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Gender mainstreaming

  • What is Gender mainstreaming
    • Policy cycle
  • Institutions and structures
    • European Union
    • EU Member States
    • Stakeholders
    • International organizations
  • Policy areas
    • Agriculture and rural development
      • Policy cycle
    • Culture
      • Policy cycle
    • Digital agenda
      • Policy cycle
    • Economic and financial affairs
      • #3 Steps Forward
        • How can you make a difference?
      • Economic Benefits of Gender Equality in the EU
      • Policy cycle
    • Education
      • Policy cycle
    • Employment
      • Policy cycle
      • Structures
    • Energy
      • Policy cycle
    • Entrepreneurship
      • Policy cycle
    • Environment and climate change
      • Policy cycle
    • Health
      • Policy cycle
    • Justice
      • Policy cycle
    • Maritime affairs and fisheries
      • Policy cycle
    • Migration
      • Policy cycle
    • Poverty
      • Policy cycle
    • Regional policy
      • Policy cycle
    • Research
      • Policy cycle
    • Security
      • Policy cycle
    • Sport
      • Policy cycle
    • Tourism
      • Policy cycle
    • Transport
      • Policy cycle
    • Youth
      • Policy cycle
  • Toolkits
    • Gender Equality Training
      • Back to toolkit page
      • What is Gender Equality Training
      • Why invest in Gender Equality Training
      • Who should use Gender Equality Training
      • Step-by-step guide to Gender Equality Training
        • Preparation phase
          • 1. Assess the needs
          • 2. Integrate initiatives to broader strategy
          • 3. Ensure sufficient resources
          • 4. Write good terms of reference
          • 5. Select a trainer
        • Implementation phase
          • 6. Engage in the needs assessment
          • 7. Actively participate in the initiative
          • 8. Invite others to join in
          • 9. Monitoring framework and procedures
        • Evaluation and follow-up phase
          • 10. Set up an evaluation framework
          • 11. Assess long-term impacts
          • 12. Give space and support others
      • Designing effective Gender Equality Training
      • Gender Equality Training in the EU
      • Good Practices on Gender Equality Training
      • More resources on Gender Equality Training
      • More on EIGE's work on Gender Equality Training
    • Gender Impact Assessment
      • Back to toolkit page
      • What is Gender Impact Assessment
      • Why use Gender Impact Assessment
      • Who should use Gender Impact Assessment
      • When to use Gender Impact Assessment
      • Guide to Gender Impact Assessment
        • Step 1: Definition of policy purpose
        • Step 2: Checking gender relevance
        • Step 3: Gender-sensitive analysis
        • Step 4: Weighing gender impact
        • Step 5: Findings and proposals for improvement
      • Following up on gender impact assessment
      • General considerations
      • Examples from the EU
        • European Union
          • European Commission
        • National level
          • Austria
          • Belgium
          • Denmark
          • Finland
          • Sweden
        • Regional level
          • Basque country
          • Catalonia
        • Local level
          • Lower Saxony
          • Swedish municipalities
    • Institutional Transformation
      • Back to toolkit page
      • What is Institutional Transformation
        • Institutional transformation and gender: Key points
        • Gender organisations
        • Types of institutions
        • Gender mainstreaming and institutional transformation
        • Dimensions of gender mainstreaming in institutions: The SPO model
      • Why focus on Institutional Transformation
        • Motivation model
      • Who the guide is for
      • Guide to Institutional Transformation
        • Preparation phase
          • 1. Creating accountability and strengthening commitment
          • 2. Allocating resources
          • 3. Conducting an organisational analysis
          • 4. Developing a strategy and work plan
        • Implementation phase
          • 5. Establishing a support structure
          • 6. Setting gender equality objectives
          • 7. Communicating gender mainstreaming
          • 8. Introducing gender mainstreaming
          • 9. Developing gender equality competence
          • 10. Establishing a gender information management system
          • 11. Launching gender equality action plans
          • 12. Promotional equal opportunities
        • Evaluation and follow-up phase
          • 13. Monitoring and steering organisational change
      • Dealing with resistance
        • Discourse level
        • Individual level
        • Organisational level
        • Statements and reactions
      • Checklist: Key questions for change
      • Examples from the EU
        • Preparation phase
          • 1. Strengthening accountability
          • 2. Allocating resources
          • 3. Organisational analysis
          • 4. Developing a strategy and working plan
        • Implementation phase
          • 5. Establishing a support structure
          • 6. Setting objectives
