This project aimed to create sustainable, innovative, and effective resources to empower women towards economic inclusion through employment and self-employment. It encouraged women to create solutions to challenges around them and pursue entrepreneurial actions to rebuild communities. The project focused on women aged 35-55 entering the workplace with these objectives: • Providing free access to innovative upskilling pathways for low-skilled women, linked to national training pathways. • Validating existing skills and experience from life, family, work, or self-employment. • Increasing peer networks, confidence, and self-efficacy for low-skilled women. • Developing and recognizing new skills, opening new career pathways. • Raising awareness of the labor market impact of competence-based development. • Highlighting how women can develop ideas and initiate entrepreneurial actions to create social, cultural, and economic value.
During the global pandemic, we applied for this project to address the significant challenges faced by economies and individuals. The crisis accelerated the shift to online and distance learning, making the future unpredictable. To rebuild or reinvent this future, entrepreneurial skills such as innovation, agility, creativity, and collaboration were essential. Women, particularly in our target group, faced ongoing issues. Despite their potential in the labour market, many women were unemployed or left employment as they aged. The gender gap in unpaid work ranged from 6-8 hours in Nordic countries to over 15 hours in central and southern Europe. Women's inactivity was often a forced choice for low-earners who couldn't afford childcare. Employment rates for women decreased with age, part-time work was more common among women, and the gender pay gap persisted across Europe. Through the Women Learning Together project, we created sustainable and effective resources to empower women aged 35-55. The project supported the recognition of their skills, provided opportunities for mutual support, and inspired ideas for creating shared value through employment and self-employment. The womens' stories show the impact of this work.