PENELOPE-Project after Two Years: Key Milestones and Future Developments

Submitted by Lucia Seel on 31 October 2024

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Bucharest, October 2024 — The PENELOPE Project partners recently met for the third project meeting in Bucharest. Hosted by INCDTP (The Romanian National Research & Development Institute for Textile and Leather), member of the Romanian Textile Concept Cluster, the two-day event (October 10-11, 2024) enabled a review of the progress and planning the next steps in achieving the project goals.
Over the last two years, our work has been focused on promoting gender mainstreaming strategies in SMEs by developing innovative practices tailored to industry clusters. Through all our activities we aim to progress towards addressing critical factors that enable the advancement of gender-inclusive practices in the workplace, empowering organizations to create more equitable environments for both women and men, keeping in mind the objectives to:
1.    Develop Guidelines for Gender Mainstreaming
2.    Build Gender-Inclusive Cultures in SMEs
3.    Foster Online Cooperation and Blended Learning
4.    Develop Tailored Training Methodologies
Next Key Milestone: The Upcoming Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
At the meeting in Bucharest, we made significant strides in developing PENELOPE’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), a digital platform that will serve as the next major milestone in the project. The VLE will provide a space for SMEs and clusters to access critical resources on gender mainstreaming, including gamified learning modules and innovative educational tools.
This collaborative effort is a crucial step toward the creation of impactful training programs, enabling clusters and SMEs to better integrate gender equality into their operations. The upcoming VLE will make knowledge and best practices easily accessible, helping to shape more equitable and diverse workplaces across the EU.
The meeting in Bucharest marked also the starting point in the development of the training materials for both cluster organisations and companies (SMEs) and decisions were taken upon their structure, kicking off the work on their preparation. 

In the photo, from left to right: Nicoleta Nicorescu (INCDTP), Mirela Greti Puiu (Romanian Textile Concept Cluster RTxC), Sara Wechsler (RTxC), Lisa Besnard (France Clusters), Audrey Demore (Oxalis SCOP), Lucia Seel (Lucia Seel International Consulting GmbH) and online: Raquel Ortega Martinez (AMUEBLA Cluster) and Christine André (Oxalis SCOP)
If you want to learn more, visit us at www.penelope-project.org or on LinkedIn @PENELEOPE-PROJECT!
Contact: penelope [at] oxalis-scop.org (penelope[at]oxalis-scop[dot]org) 
 

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