          • 7. Communicating gender mainstreaming
          • 8. Introducing methods and tools
          • 9. Developing Competence
          • 10. Establishing a gender information management system
          • 11. Launching action plans
          • 12. Promoting within an organisation
        • Evaluation and follow-up phase
          • 13. Monitoring and evaluating
    • Gender Equality in Academia and Research
      • Back to toolkit page
      • WHAT
        • What is a Gender Equality Plan?
        • Terms and definitions
        • Which stakeholders need to be engaged into a GEP
        • About the Gear Tool
      • WHY
        • Horizon Europe GEP criterion
        • Gender Equality in Research and Innovation
        • Why change must be structural
        • Rationale for gender equality change in research and innovation
      • HOW
        • GEAR step-by-step guide for research organisations, universities and public bodies
          • Step 1: Getting started
          • Step 2: Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution
          • Step 3: Setting up a Gender Equality Plan
          • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
          • Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan
          • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?
        • GEAR step-by-step guide for research funding bodies
          • Step 1: Getting started
          • Step 2: Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution
          • Step 3: Setting up a Gender Equality Plan
          • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
          • Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan
          • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?
        • GEAR action toolbox
          • Work-life balance and organisational culture
          • Gender balance in leadership and decision making
          • Gender equality in recruitment and career progression
          • Integration of the sex/gender dimension into research and teaching content
          • Measures against gender-based violence including sexual harassment
          • Measures mitigating the effect of COVID-19
          • Data collection and monitoring
          • Training: awareness-raising and capacity building
          • GEP development and implementation
          • Gender-sensitive research funding procedures
        • Success factors for GEP development and implementation
        • Challenges & resistance
      • WHERE
        • Austria
        • Belgium
        • Bulgaria
        • Croatia
        • Cyprus
        • Czechia
        • Denmark
        • Estonia
        • Finland
        • France
        • Germany
        • Greece
        • Hungary
        • Ireland
        • Italy
        • Latvia
        • Lithuania
        • Luxembourg
        • Malta
        • Netherlands
        • Poland
        • Portugal
        • Romania
        • Slovakia
        • Slovenia
        • Spain
        • Sweden
        • United Kingdom
    • Gender-sensitive Parliaments
      • Back to toolkit page
      • What is the tool for?
      • Who is the tool for?
      • How to use the tool
      • Self-assessment, scoring and interpretation of parliament gender-sensitivity
        • AREA 1 – Women and men have equal opportunities to ENTER the parliament
          • Domain 1 – Electoral system and gender quotas
          • Domain 2 - Political party/group procedures
          • Domain 3 – Recruitment of parliamentary employees
        • AREA 2 – Women and men have equal opportunities to INFLUENCE the parliament’s working procedures
          • Domain 1 – Parliamentarians’ presence and capacity in a parliament
          • Domain 2 – Structure and organisation
          • Domain 3 – Staff organisation and procedures
        • AREA 3 – Women’s interests and concerns have adequate SPACE on parliamentary agenda
          • Domain 1 – Gender mainstreaming structures
          • Domain 2 – Gender mainstreaming tools in parliamentary work
          • Domain 3 – Gender mainstreaming tools for staff
        • AREA 4 – The parliament produces gender-sensitive LEGISLATION
          • Domain 1 – Gender equality laws and policies
          • Domain 2 – Gender mainstreaming in laws
          • Domain 3 – Oversight of gender equality
        • AREA 5 – The parliament complies with its SYMBOLIC function
          • Domain 1 – Symbolic meanings of spaces
          • Domain 2 – Gender equality in external communication and representation
      • How gender-sensitive are parliaments in the EU?
      • Examples of gender-sensitive practices in parliaments
        • Women and men have equal opportunities to ENTER the parliament
        • Women and men have equal opportunities to INFLUENCE the parliament’s working procedures
        • Women’s interests and concerns have adequate SPACE on parliamentary agenda
        • The parliament produces gender-sensitive LEGISLATION
        • The parliament complies with its SYMBOLIC function
      • Glossary of terms
      • References and resources
    • Gender Budgeting
      • Back to toolkit page
      • À qui s’adresse cette boîte à outils?
