The e-MPOWER youth activist toolbox contains materials related to the mental health, sexual health, and rights of people living with HIV, LGBTQI+ communities, and sex workers.
The project “Partnership to overcome challenges of online learning and to empower youth actors in the field of sexual health promotion in the COVID-19 era” (e-MPOWER) was an Erasmus+ funded collaboration between the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), European Sex Workers rights Alliance (ESWA), and Legebitra.
e-MPOWER aimed to support youth activists to be able to deliver online peer-training sessions focused on the digital rights, and both the sexual and mental health of people living with HIV, sex workers, and LGBTQI+ communities.
The e-MPOWER online toolbox is publicly available and contains materials related to the mental health, sexual health, and rights of people living with HIV, LGBTQI+ communities, and sex workers. It also includes e-MPOWER specific reports with recommendations for delivering online sexual health training, monitoring and evaluating of training content, and assessing the personal impact of such a training on participants and trainers in a way that is mindful of participant psychological well-being and digital safety.
The e-MPOWER toolbox is intended for youth advocates, volunteers, trainers, and those who work closely with youth, who want to deliver an online sexual health and rights training programme.
For the creation of this toolbox, all third-parties online materials were accessed and retrieved in June and July 2022. EATG is not responsible for the accessibility of materials that are hosted outside of its servers. If a link is not working please contact us.
| Mental Health |
1.1 Determinants for Mental Health
By: Commission for Equality in Mental Health
This resource offers valuable information about the determinants of mental health and investigates how exclusion, poverty and racism are risk factors for both experiencing mental health issues and lacking full access to mental health resources. It was written in response to the inequalities in mental health in policy and practice in the UK.
1.2 Toolkit on supporting sex workers’ mental health and well-being
By: The European Sex Workers rights Alliance (ESWA)
This tool kit offers practical advice about mental health, mental health crises, as well as a list of activities and best practices from sex worker-led organisations that can be replicated on different scales and with little to subsequent budget to meet the needs of various organisations.
1.3 Briefing Paper: Mental Health of People Living with HIV
By: The European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG)
This paper provides a list of recommendations on how to improve the provision of mental health services for people living with and affected by HIV in Europe and Central Asia. It is based on the results of research conducted by the European AIDS Treatment Group, as well as consultations and community feedback.
1.4 Online self-paced training: safety, security and well-being for activists
By: Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE)
In partnership with AKÃHATÃ, GATE has developed a specialised free training for global trans and gender diverse activists engaging with digital communications. Sessions include reflections on violence, security and safety, feminist self-care, digital security, as well as safety and self-care plans for organisations. When you sign up, your name will be visible to other participants. If you require anonymity, create an alternative gmail account using a pseudonym to complete the training.
Further reading about mental health
Befrienders worldwide suicide prevention
By: Befrienders Worldwide
Befrienders offer a network of 349 independent emotional support centres in 32 countries that provide an open space for those in distress to talk and be heard. This confidential service is provided via telephone helplines, SMS messaging, face to face, outreach, partnerships and online.
Urgent mental health care UK
By: The National Health Service (NHS)
This website offers information about health and social care, as well as how to access it. They aim to empower people to make confident decisions about care and treatment and to improve health and well-being. They also provide guidance about how to respond to major health events.
| LGBTQI+ |
2.1 Trans wellness zine
By: Gender and Justice Leadership Programs
This zine has been created for trans youth by trans youth with the purpose of helping in the wellness journey. Content includes emergency planning, journal prompts and interviews with non-binary and trans folks about their experience of trans wellness.
2.2 LGBTQI youth educational guides
By: International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Intersex Youth and Student Organisation (IGLYO)
IGLYO provides several downloadable guides on gender and LGBTQI+ issues that aim to help educate through cross-cultural exchange and a peer learning approach that involves sharing strategies and visions. Some of the guides featured are: intersectional tool kit, supporting your intersex child, LGBTQI+ inclusive education, and many more.
