Improving Emotional Intelligence and Gender Equality Training

Project reference 2020-1-UK01-KA204-079258

This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

The WeMen project aims to strengthen the role and capacity of adult education to address gender inequality in Europe through digital solutions.

As the name suggests, the WeMen project focus is on increasing participation and engagement amongst adult male learners and educators. We cannot address gender inequality without addressing men's role in upholding the current systems and social practices. We also believe male trainers have a strategic role in transforming the attitudes of other men resistant to gender issues.

The WeMen outputs:

1

Framework

A framework for implementing Adult Education training programmes on gender equity and emotional intelligence

2

Educational Programme

An ECVET (European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training) accredited educational program on emotional intelligence and gender equality training.

3

Online Learning Platform

An online open blended learning platform to upskill adult educators on how to deliver emotional intelligence and gender equality training

Who will WeMen work with?

The WeMen project will work with 89 adult educators and 125 adult learners to design, deliver and evaluate all project outputs. In addition, 500 stakeholders will also be directly involved at local, regional, national and European levels. By the end of the project, we aim to have reached an audience of 1000 recipients through activities related to the delivery of training programmes and the launch of a new learning platform

The WeMen project sets out to positively impact:

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Adult Education Organisations

Facilitating and supporting the delivery
of innovative approaches and teaching methods for emotional intelligence and gender equality

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Adult Educators

Improving their competencies in emotional intelligence and
gender equality training

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Adult Learners

Providing greater access to high-quality and innovative training programmes addressing gender equality

Tackling the Gender Gap in Europe

The gender employment gap in the EU is 11.6% on average*. Even more concerning is the 32.1% of women working part-time at risk of poverty or social exclusion (in contrast to 8.9% of men) (EC, 2019). Closing this gender equality gap could lead to 10.5 million additional jobs by 2050 (European Institute for Gender Equality, 2019). In addition, greater gender equality in education can also affect gender equality in employment.

If we are to improve the current state of gender equality in the EU, mainstreaming gender equity in education and training policy across member states remains crucial. Furthermore, challenging gender prejudices and stereotypes throughout the education cycle can reduce gender imbalances in other spheres of life, such as access to further and professional education, job opportunities, better healthcare, business opportunities and access to finance.

Why Emotional Intelligence and Gender Equality Training?


Emotional intelligence (EI) is a sought-after skill in employment, education, and leadership. It helps people to better manage their emotions, improve their communication and interpersonal relationships and improve learner or employee engagement and performance. Evidence suggests that adult education on gender equality and emotional intelligence can help redress the problem of gender inequity in Europe.

The WeMen project sees emotional intelligence training as a gateway to breaking male resistance to gender training, improving learner engagement and results, and upskilling adult teachers and adult learners in a critical soft skill. WeMen takes advantage of innovative digital teaching methods to teach concepts which can promote deeper learning, reduce stress, and increase student satisfaction. Blended learning solutions utilising well-designed digital tools and platforms can also aid the learning process by facilitating greater engagement between students and teachers. Therefore, in the context of the WeMen project, this could result in improved attitudes towards gender equality.

The WeMen Online Open Learning Materials Platform on Emotional Intelligence and Gender Equality Training (GET) has been designed as a practical tool for Adult Educators.

The Online Learning Materials Platform provides Adult Educators with the following interactive elements:

1

e-Directory

An exhaustive compilation of innovative practices, projects, policies, methodologies, approaches, resources and tools in Emotional Intelligence and Gender Equality Training.

2

Conceptual and Didactical Core

Document providing cutting-edge theoretical fundamentals and pedagogical approaches on Emotional Intelligence and Gender Equality Training

3

B-Learning course

Blended learning course aimed to train Adult Educators to break down resistance to the masculinity of Adult Learners by teaching gender equality aspects through Emotional Intelligence.

The B-Learning course approach provides a combination of:

- Online Contents: to be followed through distance learning
- Pragmatic Resources: to be applied in face-to-face activities

WeMen Online Open Learning Materials Platform is also aimed at creating a Methodological Framework for implementation of Emotional Intelligence and Gender Equality Training in Adult Educations as a reference document addressed to policy and decision makers, educational institutions, Adult Education providers, social partners and other intermediary bodies.

The Team

The WeMen project team is made up of partners from across Europe and the UK.

Aspire Education Group Ltd | UK
Instituto Para El Fomento Del Desarrollo Y La Formacion SL
(INFODEF)
| Spain
La Bien Pagá Espacio Escénico (LBP) | Spain
Innoquality Systems Ltd (INQS) | Ireland
IASIS | Greece
Vestifex Koolituskeskus (Vestifex Adult Learning Centre) | Estonia
VsI Skudutiskio akademija (SkA) | Lithuania