      • Pourquoi la budgétisation sensible au genre des Fonds de l’UE relevant de la gestion partagée est-elle importante?
        • Trois raisons pour lesquelles la budgétisation sensible au genre est essentielle dans les Fonds de l’UE
      • Qu’est-ce que la budgétisation sensible au genre?
        • Présentation de la budgétisation sensible au genre
        • En quoi la budgétisation sensible au genre est-elle liée aux réalités vécues par les femmes et les hommes?
        • En quoi consiste la budgétisation sensible au genre dans la pratique
        • Budgétisation sensible au genre des Fonds de l’UE
          • La budgétisation sensible au genre comme moyen de se conformer aux exigences juridiques de l’UE
          • La budgétisation sensible au genre comme moyen de promouvoir la responsabilité et la transparence dans la planification et la gestion des finances publiques
          • La budgétisation sensible au genre comme moyen d’accroître la participation des femmes et des hommes aux processus budgétaires
          • La budgétisation sensible au genre comme moyen de favoriser l’égalité de genre pour les femmes et les hommes dans toute leur diversité
      • Comment pouvons-nous appliquer la budgétisation sensible au genre des Fonds de l’UE relevant de la gestion partagée? Outils pratiques et exemples des États membres
        • Outil 1 — Relier les Fonds de l’UE au cadre réglementaire de l’UE en matière d’égalité de genre
          • Base législative et réglementaire des politiques de l’UE en matière d’égalité de genre
          • Exigences concrètes pour la prise en considération de l’égalité de genre dans les Fonds de l’UE
          • Conditions favorisantes des Fonds de l’UE
          • Autres ressources
        • Outil 2 — Analyser les inégalités de genre et les besoins liés au genre aux niveaux national et infranational
          • Étapes concernant l’évaluation et l’analyse des inégalités de genre et les besoins liés au genre
          • Étape 1 — Recueillir des informations et des données ventilées sur le groupe cible
          • Étape 2 — Recenser les inégalités de genre existantes et leurs causes sous-jacentes
          • Étape 3 — Consulter directement les groupes cibles
          • Étape 4 — Tirer des conclusions
          • Autres ressources
        • Outil 3 — Mettre en œuvre l’égalité de genre dans les objectifs politiques (dans les accords de partenariat) et les objectifs/mesures spécifiques (dans les programmes opérationnels)
          • Étapes de la mise en œuvre opérationnelle de l’égalité de genre dans les accords de partenariat et les programmes opérationnels
          • Orientations générales sur la mise en œuvre de l’égalité de genre lors de l’élaboration d’objectifs stratégiques, d’objectifs spécifiques et de mesures
          • Liste de contrôle pour la mise en pratique du principe horizontal de l’égalité de genre dans les accords de partenariat
          • Liste de contrôle pour la mise en pratique du principe horizontal de l’égalité de genre dans les programmes opérationnels
          • Exemples d’intégration de l’égalité de genre en tant que principe horizontal dans les objectifs stratégiques et les objectifs spécifiques
        • Outil 4 — Coordination et complémentarités entre les Fonds de l’UE pour favoriser l’équilibre entre vie professionnelle et vie privée
          • Étapes à suivre pour améliorer la coordination et la complémentarité entre les Fonds
          • Étape 1 — Alignement sur les objectifs de l’engagement stratégique pour l’égalité de genre
          • Étapes 2 et 3 — Recenser et élaborer d’éventuelles interventions en faveur de l’équilibre entre vie professionnelle et vie privée
          • Étape 4 — Suivi à l’aide d’indicateurs au sein des systèmes de suivi et d’évaluation
          • Étude de cas fictive 1 — Concilier travail rémunéré et garde d’enfants
          • Étude de cas fictive 2 — Concilier travail posté et garde d’enfants
          • Étude de cas fictive 3 — Équilibrer les soins pour soi-même et pour les autres
          • Étude de cas fictive 4 — Concilier la garde des enfants et des personnes âgées avec le travail posté
          • Autres ressources
        • Outil 5 — Définir les partenariats et la gouvernance à plusieurs niveaux — Identifier les partenaires pertinents, le rôle des experts sur les questions de genre et la composition des comités de suivi
          • Étapes pour la définition des partenariats et de la gouvernance à plusieurs niveaux
          • Autres ressources
        • Outil 6 — Élaborer des indicateurs quantitatifs et qualitatifs pour faire progresser l’égalité de genre
          • Étapes pour l’élaboration d’indicateurs quantitatifs et qualitatifs
          • FEDER et Fonds de cohésion (mêmes indicateurs communs)
          • Fonds social européen plus
          • Fonds européen pour les affaires maritimes et la pêche
          • Autres ressources
        • Outil 7 — Définir des critères de sélection de projets sensibles au genre
          • Étapes à suivre pour favoriser l’élaboration et la sélection de projets sensibles à la dimension de genre
          • Liste de contrôle pour guider la préparation des appels à propositions de projets
          • Liste de contrôle pour les critères de sélection des projets
