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News
January 26, 2021
Kick-off meeting of the Oeste + Igual Project
On the 29th of January, at 11:00 am (GMT) and 12:00 pm (CET), the kick-off meeting of the Oeste + Igual Project - Pilot Project for the Implementation of Gender Equality Policies and Reconciliation of Professional, Family and Personal Life, will take place. Due to the context of the pandemic and consequent restrictions, the event will have a digital component with streaming.
The Project Oeste + Igual intends to be a pilot project in the implementation of policies and good practices in the areas of Gender Equality and Reconciliation of Professional, Family and Personal Life.
With OesteCIM as a promoter and the Center for Gender and Equality (Norway) as a project partner, it aims to promote the sharing of experience and good practices between the partner and the intercity structure of OesteCIM in order to design effective policies that meet the needs identified, optimizing the use of resources and constantly measuring the impact of the implemented measures.
The Oeste + Igual project starts with a kick-off meeting that will present the Project, its objectives, activities and next steps and will involve the Project team from Portugal and Norway, the OesteCIM Executive, the Municipal Executives and the Municipal focal points, allowing to address commitments in a coordinated, collaborative and integrated way.
February 2, 2021
Oeste + Igual starts with kick-off meeting
On January 29th, the Oeste + Igual Project was launched. Through a virtual kick-off meeting it was possible to know a little more about the Project and to know the Program Operator, Partner and Municipal interlocutors.
The opening was made by Dr. Paulo Simões, Executive Secretary of OesteCIM, who reiterated the desire for this to be a reference pilot project in the country. Then spoke Åsta Einstabland (CGE), an important partner of the Oeste + Igual Project for the share of experiences and good practices. In her speech, Åsta underlined the importance of gender equality and family reconciliation for a smart economy, setting the Norwegian example and its indicators.
Then it was the turn of Dra. Rita, in representation of CIG (Operator of the Program), who identified equality between men and women as one of the major challenges facing Portugal. Thus, she underlined the value of the Oeste + Igual Project to respond to this challenge and recognized the importance of the partnership between Portugal and Norway for the achievement of one of the major objectives of the EEA Grants, namely, the strengthening of bilateral relations between beneficiary countries and donor countries.
The launch session sought to make known the objectives, activities, schedule and next steps of the Oeste + Igual Project, namely World Café. This is a project that aims to implement effective local and regional policies in the areas of Gender Equality and Conciliation of Professional, Family and Personal Life in the 12 municipalities of OesteCIM and promote the scalability of the results for the other intermunicipal communities.
March 19, 2021
OesteCIM promotes World Café to debate the theme of Gender Equality in the West Region
The second activity of the Oeste + Igual Project, World Café, took place on March 19, promoted by the Intermunicipal Community of the West and subordinated to the themes of “Violence in Relationship”, “Deconstruction of Gender Stereotypes in Vocational Choices” and “Conciliation between the Professional, Family and Personal Spheres ”.
The opening session was led by Paulo Simões, Executive Secretary of the Intermunicipal Community of the West, followed by Susana Ramos, Coordinator of the National Management Unit EEA Grants Portugal, Sandra Ribeiro, President of the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality and Sónia Fertuzinhos, specialist and PhD student in Public Policies.
After the opening session, the forty participants were divided into small groups in three virtual rooms that functioned as a collaborative and informal spaces for brainstorming. Participants were able to give their contributions and opinions to relevant issues, identifying obstacles, reflecting on the theme and suggesting ideas for solving the issue of Gender Equality and Reconciling Professional, Family and Personal Life in the West Region.
Through the sharing of the perceptions of each individual, it was intended to build a joint vision that contributes to the development of innovative strategies for real change in the West Region. At the end of each round, the groups moved to another room and worked on the ideas developed and recorded by the previous group in the room. In the end, everyone returned to the common room for conclusions.
The closing session was attended by Mónica Ferro, from the United Nations Population Fund, followed by Paulo Simões, who thanked everyone for their presence and contribution.
May 26, 2021
Focus Group Session of the Oeste + Igual Project
On May 25th the focus group session of the Oeste + Igual project took place. The project aims to be a pilot project in the implementation of policies and good practices in the areas of Gender Equality and Reconciliation of Professional, Family and Personal Life.
The activity started at 10 am and was attended by the Project team, Municipal Focal Points, companies and associations in the West Region.
In the opening session, Paulo Simões, First Executive Secretary of OesteCIM, thanked everyone for their presence and highlighted the importance of the Project for the achievement of the United Nations' goal of sustainable development, Gender Equality. This was followed by the Portuguese Association for Diversity and Inclusion, represented by Mónica Canário, who presented the Charter for Diversity, an initiative of the European Commission created with the aim of encouraging employers to implement and develop internal policies and practices to promote diversity and equal opportunities at work.
