By implementing the CoachingHer project, we aimed to promote a social environment in which women, and especially mothers, can pursue their professional goals without having to choose between career and family. The objective was to actively support the reconciliation of working life and family responsibilities. Through tailored coaching programmes, women were to be strengthened in their personal and professional development. The focus was on developing leadership skills, entrepreneurial competences, and life skills such as time management, multitasking, and self-organisation. At the same time, we aimed to establish a European network of female coaches that enables exchange, mutual support, and the sharing of good practices, and that can continue to have an impact beyond the end of the project. In addition, a methodology was to be developed to support adult education professionals in the further training and reskilling of women. In the long term, CoachingHer was intended to improve women’s social and professional inclusion, strengthen their participation in economic, social, and cultural life, and contribute to greater self-determination, engagement, and equal opportunities.
We applied for CoachingHer because empowering mothers with caregiving responsibilities is firmly anchored in the mission statement of Plan B gGmbH. Many women face particular challenges when entering or re-entering education and the labour market: a lack of flexible offers, unequal opportunities, insufficient support, and difficulties in reconciling family and work. With CoachingHer, we wanted to encourage women to pursue their professional goals without having to choose between career and family. The cooperation between Italy and Germany also offered the opportunity to combine different social and labour-market-related experiences in order to develop practical solutions. The project primarily addressed mothers’ need for low-threshold, flexible, and family-compatible educational and support services. At the same time, there was a need for career guidance, strengthening self-efficacy, and developing labour-market-relevant skills such as leadership, time management, and multitasking. By combining training, coaching, and a supportive network, CoachingHer contributes to greater equal opportunities, social participation, gender equality, and sustainable integration into education and work.