          • Outil complémentaire 7.a — Conventions tenant compte de la dimension de genre avec les personnes responsables de l’exécution des projets
        • Outil 8 — Contrôler les allocations de ressources en faveur de l’égalité de genre dans les Fonds de l’UE
          • Ensuring gender relevance in EU Funds
          • The tracking system
          • Steps for tracking resource allocations on gender equality
          • Step 1: Ex ante approach
          • Step 2: Ex post approach
          • Examples of Step 2a
          • Annex 1: Ex ante assignment of intervention fields to the gender equality dimension codes
          • Annex 2: The EU’s gender equality legal and policy framework
        • Outil 9 — Intégrer l’égalité de genre dans la conception des projets
          • Étapes pour intégrer l’égalité de genre dans la conception des projets
          • Étape 1 — Alignement sur les objectifs et indicateurs en matière de genre des accords de partenariat et des programmes opérationnels
          • Étape 2 — Élaboration et demande de projet
          • Étape 3 — Mise en œuvre du projet
          • Étape 4 — Évaluation du projet
        • Outil 10 — Intégrer une perspective de genre dans les processus de suivi et d’évaluation
          • Étapes pour intégrer une perspective de genre dans les processus de S & E
          • Autres ressources
        • Outil 11 — Rendre compte des dépenses de ressources en faveur de l’égalité de genre dans les Fonds de l’UE
          • Suivi des dépenses pour l’égalité de genre
          • Autres ressources
      • Ressources
        • Références
        • Abréviations
        • Remerciements
    • Gender-responsive Public Procurement
      • Back to toolkit page
      • Who is this toolkit for?
        • Guiding you through the toolkit
      • What is gender-responsive public procurement?
        • How is gender-responsive public procurement linked to gender equality?
        • How is gender-responsive public procurement linked to gender budgeting?
      • Why is gender-responsive public procurement important?
        • Five reasons why gender-responsive public procurement
        • Why was this toolkit produced
      • Gender-responsive public procurement in practice
        • Legal framework cross-references gender equality and public procurement
        • Public procurement strategies cover GRPP
        • Gender equality action plans or strategies mention public procurement
        • Capacity-building programmes, support structures
        • Regular collaboration between gender equality bodies
        • Effective monitoring and reporting systems on the use of GRPP
        • Tool 1:Self-assessment questionnaire about the legal
        • Tool 2: Overview of the legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks
      • How to include gender aspects in tendering procedures
        • Pre-procurement stage
          • Needs assessment
          • Tool 3: Decision tree to assess the gender relevance
          • Preliminary market consultation
          • Tool 4: Guiding questions for needs assessment
          • Defining the subject matter of the contract
          • Choosing the procedure
          • Tool 5: Decision tree for the choice of procedure for GRPP
          • Dividing the contract into lots
          • Tool 6: Guiding questions for dividing contracts into lots for GRPP
          • Light regime for social, health and other specific services
          • Tool 7: Guiding questions for applying GRPP under the light regime
          • Tool 8: Guiding questions for applying GRPP under the light regime
          • Reserved contracts
          • Preparing tender documents
        • Procurement stage
          • Exclusion grounds
          • Selection criteria
          • Technical specifications
          • Tool 9: Decision tree for setting GRPP selection criteria
          • Award criteria
          • Tool 10: Formulating GRPP award criteria
          • Tool 11: Bidders’ concepts to ensure the integration of gender aspects
          • Use of labels/certifications
        • Post-procurement stage
          • Tool 12: Checklist for including GRPP contract performance conditions
          • Subcontracting
          • Monitoring
          • Reporting
          • Tool 13: Template for a GRPP monitoring and reporting plan
      • References
      • Additional resources
  • Methods and tools
    • Browse
    • About EIGE's methods and tools
    • Gender analysis
    • Gender audit
    • Gender awareness-raising
    • Gender budgeting
    • Gender impact assessment
    • Gender equality training
    • Gender-responsive evaluation
    • Gender statistics and indicators
    • Gender monitoring
    • Gender planning
    • Gender-responsive public procurement
    • Gender stakeholder consultation
    • Sex-disaggregated data
    • Institutional transformation
    • Examples of methods and tools
    • Resources
  • Good practices
    • Browse
    • About good practices
    • EIGE’s approach to good practices
  • Country specific information
    • Belgium
      • Overview
    • Bulgaria
      • Overview
    • Czechia
      • Overview
    • Denmark
      • Overview
    • Germany
      • Overview
