From January 28th to 30th, 2024, partners from Italy, Germany, Denmark, Bulgaria, France, Romania, and Spain gathered in Madrid for the second international event of the EU funded Women4Future project. Under the theme «Women’s Rights at Work,» the event focused on sharing national perspectives, identifying key challenges, and developing initial solutions to address gender inequalities in the workplace.
Insightful Discussions and Key Challenges
The event featured presentations from each participating country, providing current data on women’s rights at work, historical developments, and key role models who have shaped the fight for gender equality in labor rights. These presentations offered deep insights into the progress made over the past century while highlighting persistent challenges.
While all countries have witnessed positive developments, including the implementation of gender equality laws and declarations, significant disparities remain, such as:
- A high Gender Pay Gap,
- Women’s overrepresentation in unpaid care work,
- Increased risk of poverty, especially in retirement,
- Underrepresentation in politics and high-skilled jobs,
- Sexual harassment in the workplace.
Throughout the discussions, participants shared their personal experiences, perspectives on underlying issues, and proposals for change.
Personal Stories and Interactive Learning
Aligned with Women4Future’s mission to highlight gender inequalities through storytelling, the event featured videos and testimonials from women. Spanish women active in trade unions shared their experiences, demonstrating how collective action can drive change. Additionally, migrant women from Syria and Sri Lanka shared their challenges of adjusting to life and work in Europe, shedding light on the double burden many women face—balancing paid work with caregiving responsibilities.
A guided city tour in Madrid showcased the historical role of women in shaping the city, adding an engaging, real-world perspective to the discussions.
Collaborative Solutions and Future Perspectives
The second day of the event was dedicated to interactive discussions on solutions. Using a three-station methodology, participants actively debated the following key questions:
- How can Women develop collective or global actions to influence labour-related issues?
- How can education help combat discrimination and gender inequality?
- How can discrimination in the personal sphere be addressed?
These lively debates resulted in valuable insights and promising ideas, rooted in the realities and lived experiences of women across Europe.
As an example, the ideas and proposals to develop collective or global action were deeply connected with the overall goals of the Women4Future project. Key proposals included:
- Raising awareness of past collective struggles that successfully led to societal change,
- Highlighting existing labor rights with effective communication strategies,
- Including and incorporating grassroots organizations to strengthen advocacy efforts.
These approaches align perfectly with the storytelling aspect of the Women4Future project, which aims to amplify the voices of women and make their experiences visible. Additionally, the proposal to focus on specific issues while setting aside differences in other areas was recognized as a crucial strategy for effective and efficient international cooperation within women’s advocacy networks.
Looking Ahead
The Women4Future project continues its mission to raise awareness, foster collaboration, and develop actionable strategies for a more equal future. The outcomes of the Madrid event will contribute to future initiatives and policy recommendations aimed at strengthening women’s rights at work across Europe.