On 6th November ‘24, the 5th seminar of the “Gender Equality Task Force” (GE TF) took place with more than 20 people attending in presence at the EfVET Office, in Brussels, and online.
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After the welcome words by Valentina Chanina, Secretary General of EfVET, and Susana Nogueira, EfVET Policy and Project Officer, the official opening of the session was made by the GE TF Honorary Member, Sylvia Liuti (FORMA.Azione / EfVET National Board representative in Italy), who made an overview of the main points to be addressed:
- How to promote wellbeing, mental health and safety in the labor market and workplace, by simultaneously tackling harassment, violence, and discrimination?
- How gender perspective could be implemented in the workplace by promoting a Gender Mainstreaming approach?
- On the contrary, could the opportunity to find adequate solutions be missed, with the replication of inequalities and even the expansion of negative effects?
- How can we address policy makers and shape the principle that ‘one size does not fit all’? How can we guide the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs from a gender perspective?
- How to tackle horizontal/vertical segregation, and inequality in sexual and reproductive health?
- New forms of online violence: how to confront and limit cyber-bullying, harassment and hate speech in an online work environment?
Key concepts to bear in mind mentioned during the session:
- Glass ceiling: an unacknowledged barrier to advancement in a profession, especially affecting women and members of minorities.
- Sticky floor: a metaphor to point to a discriminatory employment pattern that keeps workers, mainly women, in the lower ranks of the job scale, with low mobility and invisible barriers to career advancement.
- The Invisible Knapsack: how white privilege (in the Western world) is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks.
- Why Gender Mainstreaming? There are different needs, conditions, expectations in the labor market and not only related to gender differences. The goal is to achieve gender equality through awareness of the differences themselves.
- Why adopt a gender perspective? To put lenses adapted to the context(s) that can offer a different perspective.
- Horizontal and vertical segregation: there are unequal distributions between women’s and men’s jobs, often a wage difference.
- Gender roles: there are societal expectations and peer pressure that can negatively influence young people in particular.
- Sexual and reproductive inequalities: (e.g. health conditions after pregnancy, breastfeeding, menstruation, menopause). But it is not just a matter of biological differences. There are social expectations to take into account.
- New forms of violence: bullying, harassment and hate speech in an online working environment. Digital dimension and remote working: what’s happening online? Ads & Comms ethics in communication also on social media channels at a corporate level.
Source: LinkedIn page & forma.azione.com
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Chiara Antonelli – European SchoolNet – menABLE project
Topics covered by this intervention: digital education, children’s rights, gender-based violence online:
- How to combat and prevent gender-based violence online.
- How to operate in teens’ educational settings.
- Organization of a Hackathon with specific developed materials (Toolbox).
- Publication of a Study on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) with desk & qualitative research: focus groups with in/formal educators, gathering the direct experience of youngsters).
- Dissemination activities vs. GBV online.
The focus groups aimed to educate the new generations on the different forms of online and in-presence GBV, giving them the tools to limit and denounce similar acts in the educational sector. Furthermore, to listen to the views of educators, but especially of the new generations on this issue. Different angles of interpretation were discovered, which must work together to reduce the GBV phenomenon in educational institutions and beyond.
Main findings from the focus groups activities:
YOUNGSTERS’ PERSPECTIVE:
- Boys and young men have a critical role to combat GBV (peer pressure, repercussions, bullying and cyberbullying).
- Online massive misogynistic content through influencers.
- Intersectionality: social, economic, ethnic, background to be taken into account.
EDUCATORS’ PERSPECTIVE:
- Lack of materials, resources, knowledge, time constraint.
- Do not want to take this sensitive topic, which is very risky for them.
Activities proposed: dilemmas, scenarios, questions, challenges, interactive assignments.
Topics: online gaming, stereotypes, make your own memes, MOOC, online modules.
Toolboxes in 5 languages will be soon available (menable.eu/toolbox-gbv).
Key quote: “Empower manpower against gender-based violence online”.
Source: menABLE project
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Rose Heffernan – WECF – Women Engage for a Common Future
An eco-feminist perspective was proposed for gentle moderation in education, events, interpersonal relations: inclusive spaces, vs power dynamics, act as a guiding feminist moderator (master suppression techniques, like the BRIDGE methodology), facilitate engagement, break-up social barriers, and guarantee accessibility. Transformative spaces: “safe & brave spaces” vs. echo chambers, polarization, sensitive topics (triggers).
Related policies: REAL DEAL – within the EU Green Deal (tested in 13 countries EU level) – With a mapping of existing courses at EU level.
Source: wecf.org
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Alessia Sebillo – Diesis Network
Online sexual harassment and gender safety at work.
Topic: Fostering a culture of safety: gender equality and protection.
Who: cooperatives, mutual benefit societies, social enterprises, foundations, associations.
Gender safety at work: real life testimonies.
- E-learning platform for companies
- Online campaigns
- 766 community members & LK page (European alliance for Gender)
Sources: cease-violence.eu – set-the-tone-project.eu
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Paula Mejia Gonzalez – European Trade Union Institute (ETUI)
Awareness and Self-Monitoring Questionnaire to promote reflection and plan improvements at the workplaces.
Initiatives: online questionnaire: 29 questions in 4 different areas (self-assessment, organization, training programme, equality competencies for trainers), feedback/reflect/act with 4 different scores.
Source: ETUI.org
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The discussion took place with more than 20 people attending in presence at the EfVET office in Brussels and online.
The meeting closed with a Q&A session with the active participation of those present in the audience and some questions collected online.
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Background & Contacts
The “Gender Equality Task Force” initiative was co-created by EfVET, European Association for the Education of Adults – EAEA, and EARLALL – European Association of Regional & Local Authorities for Lifelong Learning in January 2023. The purpose of this initiative is to advocate for an equal access to lifelong learning opportunities for all, by proposing an array of initiatives such as workshops, seminars, meetings, networking that allow its more than 50 members and key stakeholders to debate, reflect and share experiences and practices on topics related to Gender Equality issues.
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More info: The GE TF initiative.
How to become a GE TF member: gendertforce@gmail.com
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