    • Estonia
      • Overview
    • Ireland
      • Overview
    • Greece
      • Overview
    • Spain
      • Overview
    • France
      • Overview
    • Croatia
      • Overview
    • Italy
      • Overview
    • Cyprus
      • Overview
    • Latvia
      • Overview
    • Lithuania
      • Overview
    • Luxembourg
      • Overview
    • Hungary
      • Overview
    • Malta
      • Overview
    • Netherlands
      • Overview
    • Austria
      • Overview
    • Poland
      • Overview
    • Portugal
      • Overview
    • Romania
      • Overview
    • Slovenia
      • Overview
    • Slovakia
      • Overview
    • Finland
      • Overview
    • Sweden
      • Overview
  • EIGE’s publications on Gender mainstreaming
  • Concepts and definitions
  • Power Up conference 2019
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  • Menu
  • Gender mainstreaming
    • What is Gender mainstreaming
      • Policy cycle
    • Institutions and structures
      • European Union
      • EU Member States
      • Stakeholders
      • International organizations
    • Policy areas
      • Agriculture and rural development
        • Policy cycle
      • Culture
        • Policy cycle
      • Digital agenda
        • Policy cycle
      • Economic and financial affairs
        • #3 Steps Forward
          • How can you make a difference?
        • Economic Benefits of Gender Equality in the EU
        • Policy cycle
      • Education
        • Policy cycle
      • Employment
        • Policy cycle
        • Structures
      • Energy
        • Policy cycle
      • Entrepreneurship
        • Policy cycle
      • Environment and climate change
        • Policy cycle
      • Health
        • Policy cycle
      • Justice
        • Policy cycle
      • Maritime affairs and fisheries
        • Policy cycle
      • Migration
        • Policy cycle
      • Poverty
        • Policy cycle
      • Regional policy
        • Policy cycle
      • Research
        • Policy cycle
      • Security
        • Policy cycle
      • Sport
        • Policy cycle
      • Tourism
        • Policy cycle
      • Transport
        • Policy cycle
      • Youth
        • Policy cycle
    • Toolkits
      • Gender Equality Training
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is Gender Equality Training
        • Why invest in Gender Equality Training
        • Who should use Gender Equality Training
        • Step-by-step guide to Gender Equality Training
            • 1. Assess the needs
            • 2. Integrate initiatives to broader strategy
            • 3. Ensure sufficient resources
            • 4. Write good terms of reference
            • 5. Select a trainer
            • 6. Engage in the needs assessment
            • 7. Actively participate in the initiative
            • 8. Invite others to join in
            • 9. Monitoring framework and procedures
            • 10. Set up an evaluation framework
            • 11. Assess long-term impacts
            • 12. Give space and support others
        • Designing effective Gender Equality Training
        • Gender Equality Training in the EU
        • Good Practices on Gender Equality Training
        • More resources on Gender Equality Training
        • More on EIGE's work on Gender Equality Training
      • Gender Impact Assessment
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is Gender Impact Assessment
        • Why use Gender Impact Assessment
        • Who should use Gender Impact Assessment
        • When to use Gender Impact Assessment
        • Guide to Gender Impact Assessment
          • Step 1: Definition of policy purpose
          • Step 2: Checking gender relevance
          • Step 3: Gender-sensitive analysis
          • Step 4: Weighing gender impact
          • Step 5: Findings and proposals for improvement
        • Following up on gender impact assessment
        • General considerations
        • Examples from the EU
            • European Commission
            • Austria
            • Belgium
            • Denmark
            • Finland
            • Sweden
            • Basque country
            • Catalonia
            • Lower Saxony
            • Swedish municipalities
      • Institutional Transformation
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is Institutional Transformation
          • Institutional transformation and gender: Key points
          • Gender organisations
          • Types of institutions
          • Gender mainstreaming and institutional transformation
          • Dimensions of gender mainstreaming in institutions: The SPO model
        • Why focus on Institutional Transformation
          • Motivation model
        • Who the guide is for
        • Guide to Institutional Transformation
            • 1. Creating accountability and strengthening commitment
            • 2. Allocating resources
            • 3. Conducting an organisational analysis
            • 4. Developing a strategy and work plan
            • 5. Establishing a support structure
            • 6. Setting gender equality objectives
            • 7. Communicating gender mainstreaming
            • 8. Introducing gender mainstreaming
            • 9. Developing gender equality competence
