Lights, camera… gender?

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KYIV, Ukraine – 1 September, 2011– Almost 100 young people from all over Ukraine between 18 and 35 took part in the "Summer Gender Camp" organized by the European Union (EU) and UNDP. Watch: videos made by summer camp participants See: photos from gender summer camp

Not only did they gain insight into gender sensitivity and domestic violence issues, but they also made short movies while learning about directing and producing film and television.

The film camp participants participated in workshops on shooting movies, pixel animation, and had an introduction to film technology. They worked with writers, directors and camera people, and got hands on experience with editing, mixing and special effects to help them produce videos that covered various genres and ideas.

Oleg Bobalo, director of numerous TV projects and films, conducted a master class on directing, and professor Dmitry Tyazhlov from the Kyiv National Karpenko-Kary University of Theater, Film and Television, described the basics of camera operating skills. Ella Shtyka, director of the production centre New Kyiv, worked with participants to look at ways of generating creative ideas.

Check out some videos made by the gender camp participants:


"It's all about skills, not gender"


"Colour is not important"


"Stereotypes wipe away your identity!"

During training sessions on gender sensitivity and preventing domestic violence they also looked at gender stereotypes that exist in Ukraine and analyzed whether they have harmful effects on personality development.

Participants also looked at using social media to achieve social change. 

"I was in Gender Camp and I consider this was a great luck for me," wrote participant Alexandra Golubeva in her blog after the summer camp.

"Unexpected, timely and wonderful luck! Such a peak of the summer, high point  of the creative search of myself. There was a completely friendly atmosphere in the camp. Everything was foreseen to let us express ourselves. This was like non-stop four-day group therapy of creativity. Awesome!"

In addition to the Gender Camp, UNDP and the EU also organized a video contest – closing 20 October – for young people in Ukraine with winners in two categories: gender equality and preventing domestic violence.

Elena Panova, UNDP Deputy Country Director in Ukraine said that the video contest and the Gender Camp encourage young people to voice their own views about gender equality and domestic violence problems.

"We had hoped that difficult topics would become understandable and accessible to other young people," she said.

"But these movies exceeded our expectations. They show real imagination and creativity, and at the same time offer us an understanding about what is important for today's youth and why these themes are so universal."

"Gender equality and the promotion of human rights are basic elements for the EU and for all its policies," said Jose Roman Leon Lora, First Counselor and Head of Section for Economic cooperation, regional and social development of the European Union Delegation to Ukraine.

"I am positively impressed by the work done by the young people. They certainly prove that stereotypes and attitudes can change much more quickly than expected in Ukraine."

Gender camp was organized as part of the project Equal Opportunities and Women's Rights in Ukraine, which supports the Government and civil society to promote gender equality between men and women in all spheres of life and to improve the status of women in Ukraine. The UNDP-led project is funded by the European Union, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and UNDP