CLOSING THE GAPS
Enhancing Women’s Economic Empowerment Through Digital Improvement
The prevalence of gender discrimination in all its forms has been and continues to be a major concern in European societies, although continuous and extensive efforts have largely succeeded in eradicating it. Nevertheless, restrictions on women’s labor continue to be a key obstacle for Europe’s sustainable economic and social development.
As evidenced by the Eurostat 2018 statistics, although the employment rate for women aged 20-64 in the European Union (EU) has risen to 67%, an increase of one percentage point from the previous year, it was still 12 relative units lower than the corresponding percentage for men of the same age.
Focusing more on the statistics of 2018 regarding the partner countries of this project, we realize that unemployed women in Greece reach about 51%, which means that about 1 in 2 women is unemployed, in Italy 47% (about 1 in every 2 women is unemployed), 31% in Cyprus (about 1 in 3 women is unemployed), 39% in Romania (about 1 in 3 women is unemployed) and 35% in Poland, which also means 1 in 3 women between 20-64 years old is unemployed.
In addition to the restriction of women’s employment due to family obligations, the conditions for improving this situation are further exacerbated when, in an age of technology explosion, women from disadvantage groups remain in technological inactivity and consequently lose their job opportunities, being unable to acquire digital skills.
Project Objectives
Under the common need to empower women and increase their presence in the labor market, the 5 organizations from the 4 aforementioned countries came together around one goal – the promotion of action and the exchange of good practices in the field of digital technology, in order to strengthen and facilitate professional (and social) integration into the labor market of women aged 20 to 60 (especially those belonging to vulnerable groups).
To achieve this goal, the partnership designed four short-term joint educational events during which the target groups will be taught in 4 Work Unites in the form of workshops:
1) Digital Alphabetics – Women Update
2) Internet and Risks
3) Digital Business Skills
4) Online Marketing Strategies.
In addition, the designed website of the project as a link between partner organizations, will disseminate knowledge and training to women through various methods (forums, lecture material, etc.), while through the design of an public awareness campaign the team aims to the interaction of the target-groups with the public, communicating the message and pushing those responsible for decision-making to take responsibilities into the field of project’s objectives.
Having as target groups adult and community educators, ICT and digital technology experts belonging to partner groups, as well as low digitally specialized women from disadvantaged groups, our corporate partnership through the implementation of ambitious actions and our common commitment to their sustainability, proposes “Closing the Gap”, a project that, as its name suggests, will try to “close the gaps”, by “opening” the way for equal integration of women in the labor market.
| Organization Name | Country |
|---|---|
| ASOCIATIA A.S.E.L. RO | Romania |
| STANDO LTD | Cyprus |
| INSTITOUTO PROOTHISIS KAI PISTOPOIISIS PROIONTON AGRODIATROFIS | Greece |
| FUNDACJA AUTOKREACJA | Poland |
Disclaimer: This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained here.