            • 10. Establishing a gender information management system
            • 11. Launching gender equality action plans
            • 12. Promotional equal opportunities
            • 13. Monitoring and steering organisational change
        • Dealing with resistance
          • Discourse level
          • Individual level
          • Organisational level
          • Statements and reactions
        • Checklist: Key questions for change
        • Examples from the EU
            • 1. Strengthening accountability
            • 2. Allocating resources
            • 3. Organisational analysis
            • 4. Developing a strategy and working plan
            • 5. Establishing a support structure
            • 6. Setting objectives
            • 7. Communicating gender mainstreaming
            • 8. Introducing methods and tools
            • 9. Developing Competence
            • 10. Establishing a gender information management system
            • 11. Launching action plans
            • 12. Promoting within an organisation
            • 13. Monitoring and evaluating
      • Gender Equality in Academia and Research
        • Back to toolkit page
        • WHAT
          • What is a Gender Equality Plan?
          • Terms and definitions
          • Which stakeholders need to be engaged into a GEP
          • About the Gear Tool
        • WHY
          • Horizon Europe GEP criterion
          • Gender Equality in Research and Innovation
          • Why change must be structural
          • Rationale for gender equality change in research and innovation
          • GEAR step-by-step guide for research organisations, universities and public bodies
            • Step 1: Getting started
            • Step 2: Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution
            • Step 3: Setting up a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?
          • GEAR step-by-step guide for research funding bodies
            • Step 1: Getting started
            • Step 2: Analysing and assessing the state-of-play in the institution
            • Step 3: Setting up a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 4: Implementing a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 5: Monitoring progress and evaluating a Gender Equality Plan
            • Step 6: What comes after the Gender Equality Plan?
          • GEAR action toolbox
            • Work-life balance and organisational culture
            • Gender balance in leadership and decision making
            • Gender equality in recruitment and career progression
            • Integration of the sex/gender dimension into research and teaching content
            • Measures against gender-based violence including sexual harassment
            • Measures mitigating the effect of COVID-19
            • Data collection and monitoring
            • Training: awareness-raising and capacity building
            • GEP development and implementation
            • Gender-sensitive research funding procedures
          • Success factors for GEP development and implementation
          • Challenges & resistance
        • WHERE
          • Austria
          • Belgium
          • Bulgaria
          • Croatia
          • Cyprus
          • Czechia
          • Denmark
          • Estonia
          • Finland
          • France
          • Germany
          • Greece
          • Hungary
          • Ireland
          • Italy
          • Latvia
          • Lithuania
          • Luxembourg
          • Malta
          • Netherlands
          • Poland
          • Portugal
          • Romania
          • Slovakia
          • Slovenia
          • Spain
          • Sweden
          • United Kingdom
      • Gender-sensitive Parliaments
        • Back to toolkit page
        • What is the tool for?
        • Who is the tool for?
        • How to use the tool
        • Self-assessment, scoring and interpretation of parliament gender-sensitivity
          • AREA 1 – Women and men have equal opportunities to ENTER the parliament
            • Domain 1 – Electoral system and gender quotas
            • Domain 2 - Political party/group procedures
            • Domain 3 – Recruitment of parliamentary employees
          • AREA 2 – Women and men have equal opportunities to INFLUENCE the parliament’s working procedures
            • Domain 1 – Parliamentarians’ presence and capacity in a parliament
            • Domain 2 – Structure and organisation
            • Domain 3 – Staff organisation and procedures
          • AREA 3 – Women’s interests and concerns have adequate SPACE on parliamentary agenda
            • Domain 1 – Gender mainstreaming structures
            • Domain 2 – Gender mainstreaming tools in parliamentary work
            • Domain 3 – Gender mainstreaming tools for staff
          • AREA 4 – The parliament produces gender-sensitive LEGISLATION
            • Domain 1 – Gender equality laws and policies
            • Domain 2 – Gender mainstreaming in laws
            • Domain 3 – Oversight of gender equality
          • AREA 5 – The parliament complies with its SYMBOLIC function
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Peer support helps women’s businesses to grow

