Colleges across Wales are transforming how they tackle misogyny and promote respectful relationships among young people, through an international collaboration made possible by Taith funding.
The project connects Welsh further education colleges with partners in Canada, enabling shared learning and practical solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing young people today.
The project, led by ColegauCymru, was developed in response to concerns highlighted by Estyn around peer-on-peer sexual harassment in further education settings. It aligns closely with Welsh Government priorities to tackle gender-based violence, improve learner wellbeing and create safe, inclusive learning environments.
Taith funding enabled five further education colleges in Wales to collaborate with five colleges and universities in Canada through an international Community of Practice, creating a space for sustained knowledge exchange, innovation and shared learning.
Staff explored common challenges including misogyny, harmful online behaviour and peer-on-peer abuse through knowledge-sharing visits between Wales and Canada.
One of the key lessons emerging from the collaboration was the importance of engaging young men in open and honest conversations around relationships, masculinity and harmful online content.
The project has since led to wider partnerships with organisations such as She Is Not Your Rehab, a New Zealand-based anti-violence movement focused on breaking cycles of family violence, and youth-focused social impact organisation Our Voice Our Journey, further extending its reach and long-term impact.
Working alongside these organisations, ColegauCymru delivered regional sessions in North and South Wales focused on tackling misogyny and promoting respectful relationships within further education settings.
One event held at Cardiff City Stadium brought together around 400 young men from across South Wales, where international speaker Matt Brown led discussions around misogyny, masculinity and respectful relationships.
Staff involved in the project say it has already influenced how colleges approach misogyny and learner wellbeing, with greater emphasis on training, early intervention and embedding discussions around healthy relationships into college environments.
The collaboration has also encouraged new approaches to engaging young men and strengthening preventative education within further education settings.
ColegauCymru European and International Project Manager, Siân Holleran, said,
“Taith funding has been critical in enabling us to connect with international partners and bring global expertise into a national priority for Wales.
This has created space for honest conversations, practical solutions and lasting change for both staff and learners, while also positioning Welsh colleges as leaders in addressing these shared challenges internationally.”
Welsh and Canadian participants also delivered a joint workshop at the ColegauCymru Annual Conference, sharing recommendations and discussing future priorities for the sector.
“This project reflects Wales’s growing role as a confident, internationally engaged nation. Organisations across Wales are using international partnerships to address shared challenges while developing approaches shaped around the needs of Welsh learners and communities,”
said Susana Galván, Executive Director of Taith.
Through Taith, we are supporting a uniquely Welsh approach that combines global partnerships with a strong focus on equity, wellbeing and inclusion; helping ensure that international learning directly benefits people across Wales.
It also demonstrates the growing international interest in learning from Wales, as we share our expertise while working together to address shared global challenges.”
ColegauCymru has since secured additional Taith funding to expand the work, including the development of new ‘bystander’ training to support learners and staff across the further education sector in Wales, ensuring that the impact of this Taith-funded collaboration continues to grow.
Further Information
Taith is an international learning exchange programme established to create life-changing opportunities for people in Wales to learn, study and volunteer all over the world. 
Read more about the work of ColegauCymru in Tackling Misogyny and Promoting Respectful Relationships in Further Education.
Sian Holleran, European and International Project Manager
Sian.Holleran@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
