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Actions that can promote the participation of women in technology and
entrepreneurship
1. Developing a common definition and understanding of what digital skills and
competences are.
2. Improving the understanding and definition of digital skills needs.
3. Upgrading the digital skills of the labour force with a focus on professional-related
digital skills.
4. Overcoming the obstacles and/or limitations some people face to obtaining digital skills- including lack of interest, awareness, resources and/or knowledge, as well as fear of technology.
5. Providing relevant digital skills training opportunities for all.
Actions that will enhance the role of women in the field of technology and STEM
education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), either as an
employee or as an entrepreneur
1. Making the ICT profession more attractive as a career choice, with a focus on
encouraging more women to participate.
2. Increasing the number of young people trained for ICT professions (ICT graduates
and conversions to ICT).
3. Ensuring certification and standardisation.
4. Improving managers' digital skills or so-called "e-Leadership" skills.
5. Upskilling of ICT professionals in a life-long-learning perspective.
6. Strengthening collaboration across relevant stakeholders
Training actions to support the entry of women into the labor market on equal terms
regarding ICT skills and competences needed.
1. Provide the adequate ICT environment where teaching and training will be in close
relation with the labour market.
2. Up-skilling of digital skills should become a target for the educational and VET
curricula.
3. All the changes should be aligned with a Future need skills regional approach.
4. Strengthening collaboration across relevant stakeholders.
Regarding specific skills that could support the entry of women into the labor market and/or
the improvement of their positions these include:
• Management of IT
• Basic ICT skills
• Advanced ICT skills
• Internet applications for networking and cooperation
• Technical skills
• Web page design
• Programming and software development
Especially for women aspiring to become entrepreneurs, specific skills are required which will enable them to promote online their products/services, to collect customer insight, and target specific audiences through the use of social media:
• Social media marketing (e.g. Blogs, Microblogs, Social Networks, Media-Sharing Sites,Social Bookmarking and selection Sites, analysis Sites, forum and effective Worlds).
However, in order for digital skills to be effectively implemented they have to be accompanied by generic competences such as:
• Effective communication skills
• Problem solving skills
• Teamwork skills
The above conclusions and recommendations were elaborated during the implementation of the project “Innovation and Employability for Women (e-Women), financed by the Financial Mechanism (XM) of the European Economic Area (EEA) Period 2009-2014, controlled by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology (Greece's Ministry of Education) from January 2016 to March 2017.
The project’s goal was to determine the status of technology in terms of participation and awareness among women, particularly young women in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the benefits arising from their use in the field of employment. The General Secretariat for Gender Equality was one of the project's 5 partners.
For more details please see the relevant website http://www.iewomen.eu/1_2/ieWomen
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