Then it was up to Susana Almeida, from SHL Portugal, to streamline the analysis of the Portuguese policies underlying the 3 em Linha Program for the Reconciliation of Professional, Personal and Family Life 2018-2019. The objective of the initiative was to promote a SWOT analysis, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats existing in companies and institutions in the West Region with regard to gender equality and the reconciliation of professional, family and personal life.
At the end of the focus group session, a summary report of the main measures to be implemented in the West Region is expected.
August 4, 2021
OesteCIM launches a Digital Survey to gather information on the current situation of the Municipalities of the West regarding the implementation of gender equality policies and the reconciliation of professional, family and personal life
The survey is aimed at companies, students, local authorities, associations, educators and citizens of the West Region and is prepared within the scope of the Oeste + Igual Project, financed by the EEA Grants Conciliation and Gender Equality Programme, which is intended to be a pilot project in the implementation of policies and good practices in the areas of Gender Equality and Reconciliation of Professional, Family and Personal Life.
The objective is to analyze issues such as the existence of support for female employees during the period of pregnancy and when returning to work, diversity among employees, the percentage of women among the company's leaders/managers, the existence of programs and/or campaigns for Equality and/or Work-Family Reconciliation, the greater or lesser ease of men in having a good job and being promoted compared to women or the existence of cases of discrimination at work.
At the end of the survey, after processing the respective data, a self-diagnosis summary report will be drawn up regarding the current status.
The Survey is already available through the following links:
February 14, 2022
OesteCIM promotes Focus Group to share best practices in conciliation and gender equality in the Region
On February 11, 2022, OesteCIM promoted 2 Focus Group Sessions within the scope of the Oeste +Igual Project, financed by EEA Grants, with the aim of compiling best practices in conciliation and gender equality at the level of the West Region in a digital manual.
The session was opened by the Executive Secretary of OesteCIM, Paulo Simões, who referred to the Porto Social Summit to highlight the growing importance of equality between men and women, equal opportunities and the balance between professional and private life, for which there will need to be a shared responsibility of national, regional and local authorities, the social partners and civil society.
The Executive Secretary of OesteCIM also explained the importance of a just transition so that women and men have the same opportunities and that inequalities are not yet exacerbated by changes, it being necessary that companies, public policies and society in general ensure the equal participation and opportunities in the labor market and establish rules on work-life balance.
Then, Susana Almeida Lopes, Coordinator of the Forum Igualdade at SHL Portugal, presented the results of the Reconciliation Diagnosis in the West Region in 2021. The Diagnosis revealed that most companies in the West do not have defined equality policies and that in the Municipalities there will also be room to improve practices. Furthermore, according to the results of the Diagnosis, the citizens of the West revealed that there is a greater ease in the career for men. In schools, however, there is a lack of information about the means that teachers can use to promote equality and non-discrimination in the school context.
After the presentation made by Susana Almeida Lopes, entrepreneurs, managers, equality counselors and citizens were divided into their respective rooms to start the Focus Group sessions.
As a conclusion of the Focus Group session with entrepreneurs and managers from the West, there was a weak adhesion of entrepreneurs to the invitation to participate in the Focus Group. The participants who responded to the invitation expressed the desire to have more concrete approaches and practical implementation, and could even collaborate in the elaboration of the Intervention Plan.
Regarding the conclusions of the Focus Group with the Councilors for Equality and Citizens, there is a need for greater knowledge of the reality in which the Municipalities intervene. In addition, there are few technical and human resources in the Municipalities, which ends up having a significant impact on the work that can be done. Another point that was mentioned concerns the need to articulate the work of the Municipalities through OesteCIM to allow the smaller Municipalities to have greater support. It will also be necessary to have a greater commitment through intervention and sharing with the services, Mayors, Councilors, Chiefs and Municipalities and an autonomy of the equality theme in the sense that it is not confined to the area of social action and involves other relevant stakeholders. in the process, making this a cross-cutting problem.
April 22, 2022
Project “Oeste + Igual” publishes results of the Diagnostic Report for Gender Equality in the West
On April 27th, 2022, OesteCIM will hold an online session to present the results of the Diagnostic Report for Gender Equality in the West.
Starting at 10.00 am and ending at 12.30 pm, the initiative will feature the public presentation of the work developed so far, from the World Café to the Focus Group and the carrying out of Digital Self-Diagnosis Surveys. From the mentioned activities, different documents were prepared with fundamental information for the elaboration of a basic proposal of an Action Plan composed of conciliation measures and gender equality to be implemented in the West Region.
