Dissens e.V.

Dissens e.V., founded in 1990, is a non-profit NGO which provides advisory, education and research services. Its aim is to foster gender democracy, to reduce gender hierarchies, especially in employment, and to prevent violence coming from men.

In the research department Dissens is increasingly concentrating on national and European research projects. Dissens coordinated the EU-research project "Towards new organization of men's lives – emerging forms of work and opportunities for gender equality" (Work Changes Gender, 2001-04, 5th FP). It addressed the current changes in masculine working conditions, the connections with modification of the masculine self-conception and the possibilities for gender equality. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Family, Seniors, Women and Youth, Dissens carried out the pilot study "Violence Against Men" (2002-04), a research project on violence experiences of men in domestic and non-domestic fields. Dissens is the sub-network coordinator in the EU-funded Coordination Action on Human Rights Violations (2004-07).

In the field of Gender Mainstreaming, Dissens' organisational subsidiary "genderWerk" conducts gender trainings, evaluates organizational processes, offers monitoring/moderation services, gender consultancy, men and woman promotion plans and conflict mediation.
Dissens/genderWerk is currently implementing Gender Mainstreaming within the Youth Department of the city council of Berlin (Marzahn and Hellersdorf). genderWerk is the coordinator of the Socrates Grundtvig 2 Learning Partnership Program "RealGeM" (2004-06) and is involved in various other gender equality projects.

In addition, Dissens offers political educational work for adults and youngsters, further educational and practical consulting for social projects. Dissens is active in the Federal Ministry of Family, Seniors, Women and Youth's program "Learning Regions: Education network Berlin for gender fair education and occupation”and it's sub-project 2: “Promotion of boys in care and education”.