One of the goals of the Penelope project is to develop an Innovative and pioneer cluster-based approach to foster and integrate gender mainstreaming strategies in European Small and Medium Enterprises (as its name says it).

This means that we have developed tools and resources the cluster teams can use in their endeavors to support their members on their journey towards gender mainstreaming.

One way the clusters can do this is by organizing GENDER EQUALITY AWARENESS RAISING WORKSHOPS FOR SMES and the Penelope Project offers the possible facilitators a TRAINING GUIDE for the facilitators to prepare themselves, containing tools and resources necessary for gaining the necessary knowledge on the subject, a methodology for organizing the workshops and a workshop toolkit.

– the Penelope GENDER EQUALITY TRAINING HANDBOOK – SUPPORTING EUROPEAN CLUSTERS TOWARDS GENDER MAINSTREAMING, with good practices, interviews and tools related to gender mainstreaming

– a Video Toolkit designed to equip organizations with practical tools and insights to promote gender equality in the workplace.

– the Virtual Learning Environment, a cutting-edge online space tailored to support EU clusters, SMEs, and policymakers in advancing gender equality in the workplace. The PENELOPE e-learning platform has two different training paths:

• Training Path for SMEs: This course helps SMEs build a more inclusive workplace by integrating gender equality into recruitment, career development, and company culture. It offers practical tools to enhance innovation, employee satisfaction, and business performance through gender-inclusive strategies.
• Training Path for Clusters: This course supports clusters in promoting gender equality across their structures and initiatives. It focuses on innovation, capacity building, and awareness, empowering clusters to drive inclusion, strengthen collaboration, and boost competitiveness across the SME ecosystem. It will help clusters not only support SMEs in meeting legal and ethical standards but also enhance innovation, competitiveness, and long-term economic growth

– a Training Guide for Organizing Gender Equality Awareness Raising Workshops for SMEs that offers the EU Clusters a methodology for organising their own gender equality awareness raising workshops for SMEs., which includes notions of gender equality, how to be a good facilitator on gender equality, how to organize a workshop and a suggested structure for said workshop.

The workshop toolkit comes to the help of any facilitator that wants to organize a gender Equality awareness raising workshop, based on the instructions given in the Guide for trainers and facilitators:

• Training material for facilitators organizing gender equality awareness raising workshops for SMEs
• Templates for the workshop presentations
• Examples of workshop presentations
• Illustrations for the presentations
• Assessment tools
• GDPR compliant signatures lists.