With a duration of 24 months, the project will be a pilot project in the development and implementation of effective policies and instruments in the areas of Gender Equality and the Reconciliation of Professional, Family and Personal Life, in the 12 municipalities of the West Region, in partnership with the Center for Gender and Equality (CGE).
The Oeste + Igual Project will promote the sharing of experience and good practices between the partner Center for Gender and Equality (Norway) and the OesteCIM intermunicipal structure. This sharing will make it possible to design effective policies that meet the identified needs, optimizing the use of resources and constantly measuring the impact of the measures implemented.
Registrations must be made until April 26th to the email candidaturas@oestecim.pt
April 28, 2022
Presentation of the Diagnostic Report for Gender Conciliation and Equality in the West
On April 27th, 2022, the results of the Diagnosis for Gender Reconciliation and Equality in the West Region were presented.
Held online, through the Zoom platform, the session was attended by the President of OesteCIM, Pedro Folgado, the Coordinator of the EEAGRANTS Programme at the CIG, Joana Marteleira, the Director of the Office of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Geneva, Mónica Ferro, the Project Partner, Center for Gender and Equality, represented by Åsta Einstabland and Hanne Drangsholt and OesteCIM Executive Secretary, Paulo Simões.
After carrying out the Digital Self-Diagnosis Surveys, it was possible to conclude that the importance of gender equality is recognized by 97% of workers in the Municipalities of the West and 91% say that there is no discrimination in the Municipalities.
Among the 291 technicians and directors of Municipalities surveyed, 48.6% of women consider gender equality to be very important, but for men the percentage drops to 19.9%. The same is true of reconciling family and professional life, considered very important by 62% of women, but equally important to 19% of men.
When it comes to the question of whether men find it easier to be promoted, only 1% of men agree, while for women the percentage rises to 9%. Of the total number of workers surveyed, 91% deny having ever been a victim of discrimination.
In the school context, 295 answers were obtained from teachers, mostly female (237), among which 78% of teachers attach great importance to the topic and 68% say they have already observed situations of discrimination. The sample of students involved 370 students, with a predominance of males (204), of which 39% of girls and 33% of boys attach great importance to gender equality. However, 74% of students are not aware of any equality promotion program and only 12% are aware of its existence.
Regarding company managers, 80 responses were collected (55% of women), and of the total universe, 89% of women and 78% of men consider the reconciliation of professional and personal life to be very important, but most of the companies did not specify the existence of measures to that effect.
The citizen survey obtained 347 responses (200 women, 146 men and one non-binary), of which 74% consider gender equality very important and 92% conciliation, but more than 50% are unaware that women are at a disadvantage in the market of work.
In the region where there are more women (52%) than men (48%) in higher education, unemployment affects 14 out of every 100 women (against 12 men) and the former earn on average two euros less than the latter.
Based on the diagnosis presented, OesteCIM will proceed with an action plan that involves the creation of an observatory and the implementation of a municipal plan for gender equality in the 12 municipalities.
The diagnosis presented is one of the activities of the 'Oeste + Igual' project, a pilot project with a total cost of 249,857.74 euros, 100% financed by the international EEA Grants Programme within the scope of projects to promote equality between women and men local level.
March 24, 2023
Gender Equality and Opportunities were topics of debate in the Training for Local Authorities of the Oeste + Igual Project
Provided for in the Project's Action Plan, the activity took place on March 23rd, with the presence of all the Municipalities of the West Region, Managers, Technicians and Teams for Equality in Local Life.
The training aimed to clarify the concepts and biases related to gender equality, as well as the roles and responsibilities as agents of change for equal opportunities.
The topics covered in the training were:
- What is Gender Equality: The Legislation and the Impact on Organizations;
- Bias: Reflection on the theme and the use of inclusive language;
- Equal Opportunities: Rights of the Working Mother, Parental Leave and Family Assistance Rights;
- Promotion of Change: SMART objectives and reflection on measures to be implemented within the scope of gender equality.
The Oeste + Igual Project consists of a pilot Project for the Implementation of Gender Equality Policies and Reconciliation of Professional, Family and Personal Life, developed within the scope of the EEA Grants Portugal – Program for Gender Conciliation and Equality, with the promoting entity being Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality
May 11, 2023
OESTE + IGUAL Project | Online training on stereotypes in vocational choices
Promoting equality between women and men at the local level is one of the objectives of the Oeste + Igual Project. On May 23th, an online training will be held on the impact of stereotypes on vocational choices.