2.3 Self-paced online course: Foundational LGBTQ+ understanding & inclusion
By: The Safe Zone Project
The Safe Zone has created an online self-paced and guided course on the basics of LGBTQIA+ identities. Course topics include: orientation, core vocabulary, privilege, gender expression and intersectionality. It also provides extra learning material for further reading.
2.4 Framing Equality Toolkit
By: International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association Europe (ILGA-Europe)
This ILGA-Europe guide provides a framework for strategic communications geared towards people who are involved in LGBTQIA+ activism in Europe. The guide can be a source for inspiration for other kinds of activism as well.
Further reading about LGBTQI+
LGBTQ+ vocabulary: glossary of terms
By: The Safe Zone Project
The Safe Zone Project provides a glossary of terminology relating to LGBTQI+ identities and people, sexualities and genders. This resource could be helpful for people who are not familiar with basic concepts and want to learn more.
The Safe Zone strives to have this be an ever-improving list.
Resources for International LGBTQ Youth
By: The Trevor Project: International community network
A safe and digitally secure social networking site for LGBTQI+ young people and their allies around the world. The Trevor Project makes sure that the only people allowed on the site are ages 13 to 24. Hate-speech, discrimination, or bullying of any kind are not allowed nor tolerated. They cover topics such as coming out, gender expression, queer identities, mental health, Black Queer identities, bisexuality, plus they offer many other guides on relevant topics for queer youth.
| Sex Work |
3.1 The consequences of misinformation about sex work and sex workers
By: The Global Network of Sex Worker Projects (NSWP)
An important community guide by NSWP about the consequences of the misinformation about sex work. This tool outlines myths about sex work that are harmful to sex workers and therefore can help to counter-act misinformation.
3.2 Sex Work & Racism: Historical Overview of Racism in Anti-Sex Work, Anti-Trafficking and Anti-Immigration (ASWTI) Legislation in Europe
By: The European Sex Workers rights Alliance (ESWA)
This report outlines how the sexual racialisation of non-Western peoples by European and North American powers was both a source and product of racism during chattel slavery, colonialism, and militarised prostitution. It explores how sexualised racialisation and racism has influenced ASWTI legislation and policy and how this continues to fuel daily racism and discrimination towards Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) sex workers.
3.3 Sex Work and Feminism
By: The Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN)
This guide highlights the feminist principles of sex worker-led collectives and organisations, aiming to help human rights, social justice, and women’s rights activists who situate sex workers’ struggles in the wider feminist movement(s). It also lists commonly formulated abolitionist arguments that accompany advocacy for the introduction of the Swedish model, and contrasts them with counter-arguments from sex workers.
3.4 Ho lover zine: about dating & friending sex workers
By: The Sex Worker Advocacy and Resistance Movement (SWARM)
This zine provides information about dating and friending sex workers for the non-sex worker population. It provides real life experiences, tips and mistakes to be avoided, as well as resources that were created by sex workers to challenge sex work stigma within relationships and beyond.
Further reading about Sex Work
Fact sheets all about sex work
By: Asijiki Coalition for the Decriminalisation of Sex Work
Asijiki provides various fact sheets on topics in relation to sex work such as: human rights, HIV, the law, and migration. Each fact sheet includes references and detailed information about the topic.
Short documentary: ‘Sex Workers Festival of Resistance’
By: Sex Worker Advocacy and Resistance Movement (SWARM)
As part of “The Sex Workers Festival of Resistance”, SWARM along with Scot Pep, Umbrella Lane, ARIKA invited sex workers, activists and allies to come together and share their knowledge on how to protect sex workers rights. This is a short and informative documentary about the festival.
| HIV |
4.1 Sex Work and HIV in Europe: Advocacy Tool Kit
By: European Sex Workers rights Alliance (ESWA) and the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG)
ESWA and EATG have published a series of resources on ‘Sex Work and HIV Prevention’. These resources, available as a tool kit, aim to provide key information to sex workers and HIV activists as well as policy makers, and to re-affirm community and international recommendations.