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Good practice
Country: Ireland
Section:
Entrepreneurship
Topics:
Entrepreneurship
Period:
2008 - 2014
Publication date:
06 March 2015
Going For Growth

In brief

Going for Growth provides structured peer support to women entrepreneurs who are serious about growing their businesses, with mentoring and guidance from lead entrepreneurs who have personal experience of the growth journey on which the participants are embarking. Funded by the ESF, the Irish Department of Justice and Equality and Enterprise Ireland, it has been implemented in Ireland since 2008 by Fitzsimons Consulting, a private company specialising in entrepreneurship and growth.

Six cycles have been held so far, each consisting of six monthly round tables and a national forum at midpoint. Over 350 women entrepreneurs have taken part, at a cost of some €2,000 per head. The particpants are not charged a fee for participation in a cycle, however, as the funding support provided covers these costs.

The round table sessions empowered participants to gain a new strategic perspective and to translate this into practical changes within their businesses. This brings them nearer to achieving their growth ambitions and frequently results in revenue growth, additional employment and increased numbers of first-time exporters.

Targeting women who are serious about growth

The Going for Growth initiative was designed by Fitzsimons Consulting, a private company specialising in entrepreneurship and growth, and was launched in 2008. It is directed at ambitious women who are owner-managers of businesses that have been trading for at least two years and are serious about growing their businesses. It provides structured peer support with mentoring and guidance provided by volunteer lead entrepreneurs, who have experience of the growth journey on which the participants are embarking. While more women are being encouraged to start new businesses, the mission of Going for Growth is to get more women entrepreneurs into a growth frame of mind and then to support them to achieve their growth ambitions.

The initiative is funded by the Equality for Women Measure 2010-2013 and by Enterprise Ireland (EI), the government organisation responsible for the development of Irish Enterprises. The Equality for Women Measure (EWM) is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) through the Human Capital Investment Operational Programme 2007-2013 and the Department of Justice and Equality. The Equality for Women Measure has been involved for many years in other initiatives to inspire, celebrate and encourage women entrepren­eurs across Ireland. More recently, in 2012, Enterprise Ireland developed a comprehensive Female Entrepreneurship Strategy which encourages female-led start-up activity in enterprises with growth potential and includes specific female-only funding initiatives.

Although Ireland has a higher proportion of men engaged in entrepreneurial activity compared to women, and a level of female self-employment lower than the EU average, the number of women in Ireland setting up new businesses has begun to increase.

Peer support

Going for Growth operates over a six-month cycle, during which participants are offered a unique learning environment with a peer-led approach based on the sharing of experiences between an experienced  lead entrepreneur and other participants facing common challenges. The Going for Growth roundtables are centred on the  lead entrepreneurs, who each volunteer about three hours of their time once a month to meet with a small group of women owner-managers. The sessions explore a series of questions related to growth and work through a series of agendas. In this way, the lead entrepreneurs share the practical knowledge they have acquired from their first-hand experience of owning and managing a business that has achieved considerable growth. There are now over 20 successful women who volunteer their time as lead entrepreneurs. This number is increasing all the time.

The lead entrepreneurs have run a very diverse range of businesses, including black pudding making, online gift sales, tourism, environmental analysis, pharmaceuticals, tax recovery, electronics, software development and web marketing.

One participant, Leonora O’Brien of Pharmapod, Laureate for Europe in The Global Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards 2013, describes her experience as follows:

“Being involved in Going for Growth was a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow female entrepreneurs; to discuss challenges, share experiences and uncover solutions. The support from the Lead Entrepreneur is goal-focused and practical and the sessions provide a safe, trusted environment and a sense of shared endeavour.”

