Fighting against stereotypes and inequality - those are the aims Taina Bofferding set herself for her mandate as the Minister of Equality between Women and Men.
On the day marking the 100th anniversary of women's voting rights, she has launched a campaign to make young people more aware of issues surrounding inequality.
From Monday onward, the so called MEGA Jumper is out and about. It's a van that travels to schools and other locations that are frequented by young people.
Bofferding is hoping to open up discussions with young people about issues like equality, but also to listen to their opinions and to offer workshops which can facilitate this exchange of ideas.
A further element of the campaign is the Youth Festival "Rock de Rack" held at Rockhal in October. In addition to a concert by the winning band of the Screaming Fields Competition, there will be workshops on topics such as democracy, freedom of expression and equal opportunities for women and men. This is organised in collaboration with the Youth Parliament and the BeSecure platform.
Furthermore, there is a touring exhibition on the topic of democracy, which is expected to travel to schools or communes.
Since Monday, any residents of the Grand-Duchy can access a survey on the website of the Ministry, and share their opinions on topics like equal opportunities at work or stereotypes.
Here are some reactions from students of Lycée Hubert Clement, where the MEGA Jumper had its first stop. Lara Schummer suggested that 'people should first be informed about the current situation'. She added that she can imagine that many people 'still experience gender inequality in their everyday lives, but do not want to talk about it as it feels too personal'.
Pedro Lopes welcomes that the school tries to raise awareness of stereotypes, as 'school is where pupils spend most of their time'. He explained that, as a student you hear about 'many examples of discrimination, but that you aren't really affected by them yet (e.g. equal pay)'.
In short, some youths have already been confronted with these issues in their lives or know of people who have.
