phase). More than 3.000 young girls are yearly involved in the competition. Because of the large number of participants, the final event is usually done in three days, during which the girls have to play free exercises and imposed exercises.

National Championships of Rhythmic Gymnastics
The project is addressed to young girls under 15 years and has been run by ENDAS for more than 20 years at the local, regional and national level (final phase). More than 3.000 young girls are yearly involved in the competition.

EU PROJECTS AND GENDER ISSUE

In the past 5 years, ENDAS has started a specific field of action in EU projects and initiatives, with a specific focus on young female non professional athletes.

ENDAS has been the Project Leader of EGPiS (Encouraging Girls’ Participation in Sport) and EGPiS2, both financed by the European Commission under the ERASMUS+ Programme. The projects' aim was to investigate the reasons that prevent girls from quitting sport during adolescence and to define strategies and tools for their active involvement in physical activities. The projects have been successfully run and finished in December 2019. For more info: https://www.egpis2.com/

GENÇ Girişim

Young Initiative Education, Youth and Sports Club Association

The Young Initiative Education, Youth And Sports Club Association is an NGO focused on aspects relevant to youth development such as sports, education and intercultural integration.

The club runs sections that include all young people interested in various forms of sport, including people with disabilities, learning difficulties, having diverse social and ethnic backgrounds and in difficult financial situations. The organization's activities are aimed at raising the chances of young people by developing the necessary voluntary features and enabling them to acquire a high level of soft key skills in social and professional life. In addition, through sports activities, physical activity is promoted among young people as well as the habits necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle.

As part of activities related to informal education of young people, the organization's tasks include supporting young people in developing key skills on the labor market and providing support in forming the professional path of young people's development. In addition, the organization conducts classes in the use of digital technologies as part of informal education classes.

GENÇ Girişim has a great experiences in carrying out numerous project and initiatives in collaboration with universities, GSGM (Youth and Sports Administration), sports federations, municipalities, ATO (Ankara Chamber of Commerce), public and private bodies, Youth and Sports Directorates, schools, associations and local governments, private companies.

Furthermore GENÇ Girişim has a relevant experience in EU Erasmus+ projects. On top of that, GENÇ Girişim-Young Initiative is particularly active in the field of sports and youth, both at regional and transnational level, and it is involved in the following project and initiatives:

-PINK REVOLUTION: HER POINT OF VIEW ABOUT SPORT Erasmus + Sport project about how to avoid gender discrimination and promote better rights for women into field of sport and in the practice of sport;

“SPORT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION" İNTERNATİONAL SEMİNAR FOR YOUTH WORKERS project;
HEALTHY LIFE FOR YOUTH project (2017);
Let’s Make it with Sport –European Volunteer Service Project;
Volunteering in sport as the value of informal education, which is the expert seminar for improving the quality of work with youth volunteers Project (2018);
Sports Policy and Youth Workshop with Young Leaders Project (2018).

INFOREF is a not-for-profit organisation funded in 1987. Its staff of 12 people is specialised in ICT for educational purposes and in European project management (Erasmus+, Europe for Citizens, Lifelong Learning Programme…). It has partnerships with numerous institutions in Belgium and Europe (schools of all levels, universities and colleges, public authorities, associations, companies…) thanks to the European projects it participates in as coordinator or as a partner. INFOREF is specialised in promoting educational technologies. Their ICT experts provide teachers with continuing training on different topics (e.g.interactive whiteboard, tablets...). Moreover, Inforef has participated for over 20 years in regional and European projects as promoter, coordinator or partner.

In recent years, INFOREF has run several projects focused on the use of ICT to educate audiences of all ages (primary and secondary schools, university, adults) and on transversal topics such as science education, early school leaving prevention, entrepreneurship, language skills etc. INFOREF has close cooperation with the college HELMo (Haute École Libre Mosane), which gives access to a large number of teachers and adult students and among its contacts, there are the University of Liège, numerous schools and other educational organisations in French-speaking Belgium.

In addition to taking part in the common project activities, Inforef specialises in the development of project websites and training platforms, in the creation of dissemination material (logos, leaflets, newsletters) and in the administrative and financial management of projects. Several of those projects are specifically dedicated to sports; others to student difficulties and promotion of good relationships between students.

Recent projects with relevant topics:

Four-Minute BarrierS (2020-2021): a project for raising awareness about the importance of sport for visually-impaired people integration and for organising sports activities that include both VIP and sighted people. The development of a training platform was run by Inforef.

Not Only Fair Play (2015-2016): a project to promote sport at school and foster ethics in sport. The project involved the organisation of sport activity for students.

Sonet-Bull (2015-2016): a project for the creation of an online training platform for adults to prevent and fight school bullying.