Everyday politics by and for young women – we develop perspectives Young people today are faced with various and sometimes conflicting expectations. They are incited to „seize every opportunity, to make the most of themselves, to reinvent themselves each and every day“ ... Yet, seemingly endless opportunities are cut short by very real barriers, limited means and possibilities, leading to uncertainty and disorientation. The crisis experienced over the last years has also exacerbated this dilemma in Central Europe and Austria. Societies are seen as overly complex and uncontrollable, politicians often seem helpless. Yet we still expect young people to be self-confident and ready for action. Within these framework conditions young people develop different strategies, sometimes falling back on proven and secure values such as application, good manners, loyalty and motivation but also traditional views regarding the roles of men and women. Some try to live in the moment and to avoid long term decision making. But many young people rely on their values and actively search for a way to an individual future and self-fulfillment. (vgl. www.integral.co.at). Politics are often regarded as unimportant and many share the opinion that political decisions cannot be influenced anyway. This conviction is even more common among young women than among young men. On the other hand, older women, who grew up in a time when women fought for their rights and for political participation, who now represent women’s issues in political parties, are disconcerted because of the missing support from the younger generation. In this context, this project aims to open doors and enable communication and understanding. Young women shall be given opportunities to deliberate on their situation and perspectives as well as their needs regarding women’s issues and then interact with female policy makers. At the same time, female policy makers shall be given the possibility to gain a closer look into the spheres of life of young women today. Furthermore, the project results shall be disseminated to the public via the media, raising awareness for these issues but also giving young women a platform to air their views on their daily lives and perspectives. The project will take place in Linz in 2014/2015. Three groups of 10 to 12 participants between 16 and 24 years of age will be formed, primarily recruited through counselling organisations, youth leisure centres, VFQ (Association for Women and Qualification) training centres and VFQ EXACT platform of education. There will be a special emphasis on participants from vulnerable social backgrounds and at least one third of the participants will have a migrant background. In the first stage of the project, dedicated workshops shall give the young women the possibility to acquire practical knowledge regarding the use of electronic media (e.g. making short films for TV and the Internet) and to deliberate on their spheres of life and their understanding of their roles as women by means of biographical work. Then, open questions, needs and concerns of the participants regarding the social framework conditions and opportunities will be discussed with leading female politicians. On this basis the participants will then be motivated to produce presentations for the media on their spheres of life, living conditions, perspectives and concerns and to disseminate these via appropriate platforms (e.g. DorfTV, youtube, Radio Fro ...). In the final stage, the process, contents and results of the project will be discussed with the politicians and trainers involved and will form the basis of further measures being planned. Thanks to the interaction with policy makers, this project will give young women a basic understanding of democracy and politics in a specific thematic context which will accompany them throughout their future. Moreover, the project shall open up possibilities for the participation of a part of the young population for which there has been very little regard and awareness up until today. The platforms created will be used for disseminating the concerns of young women in a sustainable manner. Furthermore, policy makers will be given opportunities to gain a closer insight into the perspectives of young women today and to implement this experience in their everyday political work. The success of this project will determine its future as an ongoing project in the VFQ Programme.