- to raise awareness on gender roles and inequalities, as a means to identify and implement strategies that encourage equal participation and bridge the gender divide; - to improve professionals' competences in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment; - to challenge gender-biased stereotypes related to women's participation in the public and private spheres of their lives; - to boost women's willingness and capacity to take an active role within their diverse living contexts; - to promote effective lifelong learning and continuing professional development opportunities for women and the professionals who work with them (in adult education, public services, or civil society organisations) targeting gender equality and women's empowerment towards active citizenship and equal social and civic participation; - to create networking opportunities for professionals that enable continuous knowledge exchange within a community of practice focused on fostering women's participation and empowerment.
Women’s equality and empowerment is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and gender equality by 2030 requires urgent action. As stressed by the Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 and Gender Action Plan III gender equality must be at the heart of post-pandemic recovery. There existed a significant gap in accessing comprehensive leadership development programmes tailored to the specific challenges faced by marginalised women, of easy and free access. Often underrepresented, these women stick to their assigned role of domestic work and not often are they allowed or consider a different and more active participation in society, which is particularly true for migrant and ethnic minority women. Partner’s organisations in the VOICES’ project, believe that postpandemic recovery needs women at the centre, participating in public and private spheres and driving changes that serve both society and the planet. And VOICES has aimed to build gender-responsive results to boost the understanding of gender roles and inequalities, encourage equal participation and contribute to close the gender gaps.