Piloting Phase 1
The ManUp4Her piloting phase evaluated educational resources—podcasts, eBooks, infographics, and real-life case studies—designed to engage men in the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV). Piloting was carried out by five partner organizations: Bildungsnetzwerk Magdeburg gGmbH (EJBM) and Jugend- & Kulturprojekt e.V. (JKPeV) in Germany, KAINOTOMIA & SIA EE in Greece, Università degli Studi di Torino (UniTo) in Italy, and Asociación Let Her In Internacional in Spain. In total, 54 men aged 17 to 52 took part, representing diverse backgrounds such as education, engineering, activism, and social work.
Each session blended structured content with interactive discussion, using surveys and open-ended feedback to assess participants’ understanding, emotional engagement, and perceived usefulness of the materials. The analysis revealed strong outcomes across all countries. Participants reported a significantly improved understanding of GBV concepts, praised the clarity of definitions, and appreciated the real-world scenarios that helped contextualize the issue.
In Germany, EJBM and JKPeV sessions emphasized the need for deeper reflection on GBV in everyday spaces—particularly workplaces and families. Participants responded positively to bystander strategies and highlighted the importance of emotional self-awareness when confronting normalized violence. The combination of audio-visual content and real statistics was especially effective.
In Greece, participants praised the engaging delivery, including quizzes and gamified elements, which helped break down complex ideas. They found the content “inspiring and eye-opening,” especially around societal roles and how men can actively support victims and disrupt violence cycles.
At UniTo in Italy, participants with academic and activist experience appreciated the well-structured design, the integration of data with storytelling, and its direct relevance to training and education. They called for stronger, clearer calls to action to help men move from awareness to advocacy.
In Spain, Let Her In’s participants—educators, youth workers, and community leaders—valued the practical utility of the resources and planned to use them in workshops. Their main suggestion was to include more survivor testimonies to enhance emotional connection and audience engagement.
Overall, the materials were consistently rated as clear, relevant, and impactful. The pilotings demonstrated their effectiveness in not only informing participants but also motivating them to act. The feedback gathered now informs final refinements: enhancing emotional resonance, strengthening calls to action, and adding culturally diverse, real-life stories to increase engagement across broader audiences.