The upcoming University of Galway Rural Studies Centre Seminar Series, scheduled for March, will spotlight the Digital Entrepreneurship for Women (DEW) project. Led by Longford Women’s Link (LWL) in collaboration with Irish Rural Link (IRL), Maynooth University, Innovation Development Partnership European Consultants (IDP SAS), Internet Web Solutions SL, Institut De Haute Formation Aux Politiques Communautaires, and Silver SAP, this initiative aims to address the pressing challenges faced by female entrepreneurs in a post-pandemic world.
The European Union grapples with a notable gender gap in the labour market, with the EU Commission Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 highlighting the pervasive influence of gender stereotypes and male-dominated structures. Despite constituting 52% of the EU population, women comprise only 34% of the self-employed demographic, and 30% of start-up entrepreneurs are female, as reported by WEgate (European Commission, 2020).
The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the challenges in promoting female entrepreneurship as well as the social issues such as violence against women and discrimination.
In response to these challenges, DEW emerges as a practical solution, aligning itself with key priorities outlined by Erasmus+, including the promotion of inclusion and diversity in education and training, facilitating digital transformation, adapting Vocational Education and Training (VET) to meet the labour market, the needs of the female entrepreneurs, and enhancing flexibility in VET opportunities.
The upcoming University of Galway Rural Studies Centre Seminar Series will feature the DEW project, where they will share their insights, learnings, and challenges gained throughout the project. To register for the free Seminar Series, click here.
To learn more about the DEW project click here.
