WomenIT – Women in Industry and Technology A Development, Training and Research Project 2001-2006 FINLAND

1. WomenIT – Women in Industry and TechnologyA Development, Training and Research Project2001-2006FINLAND

2. Why WomenIT? The aim of the WomenIT project was to carry out the desegregation of the working life in Finland, because: • Only 18-20% of students and employedin technology area are women, whereas in social and health care equivalent amount is 90% • 25% of the leaders are women, but only 2-3% on the top positions and only a few % in the technological field; the main sectors of women leaders are human resources, culture, social and health care • Only 32-33% of the entrepreneurs are women and e.g. in Kainuu area the equivalent amount is only 25% and in Oulu Region 30% • In the technological field only a few % of the entrepreneurs are women

3. The aim of the WomenIT • equal opportunities for women and men in work as well as in education • supporting women and girls towards choices that are non-traditional for their gender • supportingthe employment of women and girls in the fields of technology and industry • dismantling structures which generate inequality between sexes

4. Operations • Over 40 local subprojects: study groups (clubs), courses, training, research and development activities that help to inspire girls and women e.g. to work in technology industries and encourage them to advance in their careers • Wide material production: careers video, computer game for girls, guidebooks, etc • Mainstreaming • Cooperation and interaction with politicians and decision makers by e.g. proposals for action

6. Areas of the local subprojects Kainuu Region • Kajaani • Paltamo • Suomussalmi • Sotkamo Pohjois-Pohjanmaa Region • Oulu • Raahe • Pyhäjoki Other areas • Lappeenranta • Joensuu • Helsinki

7. Early Childhood Education Basic Education Upper Secondary schools Vocational Schools Polytechnics Universities Employment Service Offices Training- and Research organizations Enterprises Local Associations Trade Unions and other work- life associations National Board of Education Ministry of Social and Health care National Partners

8. TCP Transnational Co-operation partners • JIVE (United Kingdom) • Career guidance, mentoring • Get a Life, Engineer (Denmark) • Work/family life balance • Gender Mainstreaming in der Informationsgesellschaft (Germany) • Careers guidance, early childhood education • Nouveuax acteurs de la mixite des emplois techniques (France) • Careers guidance • WomenIT (Finland) • Research and education

9. The significance of early childhood education E.g. Huuhkajavaara Primary School and Day Care - HuWIT • The activities continued for two years and they were participated by the personnel and children of the whole day care and school • At the beginning of the project, the children's parents answered an enquiry concerning the parents' career choices and doing of housework • Another part was a club teaching information technology to girls; later this was extended and became a part of classroom teaching. The children learned to use computer as a tool and it has become a natural part of the activities in the day care and school • Also the personnel have studied how to use computer and other technical equipment as tools in their work

10. Technology and science education for girls at school E.g. Teppana Primary School - TeppisIT • A TeppisIT club for girls in the 3rd and 4th forms • For two hours a week for three terms and for three hours a week for the last term • The girls learned about technology from many viewpoints, e.g: • the basic use of computers • the woodwork included making a toolbox for the tools • electric work making of a radio • problem solving was practised by building a device called "Vipsotin" which would transfer a rotating movement into a to-and-fro one • the girls also learned to change car tyres and to service their own bikes

11. Technology and science education for girls at school E.g. Karjasilta Upper Secondary School & Madetoja Musical Upper Secondary School - PHYCHE • The 1st and 2nd year students of physics and chemistry in the upper secondary schools planned and carried out information "hits" as well as a PHYCHE world for children in the primary school age • The subjects of the information hits were e.g. movement, force, friction, optics, as well as electric circuit • In the PHYCHE world, one could learn about acid and alkali, electrochemistry, electricity and magnets, balance, measuring devices, light and sound • Along with the course, local co-operation between primary school teachers and secondary school teachers in teaching science was started.

12. Technology and science education for girls at school E.g. Development Center of Raahe - intensive days of technology for Girls • Introduction to the industry and technology • Included workshops,lectures etc. • Repeated 3 times • 250-400 girls/day • Every girl from local secondary school of the town participated

13. Gender in career choice, guidance and recruitment SAVOR-training programme Aims and results: • to develop new gender sensitive models for careers guidance, counselling and recruitment • progress girls and women´s career choice in non-traditional sectors like industry and technology • to develop new gender sensitive material for education Training consisted of 4x2 days terms Participants were mainly career counsellors, employment office staff, planning officers and other volunteers Themes: • Upbringing, Education and career in Life Course • Gender Sensitive Careers Guidance, Recruitment and Counselling • Gender and Work Organisations • material producing (video and computer game) • Organisation Development and Gender Equality Planning

14. Gender in career choice, guidance and recruitment E.g. Case Oulu Four upper secondary school in Oulu arranged practical training, role models and study visits to industry and technology during 2002-2004 as a subject of career counselling. Counsellors also had a practical training in construction (NCC)

