The President of the European Commission, Ms Ursula von der Leyen, has made gender equality a priority of her mandate since her appointment speech, in July 2019, entitled ‘A Europe that strives for more’. In line with this priority, this Task Force advocates for equal and balanced lifelong learning educational opportunities for all – not only to help ensure successful integration into the labour market, but also to challenge the existing gender stereotypes – which can only be achieved through the incorporation of a gender perspective into all EU policies.

Why a Task Force?

Acknowledging that adult participation in training is essential to improve overall employability and to address the skills gap in the European labour market, the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan (EPSR) has indicated that 60% of adults should participate in training every year by 2030. While the EPSR indicates a universal goal to achieve, the upskilling of EU citizens requires a gender-sensitive approach in line with the current inequalities in employment, training and education.

What are the goals of the Task Force?

This group aims to gather interested members from the three organisations to launch a series of initiatives that encourage discussion on EU policies and strategies related to gender equality in lifelong learning. The Force will share best practices in dedicated roundtables, seminars and other events, to open a  dialogue around gender inequalities with relevant stakeholders, and to translate the discussions into actionable items where possible.