Towards equal opportunities and possibilities in employment and training

Werk.en.de.toekomst is committed to breaking gender stereotypes in education and the labour market and to improving the possibilities for reconciling work, care and study. Werk.en.de.Toekomst is a collaboration between Atria, Institute on gender equality and women’s history, Emancipator, the Dutch Women’s Council (NVR) and VHTO, National expert organization on girls/women and science/technology, and is supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

Gender stereotyping leaves a considerable potential of human capital untapped. That is unfortunate. In a socially just world, people’s paths of life are open and diverse and not limited by stereotypical frameworks. In this world, people develop themselves according to their own wishes and talents and are able to find a balance between labour, study and care for themselves. Following their own preferences and insights, supported by facilities provided by government and employers, such as maternity and parental leave, child care and flexible labour contracts.

The Netherlands faces a challenge. The labour market is changing as a result of technology, flexibilisation, decentralisation and cutbacks. This calls for an optimal use of the talent and potential of the Dutch working, caring and learning society. This will only be achieved if each individual is able to have a broad orientation, can aspire to a future as they would like to see it and if there are sufficient opportunities to combine work, care and study. It is important that people are not limited by norms about what men and women ‘should do’: the so-called gender stereotypes. These are often related to LHBTI, ethnic, class and age-related stereotypes.

That’s why Werk.en.de Toekomst aims for:

• Young people not to be restricted by gender stereotypes and to feel free to make gender non-conforming choices in their educational careers;
• Gender stereotypes for workers and employers in the labour market to be broken down;
• Everyone to benefit from legislation and provisions that improve opportunities to reconcile work, care and study.

Between 2018 and 2022, Werk.en.de Toekomst will be working on:

• doing research,
• identifying stereotypes and positive counter stereotypes,
• the use of role models,
• sharing good examples,
• putting the issue on the agenda of government, social partners, educational institutions and employers.

Emancipator focuses on the role of men and masculinity. While other project partners are mainly concerned with encouraging women’s girls towards science and technology, politics and other male-dominated professions, we are concerned with encouraging men and boys into traditionally female professions. For example: care, education, and looking after their own children and household.