In 2017, ZDS is entering the second and final year of the project entitled “Changing traditional mindset through collective agreements in the Western Balkans - The role of Social partners in enabling work-family reconciliation and gender equality (Balance).” In order to discuss the implementation of project activities, partners met in Tirana on 17 January 2017.
In the first part of the meeting, Albanian good practice was presented, namely an online platform. The project partners from Albania presented the online platform of the young entrepreneur Seymire Sefa »mundesi.al« which is dedicated to jobseekers and self-employed, and which main focus is providing information in the following areas: employment, access to scholarships, training, various conferences, internships and courses. Professor from the European University in Tirana Emira Qosja spoke about the role of women in entrepreneurship and in the labor market in Albania.
The discussion on the current and upcoming project activities followed. The current activities of the project partners comprise the analysis of the current situation in the field of work-family reconciliation and gender equality in each country. As well, a special website dedicated to the project has been established within the already existing websites of employers' project partners. So far, electronic leaflets have been published, the content of which includes the EU legislative framework on the reconciliation of work and family life and the presentation of good practice in this field. While in Slovenia, this is already very well known field, in other participating countries it is a novelty (the Family-Friendly Company Certificate was presented to them).
Within the framework of the upcoming activities, the partners discussed and agreed on the content of two publications. It is planned that two publications will be produced within the project, namely: 1) a publication intended for school girls, and 2) a publication intended for employers. While the first, with its motivational content, will encourage schoolchildren to think more daringly about professional choices and opportunities that are offered to girls in addition to the "typically female" professions, the second publication will inform employers on the European regulation in the field of work-family reconciliation and gender equality, including the recommendations to promote reconciliation of professional and family life in the region and which can be integrated into collective agreements.
At the meeting in Tirana, the project partners discussed, among others, the proposals of recommendations and measures which include a set of activities aimed at facilitating the reconciliation of private and professional life and gender equality designed for key stakeholders (policy makers, social partners and enterprises). They can use the recommendations and measures as a non-binding tool in implementing this issue in the working environment, taking into account the legislative framework, cultural environment, the specifics of the sector and the readiness for change in each country of the project partners.
At the meeting, promotional material was presented to raise awareness of the importance of the topic in question, including promotional material for school girls with a printed message: »Be yourself. Choose the profession you dream of«.
At the end of the meeting, the partners agreed on a study visit planned in early April in Brussels. The purpose of the visit is to meet representatives of the European social partners (Businesseuropa and the ETUC), national employers' associations and the European Commission, to discuss the importance of the European social dialogue, and to discuss different EU Members' practices in the field of reconciliation of work-family life and gender equality.
With financial support by the European Union.