Fostering women social entrepreneurship through the gender mainstreaming of support structures

Numerous reports have highlighted the disparities in opportunities for women in entrepreneurship. This Erasmus+ project aimed to address this lack of inclusivity by directly impacting the organiza...

Our project aimed at improving the capacity and gender mainstreaming of entrepreneurial support structures to improve the quality of training and support women social entrepreneurs. By allowing support structures and their staff to better integrate women’s needs in their activities through a more gender sensitive approach, our project sought to encourage more women to develop sustainable entrepreneurial projects. In order to achieve this goal, three objectives: First, to increase the integration of gender at a structural level for entrepreneurial ecosystem structures. This has been done thanks to a method developed based on identified partners’ and ecosystems’ needs and the gender expertise of Women on Top, together with Empow’her. Second, to create tools, resources, and methodological and training content which fits women’s needs and to allow organizations supporting entrepreneurs to run tailored support programs, which has been done by Empow’Her, supported by Women on Top. Last, to create and disseminate the tools and methods created, as well as the identified good practices on gender mainstreaming and gender-sensitive entrepreneurial support to other structures at European and Mediterranean level to have a wide-reaching impact.

Our project was divided into 3 phases and 12 project activities. Phase 1, the creation of tools and training content, was split into 6 activities. (A1) helped confirming the needs of the consortium's structures. Then, the creation of an ecosystem mapping for each entrepreneurial ecosystem (A2) helped better understand the context of each structure. The creation of a method to integrate gender equality issues was the third activity (A3). Then, training tools to increase the skills of the staff of the structures to support women social entrepreneurs were created (A4). Later, coaching techniques to implement the training courses were designed (A5). Finally, a guide to gender mainstream for structures of support for social entrepreneurs was designed (A6). Phase 2 was the testing of these new tools within the consortium’s operational partners. 2 major trainings (LTTA) for the staff of partner organizations were organized (A7). After being trained, partners implemented the methodology within the structures (A8) and adapted their support programs (A9). Thanks to feedback, the tools were adjusted (A10). Phase 3 was the dissemination of the deliverables. 4 multiplier events (A11) so as a final event were organised (A12).

Our project was built around 3 main project results. PR1 was the creation of a method for organizations to integrate gender equality issues at the structure level, on strategic, human resources or communication issues. The creation of this method was led by Women On Top and adapted to the specific needs of entrepreneurial support structures in Europe. This methodology was transmitted during a LTTA in Athens and led to the creation of a gender action plan tailored for each operational partner. Each partner appropriated and tested the methodology within their own organisation, before European dissemination. PR2 was the creation of training tools to increase the skills of the staff of the structures and enable them to better train and support women. These new tools were tested by partners, then updated, before being disseminated at European level. PR3 was the creation and the dissemination at European level of a guide, in the form of an interactive pdf, including a self-assessment tool and 10 recommendations to gender mainstreaming, designed to help ecosystem structures. In addition, 2 LTTA and 6 multiplier events were also organized.