Foster greater gender equality and employability in the digital era

The rapid pace and scale of technological change and global flows of information are disrupting labour markets and the opportunities created thereby are not evenly distributed. Women are facing a ‘triple disadvantage’, due to gender-based stereotypes, gender gaps in the labour market, and digital gender divide. The Women Get Ready project aims to address the following needs: The digital skills gap: Women are often underrepresented in the digital sector, and many lack the skills they need to succeed in this rapidly growing field. The lack of flexible and accessible training: Many traditional training programs are not designed to accommodate the needs of women with busy schedules or other commitments. The need for a supportive community: Women often face barriers to entering the digital sector, such as discrimination and absence of role models. The Women Get Ready project aims to create a supportive community where women can feel empowered and connected.

The WOMEN GET READY project is designed to empower women in the digital realm, fostering their digital readiness and participation in the evolving digital economy. The project equips women with the skills to adapt to a dynamic work environment, embrace continuous learning, and confidently pursue digital career paths. The project focuses on: -Assisting non-digital women in transitioning to the digital world, emphasizing self-expression as a foundation for confidence and trust in technology. -Developing self-assessment tools that bolster self-esteem instead of undermining it, fostering a positive perception of one's digital abilities. -Challenging gender stereotypes associated with the digital economy, inspiring women to pursue digital careers by showcasing female role models in prominent positions. -Enhancing the effectiveness of return-to-work strategies for women, addressing digital readiness and providing tools to secure equivalent or better job positions. -Creating networking opportunities for women, enabling continuous knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer mentorship within a community that champions female expertise and leadership.

To guarantee the impact and broad adoption of its findings, the WOMEN GET READY project brought together: - A diverse group of stakeholders: This included women, educators, and experts, ensuring the project addressed the needs and concerns of its target audience. - Partners from all participating countries: These partners communicated regularly through both in-person meetings (TPMs) and online platforms, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing. - Active participation in piloting sessions: to provide the opportunity to explore the digital hub prior to make it available to the public and to develop new competencies including soft skills; - National multiplier events - Effective dissemination of project results

To achieve the objectives, the project has developed a series of educational tools, including: - a digital readiness skills dictionary, which defines 11 essential skills for digital work; - two MOOCs, one at intermediate level and the other at advanced level, which enable women to develop these skills; - an assessment tool, enabling women to assess their entry-level, as well as to measure their overall progress in these 11 skills; - model profiles (avatars) that present existing professional profiles in the current industry 4.0 economy, including a test to assess the competence-level of learners, and -an upskilling hub. All the project outputs are available online, in 7 languages and through the link: https://women-get-ready.erasmus.site/. According to an evaluation carried out at the end of the project, the educational tools in the framework of the project were well received by the participating women. They enabled the women to enhance their digital skills and boost their self-confidence. The project has also helped raise awareness of gender equality issues in the digital field. In particular, it has highlighted the obstacles that women face in gaining access to this sector. The Women Get Ready project is an important example of how technology can be used to address gender inequality and promote economic empowerment. The project's tools and resources are now available to women around the world, and they can help bridge the digital divide and create a more equitable future.