Politics and Analysis
Rebrand education and training to promote gender equality
28. February 2023
Opinion
If you picture a woman when asked to think of a nurse or a man when asked to think about an IT developer, then you are not alone. Unfortunately, these preconceptions are far from unfounded. Not only is there significant gender segregation in the EU labour market, but it is also a vicious cycle – our preconceptions are one of the drivers behind the segregation.
The labour markets in the EU remain heavily gender-segregated. More women may be employed, but we have yet to see substantial changes in gendered employment patterns.
The impact of gender segregation
According to a recent Danish study of 1,729 young people aged 15–22, six out of 10 perceive some education and training programmes as either feminine or masculine. Unfortunately, this perception has some basis in reality.
In fact, the intake on 66% of education and training programmes in Denmark is heavily weighted towards either men or women – in other words, on these programmes, one gender accounts for at least 2/3 of the students – and that is a problem for individuals and society.
Gender segregation prevents young people from pursuing their dreams. Four out of 10 young men told the study that the gender profile of some subjects matters in their choice of education or training. One in four young women expressed similar sentiments.
As a society, we have a strong interest in ensuring that young people make educational choices based on their talents and interests rather than gender norms. We need to tackle deep-rooted preconceptions about jobs and subjects being “male” or “female”.
New narratives
One of the key priorities is to do away with the idea that care professions are for girls and technical or craft subjects are for boys.
This will require a rebranding of education and training, and we will only succeed in that if we conduct further research into the drivers behind educational choices and make better use of what we already know.
Studies show that women (to a greater extent than men) tend to choose programmes that focus on social responsibility and purpose, while men are often more interested in prestige.
Therefore we need to understand and promote programmes differently. Developing new technology that benefits the most vulnerable people in society is a form of caring and social responsibility and providing good care for elderly people is also ambitious and prestigious.
Unfortunately, these are not the prevailing narratives. We must move away from narrow, old-fashioned stereotypes and define more nuanced narratives to promote greater gender equality.
Obviously, this will not happen overnight. Addressing the impact that the media, friends and parents have on young people will require long-term effort. However, there is one area in which we can make significant changes on all levels – and that is the education and training system.
We need to open young people’s eyes to the full range of options, so the current stereotypical expectations and perceptions of “male” and “female” subjects no longer affects career choices. Educational and training institutions need to drop gender-specific marketing and reach out to the gender that is underrepresented on their programmes.
Developing new technology that benefits the most vulnerable people in society is a form of caring and social responsibility and providing good care for elderly people is also ambitious and prestigious.
Cultural change is also needed in the labour market and at company level. Companies must actively support and reflect this rebranding. By emphasising the importance of having both genders in the workplace, companies demonstrate that they value and benefit from diversity, which makes it easier for them to recruit and retain staff and boost job satisfaction. This benefits both companies, employees and society as a whole.