WEMPOWER – Women’s professional training, employment and entrepreneurship in early childhood education services
WEMPOWER -
SUPPORTING
WOMEN’S
PROFESSIONAL
TRAINING,
EMPLOYMENT AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION SERVICES
PROJECT BACKGROUND
WEMPOWER draws on the insights that emerged from the Final Evaluation of the PEDAKOS Project, which highlighted the need to strengthen gender-responsive activities, the importance of professional development for both educational and employment purposes, and the need to motivate and raise awareness among target stakeholders through the exchange of best practices with Italian excellencies.
Context
Despite Kosovo’s steady growth in the economy, the local labor market suffers from significant structural problems and is characterized by a very low women participation rate. Nevertheless, in female-dominated sectors, such as education, women have access to higher and better paid positions, so professional development plays a key role in women empowerment.
Lack of access to Early Childhood Education (ECE) services is undoubtedly one of the main obstacles to women finding, obtaining, and maintaining employment in Kosovo. This is due to three main factors:
- limited availability of ECE services in the area.
- high cost of private ECE services.
- poor quality of ECE services.
There is a growing demand for childcare services, expressed primarily by parents in urban centers who understand the benefits of them for their child’s development and, in more remote areas, by working mothers (or those wishing to work).
For these reasons, developing a strong ECE system is a top priority for the Government of Kosovo, aiming at building the country’s future human capital and strengthening its economy.
Kosovo has a limited number of public preschools, and the private sector plays a key role in this sector. In fact, numerous small female-led preschools have emerged to compensate for the lack of public services. The widespread availability of quality ECE services is essential for women’s economic empowerment.
Investing in this sector has therefore a dual benefit: it frees up the female workforce and increases employment opportunities for women, especially young mothers.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
- women-owned micro-small businesses: 60
- public preschools: 8
- municipal education directorates: 8
- sector personnel (managerial, teaching, and technical): 318 people
- university students: 200
- preschool children: 1.584
- parents: 3.178
PROJECT BACKGROUND
WEMPOWER draws on the insights that emerged from the Final Evaluation of the PEDAKOS Project, which highlighted the need to strengthen gender-responsive activities, the importance of professional development for both educational and employment purposes, and the need to motivate and raise awareness among target stakeholders through the exchange of best practices with Italian excellencies.
Context
Despite Kosovo’s steady growth in the economy, the local labor market suffers from significant structural problems and is characterized by a very low women participation rate. Nevertheless, in female-dominated sectors, such as education, women have access to higher and better paid positions, so professional development plays a key role in women empowerment.
Lack of access to Early Childhood Education (ECE) services is undoubtedly one of the main obstacles to women finding, obtaining, and maintaining employment in Kosovo. This is due to three main factors:
- limited availability of ECE services in the area.
- high cost of private ECE services.
- poor quality of ECE services.
There is a growing demand for childcare services, expressed primarily by parents in urban centers who understand the benefits of them for their child’s development and, in more remote areas, by working mothers (or those wishing to work).
For these reasons, developing a strong ECE system is a top priority for the Government of Kosovo, aiming at building the country’s future human capital and strengthening its economy.
Kosovo has a limited number of public preschools, and the private sector plays a key role in this sector. In fact, numerous small female-led preschools have emerged to compensate for the lack of public services. The widespread availability of quality ECE services is essential for women’s economic empowerment.
Investing in this sector has therefore a dual benefit: it frees up the female workforce and increases employment opportunities for women, especially young mothers.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
- women-owned micro-small businesses: 60
- public preschools: 8
- municipal education directorates: 8
- sector personnel (managerial, teaching, and technical): 318 people
- university students: 200
- preschool children: 1.584
- parents: 3.178
GOAL
WEMPOWER supports women’s professional development, employment, and entrepreneurship in early childhood education services in Kosovo.
The initiative is designed to promote women’s economic empowerment by supporting the implementation of the National Program for Gender Equality and the National Action Plan for Education.
The intervention aims to alleviate the burden of unpaid domestic and care work on Kosovan women and remove one of the main obstacles that limits their professional development and entry into the labor market: the scarcity and low quality of ECE services. The expansion of these services is considered strategic to create and foster concrete employment opportunities for women.
GOAL
WEMPOWER supports women’s professional development, employment, and entrepreneurship in early childhood education services in Kosovo.
The initiative is designed to promote women’s economic empowerment by supporting the implementation of the National Program for Gender Equality and the National Action Plan for Education.
The intervention aims to alleviate the burden of unpaid domestic and care work on Kosovan women and remove one of the main obstacles that limits their professional development and entry into the labor market: the scarcity and low quality of ECE services. The expansion of these services is considered strategic to create and foster concrete employment opportunities for women.
ACTIVITIES
1. STRENGHTENING THE PRE-SERVICE TRAINING OF THE FUTURE GENERATION OF ECE PROFESSIONALS
The aim is to qualitatively and quantitatively strengthen the educational offer of the University of Pristina, through a:
- Enhancing the Study Plan for the Degree Program in Early Childhood Education through exchange visits, scholarships, and technical workshops.
- Enhancing the internship system, by strengthening its relationship with the labor market.
- Modernizing the University’s facilities: renovating the Internship, Orientation, and Placement Office and two classrooms.
2. SUPPORTING THE LAUNCH OF NEW PUBLIC ECE SERVICES AND THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NEWLY APPOINTED PUBLIC TEACHERS
The aim is to foster professional development for newly appointed teachers of 8 recently opened public preschools. This will be achieved through:
- Professional development programs on-site and in Italy on educational approaches and teaching for children aged 0-6.
- Awareness campaign among families and the communities regarding the new public Early Childhood Education services launched and the importance of preschool education.
- Exchange between the Kosovan and Italian public administrations on citizen participation and the quality of Early Childhood Education services.
3. FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR THE START-UP AND EXPANSION OF FEMALE-LED PRIVATE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SERVICES.
The aim is to encourage the development of women-owned micro-businesses operating in the field of ECE services, through:
- Qualified training for 60 women-owned micro-businesses aimed at developing their skills in designing and developing quality educational services.
- “Impresa Donna 0-6” Fund: financial support for 20 women-owned micro-businesses for the expansion, formalization, and launch of early childhood education services.
- Personalized consulting and support services (managerial, organizational, and pedagogical) for businesses benefiting from the “Impresa Donna 0-6” Fund.
WEMPOWER involves in every component Italian excellencies in the 0-6 system, belonging to the academic world (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia – Department of Education and Human Sciences), public (Institution of Preschools and Nurseries of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia) and private (Panta Rei Social Cooperative).
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“Mini-grants for Micro Service Providers in the Tourism Sector for the sustainable development of the Kosovar stretch of the Via Dinarica.”
The english version is on-line.
Discover our projects and enjoy the reading!!
The english version is on-line.
Discover our projects and enjoy the reading!!
“Mini-grants for Micro Service Providers in the Tourism Sector for the sustainable development of the Kosovar stretch of the Via Dinarica.”
