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EPALE - Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe

Discussion

Gender equality and adult learning: current trends and future outlooks

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Lifelong Learning Platform

Join us as we reflect on gender equality in and for adult learning!

On Wednesday 30 October 2024, from 10 am to 4 pm CET, EPALE will be hosting an online discussion on Gender equality and adult learning, analysing current trends and best practices with a view to the EU's efforts to bridge the gender gap.

We will kick off at 10 am CET, with a live-streamed exchange between experts and will continue the conversation with EPALE users in a written discussion in the comments section until 4 pm CET. 

The live stream session will feature Sylvia Liuti, Gender equality expert, Director of Internationalisation and EU projects management at FORMA.Azione and Honorary Member of the Gender Equality Task Force by EAEA-EfVET-EARLALL, and Piotr Sadowski, Secretary General of Volonteurope, Vice-President of the Conference of INGOs in the Council of Europe and Former President of the Social Platform; it will be moderated by Andrea Lapegna, Deputy Director of the Lifelong Learning Platform

Watch the streaming here!

The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan has indicated that 60% of adults should participate in training every year by 2030. While this is a universal goal that Member States strive to achieve, lifelong learning requires a gender-sensitive approach in line with the current gender-based inequalities in education, training and employment.

 

Today we see general inequalities in enrolment, participation, employment, etc - and most of them are sector-sensitive. For example, women dominate among education, health and work graduates, while they only constitute 13% of graduates in STEM VET (European Institute for Gender Equality). According to recent studies, women participate in adult education in Europe, especially informal provisions, at a higher rate than men. However, enrolment numbers are not followed by the same employment figures. For instance, according to the European Commission, there is an inequality in the EU in the number of working citizens, with the rate of working men in 2019 (79.0%) being 11.7% higher than that of women (67.3%). 

 

Lifelong learning is instrumental in women’s reintegration into the labour market following a career break due to care responsibilities or health conditions. It can be a catalyst for greater gender equality provided both women and men can access it despite work and family constraints. However, lack of time or financial resources can significantly hamper access to adult learning and training and inhibit certain groups of women and men more than others.

 

Through this online discussion we aim to disclose some of the figures on gender (in)equality in adult education and training. We also aim to uncover what works and what doesn’t, with the goal to inspire the transfer of good practices in other EU territories. 

Comments are already open, so you can start sharing your thoughts, experiences and suggestions!

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Comments

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Dora SANTOS
Wed, 10/30/2024 - 12:14

Good morning!

In Portugal, public education and training policies ensure gender equality in terms of access and conditions for studying. 

However, there are cross-cutting aspects that still leave women unequal. For example, it is mainly women who do the housework and look after the children and often the elderly in their family, and they don't have time to get qualifications or re-skill. 

They tend to earn less in their jobs (even though they have the same duties as men), except in public jobs (where pay progression is equal for women and men).

In education, it is essential that the areas of science, technology, engineering and maths are more attractive to girls, as these are areas that are more valued by the labour market.

Portugal, with 67.4, is still below the EU average (70.2) in the Gender Equality Index 2023.

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Thank you for sharing the situation in Portugal, Dora! If access to education is equal but then croiss-cutting issues get in the way, I guess it goes back to the cultural shift we were discussing live...

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Lifelong Learning Platform
Wed, 10/30/2024 - 11:21

A big thank you to the speakers and to the community for engaging with this heart-felt topic! Some of the practices that were mentioned during the discussion are also listed below:The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) has been influential in promoting gender equality through its work on intersectional and inclusive advocacy. EWL’s campaigns address structural inequalities impacting women, with initiatives like the #HerNetHerRights campaign, which tackles online violence against women. Their advocacy for inclusive policies in social affairs not only promotes awareness but also pushes for concrete actions at both national and EU levels.

The AGE Platform Europe highlights gender disparities among older adults, particularly in health, financial security, and social inclusion. AGE’s work integrates gender-sensitive strategies in its approach to lifelong learning and elder care, focusing on the gendered impact of ageing. They promote policies that address the unique economic and social challenges faced by older women, many of whom live below the poverty line due to lifetime pay gaps and career interruptions related to caregiving.

The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) also provides a valuable example by focusing on gender dimensions within poverty reduction strategies. EAPN’s gender-focused approach ensures that its poverty alleviation policies and programmes address the disproportionate economic and social vulnerabilities that women face. They work to integrate gender equality into anti-poverty policies by calling for stronger social protection systems and equal access to quality jobs for women.

One last good practice is LLLP's project iBOX (Inclusive Box), which aims at ensuring more inclusive organisations, more inclusive education approaches and actions, through a capacity building process to better face and respond to current and future societal challenges. This is also done through a gender-sensitive approach

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Eva Moravcová
Wed, 10/30/2024 - 11:19

Lately, I’ve encountered a troubling trend of tokenism in DEI efforts, especially around transgender support. Policies are often applied in uninformed, superficial ways—focusing more on scoring political points than understanding or addressing real community needs.

In the Erasmus program, inclusion standards from the Erasmus Quality Standards are emphasized in many projects on paper. Yet, I’ve witnessed participant selection processes that intentionally exclude transgender individuals to avoid providing necessary support. Coordinators, often uninformed on the topic, make decisions based on stereotypes or anecdotal hearsay rather than an informed commitment to inclusivity.

Stereotypical views on gender and career paths remain present, with individuals pressured by family expectations to pursue "suitable" fields instead of following their own interests and living up to their true potential. Women might be even discouraged from seeking requalification later in life.

It’s equally disheartening that this critical discussion on gender equality and adult learning reached only 16 viewers on YouTube. Real change demands genuine engagement, accountability, and a commitment to inclusive, informed support—not just symbolic gestures.

 

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Sara Saleri
Wed, 10/30/2024 - 10:27

Here are some links to go deeper:

MOVE UP, focused on how to make value out of the motherhood experience, thus increasing women/mother self-esteem, self confidence and their capacity to better access labour market and job opportunities: https://academyofentrepreneurship.org/move-app

GenderED Coalition, funded by CREA MIL (Media and Information Literacy) Programme and aimed at contrasting online gendered disinformation, by designing and implementing new narratives, social media campaigns. It includes also the definition of a Gender Competence Framework for MIL educators (such as journalists, teachers, gender equality experts, content creators, influencers, communication designers, etc.), as a crucial aspect of their professionalism: https://www.genderedcoalition.net/

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Sara Saleri
Wed, 10/30/2024 - 09:56

Good morning, we are about to start today's discussion.

Feel free to post your comments and questions to the speakers during the live streaming.

Enjoy the discussion :)

Sara - EPALE Team

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Elga Drelinga
Community Collaborator (Silver Member).
Thu, 10/17/2024 - 08:07

A common view: women and men are equal. Women are more likely than men to go to university, to take a more active role in improving their professional qualifications,  change their specialition more flexibly. They take any job to support their families. However, women are more likely to suffer redundancies, receive lower wages, and employers prefer men when choosing employees (they have children, after all). Archaism. Unfair.

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Jana Galová
Community Hero (Gold Member).
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Wed, 10/30/2024 - 13:05

In reply to by Elga Drelinga

Your insights capture the issue perfectly: while women are often more active in lifelong learning and flexible in reskilling, they still face barriers like lower wages and employer bias. Despite higher participation in adult education, many women encounter discriminatory practices that hold them back compared to men. We need a gender-sensitive approach that supports equal access to learning and incentivizes employers to value reskilling regardless of gender. Lifelong learning has the power to transform careers and break down stereotypes, which is key to closing the gender gap. What effective practices or strategies have you come across on this topic?

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