First Stakeholder Roundtable to Address Gender Bias in Education

The RE-WIRING project held its first stakeholder roundtable meeting within its Work Package 3 (WP3), dedicated to “De-bias Education.” This significant event gathered representatives from prominent Dutch organizations to discuss critical aspects of gendered educational choices and intervention strategies aimed at reducing bias.

Stakeholders in attendance included:

Paula Thijs from Atria
Jolien Geerlings from Movisie
Bas Zwiers from Emancipator and Alliance Worden Wie Je Bent
Roos Lourier from Alliander
Peter Hahn from MNV (Mannen Netwerk Verpleegkunde)
Eva van der Boom from FME

The meeting, led by Alexandra Lux (KU Leuven) with support from Ruth van Veelen (TNO) and Nina Le Compte (KU Leuven), presented an in-depth exploration of the root causes and potential remedies for gendered educational choices (GEC). Four primary insights were shared with the stakeholders:

Summary of Causes: A comprehensive overview of global causes contributing to gendered educational choices.
Mapping of Interventional Approaches: An outline of various strategies developed to counter GEC.
Navigation Tool: A new tool designed to help practitioners and policymakers identify the most effective interventional approaches tailored to their specific context.
Innovative Intervention: Introduction of a novel, multi-level intervention approach combining proven strategies to address GEC for both boys and girls.

The meeting opened with a round of introductions and a project overview. In the “Roots” section, a scoping review identified the main causes of GEC worldwide, laying a solid foundation for understanding the issue. The “Remedies” section highlighted current interventional approaches, followed by the presentation of a navigation tool and a novel interventional approach to be tested soon.

Participants provided invaluable insights and perspectives, enriching RE-WIRING’s approach to designing impactful and context-sensitive tools and interventions. Their feedback will guide the project’s next steps in crafting evidence-based strategies.

Additional stakeholder roundtables are scheduled with partners in Germany (October 21), Belgium (October 25), and an international session involving Project Empower (South Africa) and Good Governance Africa on November 7, 2024.