Breaking the Waves 2005-2008 (Otevřená Společnost)

Breaking the Waves (Prolomit vlny)

Breaking the Waves project brings together a group of experts, NGO´s and profit organizations to create an independent platform, which could bring up new and innovative solutions to existing gender-based discrimination in the labor market. The ultimate goal is to make the platform into a stable think-tank that could gain credibility and legitimacy in the public and become an advisory body to the relevant actors in the field of employment, social affairs and policy-making as well as become a vital element in social change. The coalition is involved in two international networks with partners from both the old and the new EU member states, namely Spain , Italy , Finland and Poland . Each of the country brings a specific look into gender-based dimension of labor market and accompanied social changes in the last decades. By mutual exchange of knowledge, experiences and by common production of materials and tools the coalition will be better equipped to meet the challenging requirements of gender-oriented research and praxis.

The group is now working in a coalition called proEquality and is financed by the European Social Fund's program Initiative Equal, which aims at elimination of inequalities in the labor market of all marginalized groups, including ethnic groups or disabled. The European Union is well aware of the demographic situation in aging Europe as well as the new challenges in the labor market for all the above-mentioned groups, men and women including. Therefore it strives to establish treaties, conceptual and strategic documents, programs, networks and to fund activities aiming at researching new solutions to the existing social status quo in Europe . Equal Initiative is meant to be a laboratory of social change, where new practices and tools may be developed and tested. Such an experimental nature of structural funds gives space to creativity and innovation.

Under the funding of Equal Initiative, the proEquality coalitions aims at understanding the nature and dimensions of gender-based inequalities in the society at large through tackling the inequalities in the labor market. It does so by covering by research and practical tools-development all phases of productive life of working individuals, both men and women, from early future career decision-making to retirement from active participation in the labor market. The proEquality platform works on two levels: while working with the project's target groups on the lower but vital level of the social reality it also aims at addressing decision-making and executive bodies at local, regional and national levels.

The proEquality coalition strives to find specific forms of activation in the individual phases of working life and directing the initiative of the individual actors towards greater awareness of inequality problems, accepting co-responsibility for handling and working with gender differences. In its activities, the proEquality coalition will address the following needs:

• minimization of gender segregation in the educational system and subsequent choice of profession
• elimination of gender stereotypes in employers‘ expectations and improvement of their gender sensitivity
• elimination of inequality in remuneration for the same job or work of equal value
• assistance to workers (mainly female) returning to paid jobs after care period, promoting work-care balance
• minimization of gender segregation in professions and enforcement of this concept in state policies

Some of the planned outcomes of the Breaking the Waves project on the lower level:

• methodology for gender-sensitive consultancy for educational consultants, teachers, and psychologists,
• methodology for expansion of institutional conditions at predominantly segregated schools, both for girls and boys, to encourage gender-atypical choice of education/vocation fields,

- methodology for model cases, i.e., examples of employers' “good practice“ in the area of equality in remuneration,

- methodology for gender audits of employers and educational program for corporate management staff,

- methodology for career consultants for employees taking care of children or dependants and development of an Internet portal for persons seeking new occupational orientation during their working career,

- pilot tests of procedural rules for formulating and impacting on national policies in the area of equal treatment of men and women in the labor market and others.

On the level of policy/politics work, the project mainly focuses on

• promotion of equal treatment in municipalities
• introducing equal opportunities and gender mainstreaming principles into local, regional and state policies/decision-making
• policy briefings/lobby

For that purpose, the proEquality platform critically analyzes the current status quo in all the above-mentioned levels of policy/decision-making and summarizes the critical point of view in two planned Shadow reports on equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women. The current issue of report, parallel to official governmental report on the progress in the matters of equal opportunities for men and women in the Czech republic, was presented at s press conference held earlier this month and has received a positive response from both media and interested public such as some ministerial officers or representatives of trade unions.

ProEquality Coalition

Open Society – receives subsidies; is ready to deal with education and gender-sensitive education counselling and to coordinate the building of a think-tank – an independent platform for approaching efficiently gender inequalities; the platform will create, collect and distribute know-how in equal treatment of men and women on the labour market. (Program on Educational system, Think-tank Program) ( www.otevrenaspolecnost.cz )

Aperio – The Healthy Parenting Association strives to promote the principles of equal treatment in practical issues, particularly in the health care, medical ethics, parenting, equal access of men and women to rights related to child care and employment during and after child care. ( www.aperio.cz ) (Program focusing on Employers)

Counselling Centre for Citizenship, Civil and Human Rights – The association focuses on the legal aspects of equal treatment and equal opportunities and within the Breaking the Waves projects analyses the equal pay methods and fights discrimination in remmunaration based on sex. ( www.poradna-prava.cz ) (Equal Pay Program)

EuroProfis - EuroProfis implemented projects under Phare 2003 and under the first round of the Equal Community Initiative. It focuses on active employment policies and human resources management. ( www.europrofis.cz ) (Programs focusing on Employers and Employees)

Open Society Fund Prague – carries out analyses of local and regional policies and presents Shadow Report to Governmental report on Equal Treatment and Equal Opportunities of Men and Women. ( www.osf.cz ) (Policy Program)

Creative Bazaar – a PR agency specializing in conducting communication campaigns in human rights for government and non-governmental organizations. The Agency is to design communication policies and an information campaign aiming to initiate public debate on gender inequalities on the labour market. ( www.creativebazaar.cz ) (Mainstreaming Working Program)

Press conference 29. 5. 2006

The Project was funded by

The project was cofunded by the European Social Fund of the EU and by the Czech Republic state budget

European Social Fund ( www.esfcr.cz )
CIP EQUAL ( www.equalcr.cz )
Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs ( www.mpsv.cz )