Vienna Girls' Day goes FemCities

 

The project is a cooperation between FemCities and Vienna Girls’ Day. It is carried out within the project "FemCities Danube Region" (module 3 "Vienna Girls' Day goes FemCities"). Each year from 2012 to 2017 a city which has not yet implemented a Girls’ Day may get support from the Vienna Girls’ Day Office in setting up and adapting structures to implement a Girls’ Day in the following year.

What is the Girls' Day?

The goal of the Girls’ Day is to provide girls with the opportunity to explore the many life choices they have and give them unique learning experiences to find out more about non-traditional careers.

The programme – known as the “Take Our Daughters to Work Day” - was founded in the United States in 1993. It is an educational programme in the US that revolves around parents taking their children to work for one day. The goal of the Girls’ Day is that girls learn more about non-traditional careers. It always takes place on the fourth Thursday in April.

What does the Vienna Girls’ Day offer?

The Vienna Girls’ Day is an event for all girls in Vienna between ages 11 and 16. Girls who participate in the Vienna Girls’ Day can get an overview of the labour market, test their skills on the job, and build the self-confidence to choose a nontraditional career with a promising future. Every year workshops in more than 150 companies specialising in technical and scientific professions or trades and crafts provide girls with the opportunity to see different professions at work and discover new types of jobs.

 

Girls’ Day – a multi-level tool for cities to promote gender equality

With the Girls’ Day, cities implement a tool for gender equality that reaches various target groups:

Girls: girls are the main target group. By getting practical insight into non-traditional jobs, choosing a specific company all by themselves, and doing practical work in workshops (instead of lectures), girls build selfconfidence and broaden their job perspectives and options to find the strength to choose a non-traditional career.

Companies: companies, where employees mainly work in traditionally male-dominated fields, open their doors and offer girls an interesting perspective on their everyday work. They show that they are also interested in hiring girls. One positive result of the Girls’ Day therefore is that the companies open up to a broader potential workforce. In doing so they set an example which is visible also to the outside, and being a “Girls’ Day company” adds positively to their reputation.

The participation has also got positive effects inside a company and for staff members. It is also a sign that a company is interested in equal opportunities for the benefit of both women and men.

Many companies also participate in workshops to prepare for the implementation of the Girls’ Day before the Girls’ Day actually takes place. In addition to structural questions and insurance they also discuss gender equality, equal rights, gender sensitive language and how to set up interesting workshops for girls.

Departments within the City Administrations: cities are employers too, and many city departments offer jobs in traditionally male dominated jobs (e.g. fire fighters). The Girls’ Day is a good opportunity to reach departments within the City Administration to promote the issue of gender equality.

Schools / teachers: more schools and teachers are reached. The longterm goal is that teachers (in addition to the Girls’ Day) provide gendersensitive information at job-orientation classes and let girls and boys consider all their options.

Parents: parents must agree that their daughters participate in the Girls’ Day. It is important to reach parents to support their daughters in choosing from a wide variety of jobs.