The project is based on the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, which envisions the creation of Europe as a place where both women and men are equal, where diversity is a recognized asset for the economy and society. However, an effective mechanism for strategy implementation to eliminate gender inequality and implement non-discriminatory practices has not been developed yet. The information society, in which we live, presents new opportunities for the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge. The active participation of women in the information society is a matter of fairness and equality and it improves the competitiveness of the EU. Digital inclusion provides new ways and new solutions for women and girls to participate in all areas of economic, social, political and cultural life. Their involvement in research and innovation activities is critical to fostering digital inclusion and overcoming the complex social and economic challenges facing Europe.

EQUALS-EU should promote gender equality in social innovation by:

• capacity building through multilateral partnerships that strengthen existing and formalize new networks in the field of social innovation and entrepreneurship;
• creating smart, sustainable and inclusive social innovation ecosystems in local communities, European cities and non-European countries in the global North and South.

The above-mentioned goal is complemented by the following specific goals:

• Implementation of innovations and tools, business development policies that include gender, together with stakeholders in the state, private and public sectors.
• Enhancement of women’s and girls’ entrepreneurial competencies through international academic cooperation, including the development of joint international summer schools, digital teaching materials and tools that promote research cooperation, student mobility and job creation.
• Conduction of seminars in conjunction with the leading UN and EU initiatives such as the World Summit on the Information Society, the Generation Equality Forum, Women in Digital, Girls in ICT Days and the European Development Days.
• Organization of online mentoring, development-oriented training programs that are conducted by successful social entrepreneurs, advocates and experts.
• Organization of interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral innovation camps and hackathons focused on digital inclusion with a special emphasis on constant gender equity practices.
• The inspiration of the next innovators’ generation by forming a new group of leaders, creation of gender justice examples in the field of social innovation and entrepreneurship.

Project participants: