Programme targets young men and aims to build their knowledge and attitudes concerning gender equality and healthy lifestyles and decreasing the rates of all types of violence among youth. The programme started in 2006 and from a small-size qualitative research, which explored young men`s attitudes and behaviours, and over the years grew into a comprehensive programme with different components targeting young people, teachers, educational workers, students, journalists and other important stakeholders. Since its beginning, the programme directly reached over 30,000 young people through the implementation of around 2,000 different project activities.

The programme in Serbia has been implemented by Center E8 with the constant support of CARE International. Through many years of work, many other organisations and institutions have understood the importance of working with youth and supported our work in this field including SIDA and UNFPA as a part of the “Integrated Response to Violence against Women and Girls in Serbia II” project.

We were able to carry out the IMAGES research mainly thanks to the support of UNFPA, but also CARE International, Oak Foundation and Promundo. This research is of great importance, not only for the development of future programmes and policies in this field, but also for a better understanding of our society. We are happy to have these data and the opportunity for planning future activities with a higher degree of certainty.

Center E8 is a Belgrade-based youth organisation founded in 2004, aimed at working with young people across Serbia. Center E8 focuses primarily on educating and engaging young men, and men in general, in the topics of gender equality, prevention of violence, particularly gender-based violence, and promotion of healthy lifestyles. By using various innovative methods, Center E8 works on education, empowerment, awareness raising and engagement of young people and adults in these themes. Its activities include numerous educational training events and seminars, accredited training courses for school staff, designing and conducting campaigns and public actions, conducting research, issuing publications, organising conferences and expert meetings, educating through theatrical performances, etc.