A national forum, held midway through the cycle, is an integral part of Going for Growth. This gives participants the opportunity to go more deeply into a number of topics that all the round table groups consider important. Attendees can also network with participants and lead entrepreneurs from other roundtable groups.

Sales and employment up

The initiative has demonstrated wide impact as it is open to all women entrepreneurs, regardless of sector, and its long-term effects are clearly shown through the achievement of the desired objectives of building up confidence and giving women entrepreneurs an aspiration for growth. Over 350 women entrepreneurs have already taken part.

The round table sessions empower participants to gain a new strategic perspective and to translate this into practical changes within their businesses. This brings them nearer to achieving their growth goals and frequently results in revenue growth, additional employment and increased numbers of first-time exporters.

Since the fourth cycle, the initiative has captured increases in turnover, employment and new exporters achieved by the participants through questionnaires sent to participants following their completion of the cycle. Over the six months of the latest cycle to be completed (6th cycle), 71% of the particpants increased their sales by an average of 15%, employment increased overall by 13% and the number of exporters in the group increased by 22%. A total of 88 new employees were hired and 10 new interns engaged, and over 650 existing jobs were strengthened. The 58 participants had a combined turnover of at least €50m by the end of the cycle.

The impact of the 5th cycle was equally positive:  64% increased their sales by an average of 18%, six broke into exporting, 50 new employees were hired and 570 existing jobs were strengthened. The 56 participants had a combined turnover of at least €41.2m.

Going for Growth has led the way in reducing gender inequalities, as it addresses the gender gap in Irish business by emphasising that women can not only successfully start businesses but should not limit their growth ambitions. Growing businesses benefit women concerned, their communities and the economy more generally.

Not surprisingly, in 2009 Going for Growth was selected by the EU as a good practice in promoting enterprise as part of the European Charter for Small Enterprises, and was subsequently voted into the Top 10 of those initiatives as most beneficial to implement. The initiative was then chosen to represent Ireland in the Investing in Skills category of the European Enterprise Awards 2011. Most recently the initiative has been included as an inspiring practice in the OECD and EU report The Missing Entrepreneurs: Policies for Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Europe (2014), which focused on those parts of the population that are under-represented in early stage entrepreneurship, including women.

Action orientation

The success of Going for Growth is mainly related to the fact that the initiative is oriented to action and results and goes beyond classroom style learning and the usual inputs of professional trainers, consultants and academics. Indeed, the roundtables are designed not to be theoretical or academic, but to be based on the experience of what has worked and what hasn’t worked in real life. The informal learning environment is one of its main appeals.

The involvement and credibility of high-profile successful women entrepreneurs in the initiative is another key to its success. They act as role models demonstrating through their achievements what is possible for other women entrepreneurs. They become accessible to the participants, and they willingly share their experience and insights. It is interesting that recently several of the lead entrepreneurs have formed a round table for themselves to drive forward the growth of their businesses, as they have seen the Going for Growth approach work for the participants.

The initiative has exceeded all expectations set for it at the outset and, by incorporating evaluation and feedback mechanisms at every stage of the process, has continued to improve and develop over the six cycles that have so far taken place. The next challenge is to implement Going for Growth successfully across Europe, providing a link through which ambitious women entrepren­eurs can learn from each other, network and do business together. A pilot has recently been successfully completed in Finland, sponsored by the European Social Fund, the University of Applied Sciences, and the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. The Finnish pilot was being directed by Fitzsimons Consulting with local partners.

Contacts/Further Information

Contacts

Paula Fitzsimons

Fitzsimons Consulting

6 James Terrace

Malahide
Co. Dublin

Ireland

+353 1 845 0770

paula@goingforgrowth.com

Further information

Website

EU and OECD: The Missing Entrepreneurs

Brochure

Video of a National Forum

Testimonials from participants

NB image copyright

Going for Growth logo from website: http://www.goingforgrowth.com/

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Peer support helps women’s businesses to grow - Ireland
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Metadata

Tool:
Competence development
  • In brief
  • Targeting women who are serious about growth
  • Peer support
  • Sales and employment up
  • Action orientation
  • Contacts/Further Information
  • More good practices
  • Downloads

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