Projects

Education of BBSGR's employees in the application of gender equality in practice

The project is realised thanks to the support of the European Social Fund within the operational programme Employment and social inclusion.

Information
In March 2009 Banská Bystrica Self-governing region received irrecoverable financial contribution for the realisation of the project “Training of BBSGR's employees” in the application of gender equality in practice”.

Project duration: April 2009 – January 2010
Place of the project: Banská Bystrica
Town of the project: Banská Bystrica
Region of the project: Banská Bystrica

Goals of the project
Increased readiness of BBSGR's employees to apply the criteria of gender equality into practice

Specific goal of the project 1
Improved BBSGR's employees awareness and skills of application of gender equality

Specific goal of the project 2
Realised experience exchange with organisations from abroad

Measurable project indicators
Number of trained persons 66
Number of successfully trained persons 66

The project is realised with the financial support of the European Social Fund within the Operational programme Employment and social inclusion. Priority axis 1: support of the employment rise / Measure 1.2: Support of creation and maintaining the number of jobs through increased adaptability of employees, enterprises, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs' unions and regions. BBSGR secures 5% of the financial resources for the project in order to realise the activities of the project.

The goal of the project is increased readiness of BBSGR's employees – the highest number of employees comes from the department of health and department of social affairs, whose work includes significant social aspect, the heads of other departments and individual officials of the Office of Banská Bystrica Self-governing region – the target group consists of 66 employees.

Since April 2009 the preparation activities have been taking place – the public procurement of the external supplier of education services, foreign lecturers from France, Federal Republic of Germany, Austria and Czech Republic and preparation of the training materials.

Education in Slovakia
Education in Slovakia was realised in Banská Bystrica from September 28^th till October 21^st 2009. The training of 66 employees of BBSGR begins with practice of the basic knowledge in five groups. The training lasts for 4 days for each group and participants acquire basic conceptual and theoretical knowledge of the causes of gender inequality, with the impact of gender inequality and stereotypes on the society, with gender analysis, with application of gender mainstreaming in practice, with application and introduction of opportunities equality and gender mainstreaming at the offices of the public administration including RP and GM inclusion in the strategic plans of the offices of the public administration, measures against discrimination, measures to serve the citizens, with gender budgeting and so forth.

The training of BBSGR's employees continues with 3 days training in gender specific areas, in which the employees work: education, public administration, health and social, transport and finance, regional development under the leadership of the foreign lecturers.

The project is another step in the series of activities, with which Banská Bystrica Self-governing region supports the improvement of quality of the employees' performance, thus the quality and efficiency of services provided to citizens.

Education abroad
The education of BBSGR's employees in the area of gender equality application into practice continues with realisation of the activity No. 3 – Education abroad.

During 26^th - 28^th October 2009 the follow-up training of 20 selected employees of BBSGR continues in the following areas:

• dos and don'ts of GeM projects
• excursion at the Department of Gender & Diversity Management, GH Campus Wien and lecture on the implemented projects of gender equality at the university
• experience exchange with the department of gender affairs of the Vienna Municipality
• lecture and discussion about the support and development of the business networks for small women's enterprises
• lecture of the plenipotentiary for the gender affairs and public services of employment in Vienna (AMS)

After completion of the follow-up training the employees of Banská Bystrica Self-governing region will be ready with precious theoretical knowledge of the principles of gender equality and practical experience in their application abroad.

Project completion
The final part of education the “follow-up training” took place abroad during October 26^th - 28^th 2009. 20 selected employees from the target group took part in the training at the Department of Gender & Diversity Management, FH Campus in Vienna, at the department of gender affairs of the Vienna Municipality, practical exercises about projects GeM, lecture and discussion about support and development of the business networks for small women's enterprises and the discussion with the plenipotentiary for the gender affairs and public services of employment in Vienna (AMS).

66 full-time employees of Banská Bystrica Self-governing region were the target group. The whole target group completed the training of the basic knowledge and the training of application in the gender specific areas with 20 selected employees completing the follow-up training abroad. 25 men and 41 women took part in the project, which follows the structure of the employees of the Office of Banská Bystrica Self-governing region according to their gender.

As a result of the project realisation the 66 employees of the Office of Banská Bystrica Self-governing region achieved:

• new view of the world of men and women in different social areas of life
• awareness of this view, realisation that such problems even exist in the society and that there is the need to apply such view
• theoretical knowledge of application of gender equality principles in different countries
• improvement in the knowledge of this issue, new attitudes in applying gender equality in communication between men and women
• understanding of the principles of gender equality in specific cases – studies
• getting the inspiration for application of the gender equality principles in equaling the differences between men and women for example in the area of school system, employment policy, public awareness in the conditions of Slovakia and the town we live in
• awareness of the possibilities of acquired knowledge application into everyday's agenda such as projects preparation, solving the employment problems of women, their ranking and remuneration
• certificates of the training completion

Banská Bystrica Self-governing region issued three training materials based on the trainings: “Training of the basic knowledge”, “Training of the application in the gender specific areas” and “Follow-up training”, which consist of the education and training materials with presentations of the foreign lecturers included in the project.

The project is another step in the series of activities, with which Banská Bystrica Self-governing region supports the improvement of its employees quality of work and thus the quality and efficiency of the services provided to the citizens. Thanks to the project “Training of Banská Bystrica Self-governing region's employees for gender equality application into practice” the 66 employees, with theoretical knowledge of the gender equality principles and practical experience of their application abroad, are ready to implement them into everyday's practice, into their contact with citizens, into projects and other working activities.

The project with its activities and goals contributed to fulfilment of the strategic goal of the Slovak Republic outlined in the National Strategic Reference Framework for the years 2007-2013 to significantly improve the competitiveness and performance of the regions and Slovak economy and employment while respecting the sustainable development. The problems of opportunities equality is one of the horizontal priorities.