Centre for European Progression and Leadarise co-organized a workshop on gender stereotypes in the workplace. We invited Flaminia Bussachini (Head of Unit Work Force Planning, Diversity and Flexible Working, European Commission) and Rebeca de Sancho Mayoral (European Commission official and creator of the Gender Stereotypes Yammer group at the EC social media platform). Around 30 motivated and talented young women and men participated from the public and private sector of the Eurobubble.
They were divided into 5 working groups in order to set their insights on the most relevant questions of workplace related gender stereotypes, while seeking the solution of taking them away and highlighting the big gender barriers generation Y and Z are facing. The interactive discussion of the working groups provided a conclusion that even now when more women than ever before are hired to lead organisations and more men use their right to take parental leave the effects of gender stereotyping cannot be underestimated. One still observes the persistence of stereotypical gender perceptions across different generations, countries of the European Union and fields of life. It is in most everyday realities that gender matters – in education, work, family and relationships.
The participants raised the issues of:
- the role of media in supporting gender stereotypes
- the identity crisis
- the need of raising awareness of both sexes with good humor and convince the non-believers
- age and generation
- politics and the way to redefine leadership term
- hierarchy
- cooperation on redefining what a good and efficient worker could be
In her contribution, Ms Bussachini thanked the participants for their interest and mentioned that stereotypes could not be positive, given the fact that stereotypes are by nature negative. She stressed the importance of more flexibility in working conditions as it can help eliminate the differences between men and women.
By concluding she expressed her commitment to gender equality and claimed that European Commission works hard and supports rationally the efforts to erase stereotypes based on gender. Furthermore a training on ethics by the EC is envisaged in the near future.
On the way of finding potential solutions of putting away gender stereotypes and inequality, the moderators from the organisers and the participants came together to the clue that gender stereotypes are hard to break and flagged up that we need to continue to encourage people to go beyond stereotypes and recognize the contributions that each individual, male or female, can make to the workplace. It is in most everyday realities that gender matters – in education, work, family and relationships, health, leisure, determination of identity and societal life.
Despite the changing realities gender stereotypes remain deeply ingrained, still very vivid and consistent. For that reason everyone should define their own principles and check their inner actions, while the women should make efforts to involve men more and more to these events, in order to overcome the talks and proceed to drastic actions.