On 19 July, the first virtual round table in our research project "Digital Female Futures" took place. With 24 participants from 14 organizations, we discussed how low-income women* can be empowered to participate equally in the digitalized world of work - and what education providers and associations need to be effective here.
Digital Female Futures: What we learned from the first Round Table
Virtual space for exchange, discussion and networking
Despite the summer slump and the holiday season, we were pleased to welcome a large number of our previous interview partners in the tile room of our video conferencing tool on 19 July. Since the beginning of the year, we have been researching in the betterplace lab what challenges low-income women* face in a digitalized world of work, what opportunities they have and what digital skills development offers are available specifically for this target group. In addition to desk research and comprehensive mapping, the event was preceded by interviews with a total of 17 providers of digital upskilling programmes from Berlin, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony, as well as discussions with eleven women* who have taken part in the skills development programmes.
With this round table, we wanted to take a critical look at the preliminary results of our study, discuss innovative approaches together and create a space for exchange between actors who have one goal in common: to strengthen women* for the digital transformation in everyday life and the professional world.
Digital upskilling for women* with low incomes: Empowerment and living wage employment
At the round table, it became clear once again: Promoting digital competences means more than just teaching hard skills that the labour market needs - be it the use of common computer programmes or in-demand skills such as programming. Community-oriented training actors look first and foremost at the needs, challenges and potential of women*. The aim of Digital Upskilling is therefore to empower women* in their digital literacy and to open up a space of opportunity for living wage employment. In other words, through digital upskilling offers, women* are strengthened to be able to move independently, self-guidedly and safely in a digitalised world and to be better positioned on the labour market through an increase in competence. In the end, it is also about being able to find gainful employment that goes hand in hand with a poverty-proof income and makes women* financially resilient.
To achieve these goals, a holistic approach is needed, based on three main pillars:
- Acknowledging diversity: The target group of women* is inherently diverse. Women* with different backgrounds and social positions participate in an upskilling offer - whether online or analogue. They bring their own experiences and are affected to different degrees by structural disadvantages in the labour market and in society. In addition, wishes and requirements for services can differ.
- Understand and take into account the life situations of women*: A single young mother who is about to start her education needs a different learning setting than a single middle-aged woman* who wants to reorientate herself professionally. Good offers take into account different living and working situations. In concrete terms, this can mean flexible learning schedules and course times, childcare, additional language courses, loan equipment or even wellbeing workshops.
- Thinking about macro trends: The pace of digital change is fast and requires constant rethinking. Rigid learning methods no longer fit our fast-moving times. In addition to the necessary hard skills, social and meta-competences, e.g. collaborative learning and systemic thinking, must be taught.
Good support for holistic approaches
What do organizations need in order to provide services that empower women* in a holistic way? What does this mean for funding settings and what can good funding look like? We were also able to discuss these questions at the round table. The core results:
- Empowerment requires time and resources: For holistic digital upskilling, funding institutions need realistic duration targets and sufficient funds in the right places, e.g. for technical equipment and fair payment of staff.
- Understanding impact not only in terms of numbers: Funding institutions should attach more importance to concrete changes in the target group. Quantitative targets must be realistic and supplemented by a qualitative approach to impact.
- Flexibility and leeway instead of rigid project plans: There cannot be a one-size-fits-all solution for a diverse target group with different life situations in a rapidly changing world. This must also be taken into account in funding. Therefore, providers of continuing education and training need flexibility in the design of their offers and room for experimentation and organisational learning.
- Partnership-based attitude for good collaboration: Continuing education providers and their funding institutions are united by the goal of promoting women* in a digitalised (professional) world. Where partners are aware that they are working towards the same goal and develop understanding for each other, good collaboration and effective project work can succeed.
Innovation needs connections
Finally, the Round Table also focused on existing innovative approaches. In the projects "Digital Guides For Golden Agers" and "Social Business Women" of the Wiesbaden-based association BerufsWege für Frauen e.V., for example, the teaching of skills is directly linked to opportunities for earning money and starting a business. Another innovative example is the career support and the strong community approach of the ReDi School of Digital Integration. The implementation of innovative ideas are possible where networks and good relationships with funding institutions exist. In other words: Where organizations are connected to others, experience support and shared learning is lived. The Digital Female Futures project is sponsored by J.P. Morgan. The company is committed to more economic participation and equal opportunities in 37 countries worldwide through its own programmes and in cooperation with organizations.