Tools to Achieve the Inclusion of Females in ICT

PRO::ICT is an innovative approach to increase gender participation in ICT. The project addresses inequalities of female participation in the IT sector by an eLearning Module for Gender Sensitive Training and, particularly, the Collection of Best Practice Training Materials Database.

The database provides supportive advice and best practise solution in particular for parents, teachers at schools and colleges, youth trainers, job counsellors and human resource managers. Users have free access to different – non commercial – tools. Three different types of materials are available according to the intended learning objective: 

1. Self-assessment tools, sensitivity material and workshop programmes which are supporting the mindset of the participant.
2. Handbooks and guidelines on how to introduce gender sensitive strategies and activities in organisations. The learning objective is to find a good match for female students going for an ICT education with the institutional framework of an IT education. 
3. Information materials about the ICT labour market, case studies and others. These materials serve as background information about the changing demands in the ICT labour market.

Europe’s Best Practice projects and actions have been examined and evaluated before taking out the most relevant for this expert proofed database.

A part from the PRO::ICT initiative, other projects has also worked in a similar direction. For instance, the United Nations has developed the Directory of UN Resources on Gender and Women’s Issues, a useful source of information about training modules and learning materials, some of them Online. The UNESCO has also the Helpful gender Training Website with a compilation of useful internet resources.

A study shows how to support girls
The research group of the PRO::ICT project carried out research about the multiple factors influencing the chances of women to work continously in the ICT sector. The study "Female students make it in IT, but change needs a chance!" highlights barriers and needs of change agents and sets out stratgies and activities on how to support girls to follow an ICT career.

The study aims to set out blueprints to develop professional gender-sensitive training and consulting concepts to be implemented in practice. Thus the main study can be seen as a milestone for developing a collection of professional gender-sensitive training material. These materials include workshop designs, information material about the ICT market and occupations, handbooks and guidelines for organisational interventions, case studies and the presentation of successful women as role models. The study can be downloaded from the PRO::ICT website.

The PRO::ICT project has been funded by the European Programme Leonardo da Vinci. Eleven European partner institutions from 7 countries joined together in the PRO::ICT Consortium.
Project Coordinator:
Salzburg Research, Austria
Veronika Hornung-Prähauser
Jakob-Haringer Str. 5/III
A-5020 Salzburg
veronika.hornung@salzburgresearch.at  


Related information:
Survey “Gender demands on e-learning”
Meßmer, Ruth; Schmitz, Sigrid University of Freiburg, Germany
http://mod.iig.uni-freiburg.de/publikationen/online-publikationen/Gender%20demands%20on%20e-learning.pdf

Forum for gender research in computer science and natural science, University of Freiburg
http://mod.iig.uni-freiburg.de/forschung/gin/kompetenzzentrum-gin-eng.html

LizzyNet, a german educational portal for girls
http://www.lizzynet.de/dyn/9.asp?Aid=66&Avalidate=408474147&cache=39681&url=71038%2Easp

Women’s Studies at Utrech University
http://www.let.uu.nl/womens_studies/

Advanced Thematic Network in Activities in Women’s Studies in Europe
http://www.let.uu.nl/womens_studies/athena/