CAD Fighting Gender Bias

As the nation turns its attention to the devastating state of sexual violence against women and girls, the EU team at Community Action Dacorum are proud to be mobilising to fight gender bias across the UK through the FENCE Project.

Today gender bias often refers to the preferential treatment of men over women, which seems to dominate in the workplace. From the glass ceiling, pregnancy and maternity discrimination, prejudicial recruitment and performance evaluations, motherhood penalties, to the gender pay gap, the list could go on as to how gender bias can infiltrate the workplace. Since a Rights of Women 2021 Survey found that 23% of women who have been sexually harassed in the workplace reported an upsurge of harassment online since the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time to take action in challenging gender bias for a more equal future.

Community Action Dacorum are leading the Erasmus+ FENCE Project to respond to the absence of gender equality training by building gender competence across the United Kingdom, with partners in Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Romania. The Project is rooted in the firm belief that gender stereotypes and bias limit the development of natural talents, professional progression and life opportunities for women across the globe.

The FENCE course has therefore been carefully designed to help participants unlearn harmful stereotypes and become more aware of the unconscious bias that still governs everyday work and social practice. A large proportion of this training will focus on understanding the extent of gender discrimination within the workplace, in the hope that participants will become empowered to raise awareness of these issues and promote practical strategies for change within their own work environments. Just some of the powerful topics the course will cover include:

• Spotting Discrimination in the workplace – History and where we are today
• Gender stereotypes and Bias – The gender pay gap, childcare and sexual harassment
• Building a positive organisational culture – Positive psychology and mentoring
• Taking a stand on Equality – Good practices, equal opportunities and fair recruitment
• Taking Action – Strategies for change, Action Planning and measuring equality impact

To help the participants learn from one another and grasp these vital topics together, the FENCE team have produced an innovative Online Learning Platform. This will enable participants to browse the online modules, engage with moving case studies, participate in learning activities and communicate with other learners and instructors too.

Community Action Dacorum are also busy planning an upcoming conference on 4 October 2021 at the Aubrey Park Hotel with talks from leading experts in the field of unconscious gender bias to inspire genuine action to make a lasting difference to the lives of women and girls across Europe.

For more information on the FENCE Project, visit the website www.fence-project.eu or follow the Facebook Page @EUprojectFENCE. You can also contact the Project Manager at: musarat1@communityactiondacorum.org.uk or the Project assistant at: matilda@communityactiondacorm.org.uk.