Training is aimed at Educational Agents in the West Region and will take place online, between 10am and 12pm. The initiative is part of the Oeste + Igual Project, with the financial support of the Work-life Balance Programme, EEA Grants Portugal.
Throughout the Training, Educational Agents will try to answer questions such as what is gender equality and its correlation with vocational choices.
The session will also feature a Focus Group moment of reflection on the topic and respective action in favor of change.
May 25, 2023
Oeste + Igual Project - Technical Training for Educational Agents
As part of the Oeste + Igual Project - Pilot Project for the Implementation of Gender Equality Policies and Reconciliation of Professional, Family and Personal Life, on May 23, 2023, a Technical Training for Educational Agents was held. The action is foreseen in the Project Action Plan.
The training took place via Microsoft Teams and had 47 previously registered participants. The event was aimed at the entire educational community of the West Region.
The main objective was to promote reflection on the impact of stereotypes on vocational choices, and how to achieve gender balance in the different areas of the courses. The main themes of the Training were:
- What is Gender Equality?
- Vocational Choices;
- Biases and Stereotypes;
- Promotion of Change.
The Oeste + Igual Project intends to be a pilot project for the implementation of gender equality policies and reconciliation of professional, family and personal life in the 12 municipalities of the West Region. The Project is developed within the scope of the EEA Grants Portugal – Work-life Balance Programme, having the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality as Programme Operator.
May 23, 2023
Seminar on reconciling professional, personal and family life – OESTE + IGUAL Project
On 30th May, 2023, between 10:00 am and 12:45 pm, the Intermunicipal Community of the West, Caldas da Rainha, will host the Seminar within the scope of the Oeste + Igual Project.
The event aims to answer the question: “What do organizations and companies gain if they invest in promoting reconciliation between professional, personal and family life?”
The opening session will be given by the President of the Intermunicipal Community of the West, Pedro Folgado, and by the President of the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality, Sandra Ribeiro.
The morning will be divided into two panels:
Panel 1 - Can the Social Partners be protagonists in conciliation policies?
Panel 2 - Conciliation as a Strategic Axis of economic development: What do people, families and territories gain from conciliation policies at Municipal and Intermunicipal levels?
Panel 1 speakers will be António Saraiva, President of the CIP between 2010-03/2023, Mafalda Troncho, Director ILO – Portugal and José António Vieira da Silva, Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security 2005-2009 and 2015-2019.
In the second Panel, in addition to the interventions of the President of the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality, Sandra Ribeiro, and the Senior Consultant SHL Portugal, Sónia Fertuzinhos, an online intervention will be made by the Project Partner (Centre for Gender and Equality – Norway), fulfilling one of the objectives of the Project, which is the sharing of experience and good practices between the partner and the inter-municipal structure of the Intermunicipal Community of the West for effective policies.
May 31, 2023
Oeste +Igual Project Seminar promotes debate on how conciliation transforms the country's economy
On May 30, within the scope of the Oeste +Igual Project, financed by the EEA Grants Mechanism, a Seminar was held in the West Intermunicipal Community, with the aim of discussing the reconciliation of professional, personal and family life.
The event was divided into two panels. Panel 1 addressed the possibility of social partners playing a leading role in conciliation policies. Panel 2 discussed conciliation as a strategic axis of economic development, exploring the benefits for people, families and territories resulting from conciliation policies at municipal and inter-municipal level.
The opening session was led by the President of OesteCIM, Pedro Folgado, followed by Sandra Ribeiro, President of the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG). The President of the CIG highlighted that Portugal is the only country in Europe with a specific program for equality, expressing the desire that the Project leave a lasting mark and be incorporated into the daily practices of all the Municipalities involved, so that conciliation is seen as an investment rather than a cost.