4.2 Questions and Answers on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
By: PrEPster
PrEPster provides an essential FAQ booklet with commonly asked questions and informative and accurate information about PrEP. This booklet could be helpful for anyone who is thinking about taking PrEP or people who want to be better informed about HIV preventive measures.
4.3 Online Training: Trans Inclusion in HIV National Strategic Plans
By: Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE)
GATE, in collaboration with amfAR, has developed a free online open-access training designed to help trans and gender diverse activists to address their exclusion from HIV National Strategic Plans (NSPs). When you sign up, your name will be visible to other participants. If you require anonymity, create an alternative gmail account using a pseudonym to complete the training.
4.4 Mapping Paper: U=U Awareness-raising/Education Initiatives in HIV and non-HIV Care Settings
By: The European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG)
This report provides examples of initiatives to raise awareness and understanding of the Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U) fact in HIV /or in non-HIV care settings in Europe and Central Asia.
Further reading about HIV
Self-directed Learning (online)
By: Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE)
Free self-directed and self-paced courses about HIV and HEP C, prevention, basic info, transmission. When you sign up, your name will be visible to other participants. If you require anonymity, create an alternative gmail account using a pseudonym to complete the training.
About HIV
By: NAM Aidmap
Various guides with clear and reliable information on all aspects of HIV. Easy-to-read and available in different languages, it includes illustrated information, videos and glossaries.
Short animated video: The science of HIV and AIDS
By: AsapScience
A short, animated video by AsapScience available on YouTube that explains the science of HIV and AIDS.
| Project Resources |
5.1 e-MPOWER Guide for psychological well-being during online trainings
By: Legebitra
This guide was written as part of the e-MPOWER project and aims to describe the importance of online learning and well-being of youth activists. During the e-MPOWER pilot sessions, we collected data from the participants and the trainers about their psychosocial well-being. The guide presents the data and its analysis, and provide some key guidelines on how to ensure psychosocial well-being during online training. The guide is available in English, Russian and Slovenian.
5.2 Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the e-MPOWER training programme
By: The European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG)
This document outlines the e-MPOWER training programme monitoring and evaluation and provides recommendations for future evaluations of online training sessions. The document is available in English, Russian and Slovenian.
5.3 e-MPOWER Online Training Programme outline
By: The European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), Legebitra and the European Sex Workers rights Alliance (ESWA)
This document outlies the e-MPOWER online training programme . Training sessions took place on Zoom and unique, password protected meeting links were provided to ensure only registered participants were able to access the session. Each session was led by a different peer trainer with a supporting peer trainer present for logistical/technical support. Slides from each module were shared once that module had completed.
5.4 e-MPOWER Project Key Learnings
By: The European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), Legebitra and the European Sex Workers rights Alliance (ESWA)
A summary of the Erasmus+ funded e-MPOWER sexual health online youth training. This slide deck covers project objectives, implementation, and presents recommendations from the e-MPOWER monitoring and evaluation framework report and guide for psychological well-being during online trainings.
Credits
Sarah North Toolbox Coordinator
Kali Sudhra Toolbox Developer
Apostolos Kalogiannis Toolbox Layout and Production
Sophie Monk Visual Identity and Project Reports Design
Miha Feher Translations (Slovenian)
Olga Zubkovskaya Translations (Russian)
Jules James Selection/Reviewer of Toolbox Content
Maja Radivoj Selection/Reviewer of Toolbox Content
Sabrina Sanchez Reviewer of Toolbox Content
Ann-Isabelle von Lingen Reviewer of Toolbox Content
Luca Stevenson Reviewer of Toolbox Content
Rocco Pignata Proofreader of Toolbox Material Descriptions
This project has been co-funded by the European Union’s ERASMUS+ programme under grant agreement No 008320.
The content of the project’s publications are solely the opinion of the author(s); The EU Commission and National Agency are not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
The outputs of the project are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence.
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