Inclusive Regions, Safer Spaces: EARLALL at the European Week of Regions and Cities 2025
17/10/2025
On 14 October, EARLALL joined forces with FORMA.Azione srl, the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA), and EfVET through the Gender Equality Task Force for Lifelong Learning to host a workshop during the 23rd European Week of Regions and Cities. The session, titled “Inclusive Regions, Safer Spaces: Local and Regional Approaches to Gender Equality, Wellbeing and Digital Safety in Education”, explored how local and regional actions can contribute to building safer, more inclusive environments for living and learning.
The workshop focused on innovative and participatory initiatives that address gender inequalities and social perceptions, particularly within educational and workplace settings. Participants engaged in self-reflection and peer-to-peer discussions, facilitated by Yiannis Karoumpalos, educator and project manager at Dafni KEK.
A Call for Equality and Safety
The event opened with remarks by Sylvia Liuti, Gender Expert at FORMA.Azione and honorary member of the Task Force, who highlighted that gender equality is not only a human rights issue but also a question of professionalism, business competitiveness and economic growth. She shared striking data showing that one in three women have experienced physical violence, and that younger generations, such as Generation Z, are showing less support for gender equality than older ones.
Ms Liuti also presented the GenderEd Coalition Project, which empowers individuals to challenge gender-based disinformation and misogyny while promoting changes in attitudes necessary to ensure safety and equality in public and learning spaces.
Regional Perspectives from Umbria
Simona Meloni, Councillor for Gender Equality and Agriculture at the Umbria Region, presented her region’s approach to combating gender-based violence and promoting the inclusion of women in society and the workplace. Ms Meloni also shared demographic data illustrating a declining birth rate and persistent gender disparities in employment and leadership positions, noting that “creating spaces of trust for women is essential to reduce violence and foster participation.”
Inspiring Practices from Vocational Education
Lorena Ripoll Ferri, Manager of the EdTWomenDays initiative at the Escola del Treball, presented a VET project designed to encourage more women to pursue traditionally male-dominated technical and engineering fields. Since its launch in 2023, the project has involved over 3,000 students across ten vocational areas, including chemistry, manufacturing and IT.
Reflecting on Safer Learning Spaces
Facilitator Yiannis Karoumpalos led participants through a reflection activity titled “How Can We Build Gender-Equal, Safer Spaces for All?”. The session invited participants to explore personal experiences of inclusion and exclusion, discuss how gender and power dynamics influence learning spaces, and co-create a list of “barriers” and “builders” to gender equality.
The workshop concluded with a powerful reflection from Paola Freire:
“If the structure does not permit dialogue, the structure must be changed.”
The session showcased how local and regional collaboration can play a vital role in promoting gender equality and digital safety in lifelong learning – helping to create inclusive regions and safer spaces for all.
More about Gender Equality Task Force.