Panel 1, moderated by Susana Almeida Lopes from SHL Portugal, began with the verification of the little adherence of entrepreneurs to the theme of conciliation. António Saraiva, former President of the Business Confederation of Portugal, stated that conciliation has not been a priority for companies, given the current turbulent situation. However, he emphasized that "society as a whole has to evolve in this sense. As society evolves, we evolve each one of us: businessmen, families and the entire community that the country encompasses in various dimensions". Mafalda Troncho, Director of the International Labor Organization - Portugal, observed that the boundary between professional and family life is increasingly blurred and that the experience of teleworking revealed a great interpenetration between both. According to her, "if we look at this globalizing context and the rapid technological advances, we will realize that the border between professional life and family life is increasingly fading, presenting great challenges for workers, in the difficulty of reconciling these two great dimensions in their lives". Mafalda Troncho added that "the experience of teleworking has shown us that it is not one of the best ways of reconciling personal and professional life. It is the woman who assumes most of the domestic responsibilities, making it difficult to manage her career at home". Panel 1 was also attended by José António Vieira da Silva, former Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, who highlighted the advances achieved with the introduction of the mechanism to promote the sharing of parental responsibilities in 2009. For José António Vieira da Silva, the sharing of parental leave by parents was a stimulus to expand parental responsibility, promoting a rapid adherence by families. He stressed that this reality represents a powerful path of change. The former Minister emphasized that retaining talent at work is not limited to paying better wages, but also requires a concept of remuneration that goes beyond the monetary aspect, bringing people closer to environments that are aligned with their ambitions. Vieira da Silva pointed to the Social Contract Agreements as the way forward, stating that "without negotiation, advances will be limited". He also highlighted the need to overcome obstacles such as social perceptions and conservatism.
The second Panel, moderated by the Executive Secretary of OesteCIM, Paulo Simões, highlighted the region's strategy focused on people and presented the analytical platform for territorial management, Smart Region, which aims to collect information to improve people's quality of life and create public value. In Panel 2, Sandra Ribeiro mentioned that the issue of conciliation has gained space in public discussions, increasingly coming to be seen as a management tool in itself. The President of the CIG stressed that conciliation needs the support of public policies to take a significant leap forward and that it cannot just be the responsibility of the State, but also requires the participation of the social partners. For Sandra Ribeiro, it is important to listen to workers and understand their needs. Panel 2 had the participation of Sónia Fertuzinhos, from SHL Portugal, who presented the results of a Diagnostic Survey carried out within the scope of the Project. The survey revealed that one of the obstacles to conciliation in the region is related to the difficulty for men to use their paternity rights in the context of companies, families and society. Sónia Fertuzinhos highlighted the importance of moving from a social perspective to an economic perspective in relation to equality and conciliation, stating that "the issue of conciliation and equality has an impact on the ability to create wealth in countries and companies". Equality is reflected in the GDP, being a factor that drives the productive potential of the population, the increase in employment rates and competitiveness.
The Seminar was an important opportunity to discuss the challenges and benefits of reconciling professional, personal and family life, involving various social actors and paving the way for the implementation of more inclusive policies and practices in the West Region.
May 29, 2023
OESTE + IGUAL Project | Online training for students
Promoting equality between women and men at the local level is one of the objectives of the Oeste + Igual Project. On June 5, 2023, an online training will be held on the impact of stereotypes on vocational choices: how to achieve gender balance in the areas of the different courses?
The training is aimed at students from the West Region and will take place online, between 10am and 12pm. The initiative is part of the Oeste + Igual Project, with financial support from the Work-life Balance Programme, funded by the EEA Grants Portugal Mechanism.
The students will meet the theme of gender equality and how does it condition vocational choices?
The current scenario and the labor market will be other themes of the Online Training, which will include a moment of reflection on stereotypes and biases.
The Training will end with the sharing of ideas on how to promote change and act actively on the subject.
June 6, 2023
OESTE + IGUAL Project – Online Training for Students
As part of the OESTE+ IGUAL project, an online training course for students took place on June 5, 2023, with 15 participants, including some classes from schools in the West Region.
Several topics were addressed, namely:
- Vocational Choices Free of Gender Conditioning;
- Current Scenario and Labor Market;
- Stereotypes and Biases;
- Promoting Change.
The training started with clarification about the definition of gender equality, which, contrary to what is often thought, this concept does not mean that women want to assume positions of superiority in relation to men, but of equality.
The fact that certain professions characteristic of genders are assigned was also addressed, with gender representation existing in vocational areas.
Bias was also one of the topics discussed, since they are prejudices incorporated into our daily lives, which materialize as patterns of actions and social judgments that are repeated automatically, based on collective thinking and previous individual experiences.
In vocational choices, sometimes there are stereotypes associated with bias, such as salaries; professional courses in which the IT area tends to have more male than female students, among others.
Thus, Stereotypes appear as a prejudice in the form of an unjustified negative attitude towards people in a certain group, that is, an automatic response to stimuli that we sometimes do not realize, not happening rationally.
The training ended with a reflection on how to promote change, in which various behaviors and attitudes were addressed that can be modified in the sense of greater equality between all men and women.
Funded by:
Intermunicipal Community of the West
Avenida General Pedro Cardoso, nº9
2500-922 Caldas da Rainha
Tel.: +351 262 839 030
Project funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, through EEA Grants
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