Fundacja FUNDUSZ WSPÓŁPRACY

The objective of the Partnership is to test performance of new tools for reconciliation of professional career with family life, while promoting the idea of partner relationships at work and at home and combating gender-related stereotypes. The objective was formulated so as to enable development of solutions based on existing labour market and social policy instruments. These solutions are expected to bring about a new quality.

Based on surveys carried out under Activity 1, the Partnership has structured activities targeted at an improvement in labour market status of women taking care of children. The activities planned under the Project are: a) to work out a model enabling women to resume professional activity after a maternity break; b) to enable maternity planning women to continue professional activity under flexible employment schemes; c) to support occupational development of people taking care of children, including working mothers; d) to promote employment of women; e) to carry out scientific research in order to gain and apply knowledge of women's status and genderrelated labour market inequalities; f) to conduct - in cooperation with foreign partners - analyses and exchange of practice and tools in the area of equal labour market opportunities.

New information services provided by job counselors will enable to work out personal career paths jointly with the unemployed beneficiaries. "Personal career path" will involve the encouragement of motivation to personal development, decision making and change. In addition to job seeking, the Personal Career Plan will involve a holistic approach to the employment in the context of family life. Support centres will be established to provide guidance in the development of Personal Career Plans and solving beneficiaries' problems. Furthermore, the Development Partnership will prepare curricula and teaching materials focused on updating vocational skills of women resuming a job or on retraining, if necessary. A guide for employers headed Work Coaching (an extensive on-the-site job induction method) will be published along with a guide of job counselors explaining new occupational integration standards and methods for women who have been unemployed for a long time.

As far as the testing of new methods in promotion of flexible employment schemes and job management is concerned, the Partnership has opted for tele-working - a flexible employment scheme. A programme of training in distance working will be developed for employers and beneficiaries, along with a tele-working manual for the employers containing a list of teleworking jobs.

Family common rooms, supervised by women who wish to combine their mother/hostess responsibilities with those of a businessperson, will provide an alternative approach to child care. Common rooms, run by persons previously trained in technical and professional aspects, will be available on a 24 hours/day basis. A guide headed Common Room Founding Plan will be elaborated.

Occupational activities of women will be promoted in all local press media. It is also planned to publish the most pertinent excerpts from diaries held by project participants to present their comments and thoughts on the Project. These activities are intended to change the perception of working women, their role in the community and responsibilities. Regular meetings will help to integrate the beneficiaries and their family members with those responsible for Project implementation. A contest for children "My Mother's Job" will be held, while beneficiaries' partners will have an opportunity to participate in "My Partner's Success" contest. Promotional activities targeted at employers will involve a competition for those employers who support equal gender opportunities in their employment policies. It is also planned to include gender issues into academic teaching programmes. In order to enhance awareness of equal gender opportunities at the labour market among the young generation, new subject blocks will be developed and included into subjects lectured at higher schools.

Lessons learned and new training modules will be presented to conferences and sessions held under the Project and published in technical press. A report on sociological studies headed Diagnosis of Women's Labour Market Status in Toruń and survey report Toruń residents' awareness of women's labour market opportunities and directions and forms of activities that are required for removing inequalities will be authored and published.

A good practice manual will be published as a result of international cooperation. Project beneficiaries will contribute to workplan changes: their representatives will be members of the Project Council and work groups. In addition, they will contribute to the creation of support centres and evaluation of ongoing activities.

Good practice will be disseminated through distribution of information materials in Poland and abroad, conferences, seminars, workshops and competitions hosted by the Partnership, as well as through cooperation established with local, regional and national policy making institutions.

• Model of balanced Work-Family activation: local partnerships for persons taking care of dependants