15. Mentoring Peer mentoring • Female students of technology mentored the upper secondary school students • Joint course of mentoring, visits etc. Adult mentoring • Senior workers mentored workers with less experience Netmentoring • Online mentors mentored monthly in the WomenIT portal

16. Department of Information Processing Science, Oulu university –a research-project: Studying in the Information Processing Science Department from gender point of view Faculty of Technology, Oulu university –a research-project: Structure and contents of the curriculum from equality point of view Teacher Training in Oulu and Kajaani, Oulu university: - technology education and equality issues in basic teacher training and in-service training Changes at the higher education

17. Female entrepreneurship and leadership in ICT technology and industry • Training programme on entrepreneurship and leadership for girls and women • Resource centers for women as a support structure

18. Support actions in working life Equality planning: • Work/Life Balance • Equal pay for equal work • To progress in one´s career

19. Results • Women's advancement into fields of technology: encouragement, strengthened self-esteem, actual choices of engineering, mathematics etc. • New gender sensitive models for career choices, guidance and recruiting • New gender sensitive courses, teaching contents and methods as well as materials • New models for reconciliation of work/family life balance • More workers and experts in the fields of industry and technology • Contribution to the regional development, e.g. local resource centres of women

20. Products • WomenIT projects and good practices • Equal practices of education and careers guidance • Equality to everyday life – a guide for companies • Research publication: Education, gender and socialisation - • Perspectives to segregation • Beacon (Johtotähti) – My day as a managing director • Imagination is the only limit – Women in technology -video • Campaign products • Products by the actors • Some of the products is published in English, • see http://www.womenit.info/materials.php

21. WomenIT projects and good practices • all 40 sub projects of WomenIT are presented • also WomenIT project is introduced from the starting point as well as the innovative operating models developed in the project • operating ideas and insights gathered during the project • contact persons to projects • published in English in autumn 2005

22. Equal practices of education and careers guidance • a guide to the everyday education taking gender into consideration • for teachers, careers counsellors, people who work on equality • a practical guide towards teaching and guidance taking gender into consideration and dismantling gender role models • practical hints for how inequal practises and practises causing inequality, can be changed • phenomena noticed during WomenIT project • experiences of WomenIT actors during the development work • published in English in autumn 2005: Equal practices in education, guidance and working life

23. Equality to everyday life – a guide for companies • for companies and work communities • practical hints for equality planning • published in English in autumn 2005: Equality to everyday life

24. Research publication: Education, gender and socialisation - Perspectives to segregation • research report participating in the national discussion on dismantling segregation • 16 article writers most of whom have done research work beside their WomenIT development work

25. Beacon - My day as a managing director • a web based game where girls can live a day as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The idea is to balance work, free time and family. There are four different roles to take and the game contains important information about entrepreneurship as well as about the jobs of the roles. • for comprehensive schools and schools after comprehensive education • cd-rom, also in the Internet http://www.womenit.info/johtotahti

26. Imagination is the only limit – Women in technology • for the career counselling of comprehensive schools and schools after comprehensive education • a VHS-video + DVD • Four female engineers tell about their work and life. Why did they choose technology as a profession? • subtitled in English

27. Campaign products 1(2) Women's Euro pin • illustrates the pay gap between women and men • contains a card with suggested actions • Versatile Female Lives – pack of playing cards • the cards describe the life span and careers of different women

28. Campaign products 2 (2) Finland – a Model Country for Equality? – pack of postcards • the cards show phenomena describing inequality • Disciplinary practises at school • Age discrimination • Sexual harassment at school • Difference in salary starts with weekly pocket money • Pressure for change at school • Equality plan Posters • Principles for equal actions in schools • 10 recommondations of an equal work community • Women and Technology –theme poster

29. Products by the actors • The WomenIT actors have produced several different products as a part of their development work • cd-roms, e.g. "STAY-HT" virtual hotel of Paltamo Upper Secondary School • videos, e.g. Technology Women –video of Keskuskoulu, in Kajaani • publications, e.g. Challenges of Equality on the Interface of Global and Local, a research report by Women studies of University of Oulu • different equipment and other materials

30. Project CoordinatorMarja-Leena Haatajaemail: marja-leena.haataja@oulu.fi tel: +358 8 6324814 mobilephone: +358 40 5400809 Project Manager, education and training Eija Leinonenemail: eija.leinonen@oulu.fi mobilephone: +358 50 5362498 Project Manager, working life Marjo Riitta Tervonen email:marjo.riitta.tervonen@dnainternet.net mobilephone: +358 40 7005163 WomenIT University of Oulu Kajaani University Consortium P.O.Box 51 FIN - 87101 Kajaani Telephone: +358 8 6324611 Fax: +358 8 6324820 email:womenit@womenit.info Contact information: