Empowering Women III

Reminder of the success of the previous two editions – the one in 2010 with a very general approach on the role of women in society and the one in 2012 with a more specific analysis on women in the field of social economy – we intend with this new seminar to focus on the thematic of women employability, taking as basis for analysis how non-formal education can constructively contribute to the process. Our goal is examining how non-formal education could strengthen and valorize women’s skills, in order to empower their competences and above all their self-confidence for high responsibilities positions. Two main topics will be considered at such regard: gender stereotypes causing the horizontal segregation (women choosing both forced or not only typical “feminine” jobs) and the vertical segregation, and in particular we will focus on the idea of the “glass ceiling” which has a significant negative role in the advancement process of women’s careers. We will proceed in the analysis with an approach based on the international and intercultural dimension: the different realities and cultural backgrounds of participants will set an interesting arena for sharing, exchanging and discussing how these thematic is perceived and dealt in the different countries and societies. We will give a wide space to participants for sharing their best practices in national or international projects, in order to foster the writing of recommendations for positive actions how sustaining young girls in their personal and professional development in the frame of non-formal education: these recommendations will be shared during a joint conference (held at the end of the seminar) with a wider public, coming also from the enterprise fields.