Gender-sensitive career guidance
Young men still tend to opt for technical professions and young women for social and educational professions. Gender-sensitive career guidance enables adolescents and young adults to recognise their own potential for different careers and not to orientate their careers according to gender stereotypes.
What such career guidance may look like in practice is shown in the "Practical Guide to Gender-Sensitive Career Guidance" (2017) of the Saxony-Anhalt Regional Transition Management Programme (RÜMSA).
The relationship between career choice and gender among young people is explained in the handout "Gender-sensitive career orientation – information and suggestions" (2017) produced by the Hans Böckler Foundation. The publication is aimed at teachers, trainers and career counsellors.
Implementing gender mainstreaming in companies
Gender mainstreaming is not only directed at policy making and administration at EU and federal level, but is also a component of diversity management in companies. Suggestions for implementation can be found on the website of the Diversity Charter Association.
Good examples of the implementation of gender mainstreaming in politics and the world of work can also be found in the dossiers of the Federal Agency for Civic Education.
The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency provides materials and checklists that employers can use to check equal treatment standards in their companies under the heading "Gender Equality in Working Life". Here you can find information on topics such as equal pay and gender-sensitive working and employment conditions.
Gender-neutral staff selection and recruitment of qualified specialists
In order to inspire women and men to take up gender-atypical professions, original campaigns and advertising can be beneficial. Recruiters should be careful that gender stereotypes are not unconsciously applied in the interview and the actual qualifications of the applicants are pushed into the background.
You can find wording suggestions and ideas for making your job ads, announcements and campaigns gender-responsive in the online dictionary “Geschickt gendern“ [Skilful gendering].
During the annual nationwide action days "Girls'Day – Girls' Future Day" and "Boys' Day – Boys' Future Day” companies and schools invite young people to get excited about gender-atypical professions: On Girls' Day, young women and girls are encouraged to take up technical and scientific professions. Boys' Day aims to motivate young men and boys to embark on educational, social, healing and nursing professions. On these action days, boys and girls can get an insight into working practice in companies and institutions and participate in workshops and educational offers.
In addition, nationwide initiatives and networks such as “Komm, mach MINT“ and "klischeefrei” [cliché-free] also provide educational offers, material and specialist information on gender-sensitive career guidance for companies, educational institutions and students.
Putting women with a migration background into leadership positions
Although the proportion of highly qualified women hardly differs from that of highly qualified men on the labour market, women are still under-represented in leadership positions (cf. “Das Statistik-Portal“). The "Act for the Equal Participation of Women and Men in Leadership Positions in the Private Sector and in Public Service“ that was enacted in May 2015 is intended to counteract this. But who does the legal quota apply to and how can it be implemented?
The brochure "Aiming for more women in leadership – practical guide to the law" (2015) by EAF Berlin - Europäische Akademie für Frauen in Politik und Wirtschaft Berlin e.V. and KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfgesellschaft provides information on implementation options with practical examples and clarifies the opportunities and myths surrounding the gender quota.
Reconciling family, work and migration background
The tasks a woman takes on in her family can have an impact on her professional life. As stated in the short report "Partnerschaftliche Vereinbarkeit - Die Rolle der Betriebe"[Reconciliation in partnership – the role of companies] (2016) by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the Science Centre Berlin, women still stay at home longer for their children than men. Mothers face barriers to re-entering the workforce. The attitude of employers towards them plays a decisive part here. This is also shown in the report "Discrimination in education and working life" (2013) of the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency.
On the website "Perspektive Wiedereinstieg” [Prospects of re-entry] you will find possible ways and funding opportunities to enable women to re-enter the company after maternity leave or parental leave.
Teaching gender sensitivity in education
In addition to technical skills, the training also teaches participants how to deal with colleagues. Gender sensitivity can be seen as part of this social competence building. It is therefore worthwhile to educate people about gender equality and gender stereotypes already during the training period.
The method case "Diversity in training" (2018) of the Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (f-bb) serves to deal with discrimination practices in everyday training. Teachers and trainers are thus provided with specific concepts for dealing with discrimination, racism and sexism. In the training unit "Sensitisation to the topic of sexism", trainees deal with gender stereotypes and discrimination and receive practical advice on how to deal with sexist statements and thought patterns in the workplace.
Sensitivity to homosexuality and transsexuality in everyday working life
The brochure "Queer in the Job – Lesbians and gays in the world of work" was published in 2003 by the specialist group Arbeitswelt der schweizerischen Lesben- und Schwulenorganisationen [Working World of the Swiss Lesbian and Gay Organisations]. It shows that sexual identity also plays a role in everyday professional life. It provides a handout on how to implement diversity in the workplace to protect and support lesbian, gay and queer employees.
The Land Berlin offers materials for dealing with transgenderness in everyday working life without discrimination. Tips and handouts for employers, team leaders, human resources managers and works councils can be found on the website of the Berlin Senate Department.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Transidentität und Intersexualität e.V. (dgti) in Berlin provides information about the rights of people who are disadvantaged because of their gender and/or sexual identity. In addition, dgti conducts workshops and events throughout Germany, among others for companies, managers, human resources staff and consultants.