EQT: The workplace trainings
Even today, women continue to make less money than men on average, remain underrepresented in top management positions, and are much more likely to experience bias or harassment in the workplace. EQT arms you with the tools you need to recognise and call out gender bias and make this world a little more fair – and a lot more fun – for everyone!
Would you like to foster an organisational culture of gender equality and diversity, but you’re not sure where to start? We can help! Our expert EQT team offers a unique training format that empowers participants to identify and address bias, affect positive change, and co-create a multi-level gender equality strategy!
Bringing together expert moderator skills with state-of-the-art research and award-winning design, our training format builds on the materials of the EQT toolkit to unlock the many benefits of equality and inclusion – from increased innovation capacity to productivity and satisfaction boosts!
Why team up with us?
Organisations which care about gender equality and diversity tend to perform better, demonstrating more innovation, productivity and employee satisfaction, among others. Consider also that equality is a matter of ethics and justice, and fostering equality and diversity seems like a win-win strategy for organisations to pursue.
Of course, it can nonetheless be challenging for employers to know where to start – how to foster a culture of gender equality and diversity while empowering employees to find their voice and contribute to positive change? Building on years of experience of participatory workshop design and moderation, state-of-the-art research on gender equality and diversity, and, of course, the content creation and user-testing within EQT: The Gender Equality Toolkit, IKEM and Ellery Studio have joined forces to offer participatory workshops to organisations who are interested in further exploring the many benefits of gender equality, diversity and inclusion. The goal is to create a multi-level understanding in the organisation of the manifestation and impacts of gender bias, and equip participants with the agency and confidence required to spearhead action that can strengthen equality and diversity.
Our format: Empowering and impact-driven
Gender-specific prejudice and bias are based on deeply rooted social gender roles that have become entrenched over many years and are often expressed unconsciously. Active self-reflection and reaction are very important in overcoming these persistent prejudices.
The workshop format therefore combines striking illustration of the different forms and effects of bias with participatory elements in which workshop participants can apply in practice the insights gained. The EQT team uses award-winning toolkit materials, such as the card game, in this process.
Workshop structure
The workshop is structured in two modules:
The first module serves to build a common understanding of gender bias and to identify it in real situations. In particular, participants learn about the (often commonplace) forms in which biases occur in professional life and the actual effects they have for individuals, as well as for companies. The participants can then put this knowledge to the test in an interactive exercise to identify biases.
In the second module, participants receive support in developing are coached to develop their own effective responses to bias and discrimination and in applying them directly in a given moment by means of a card game developed by EQT. They then have the opportunity to formulate concrete measures for their team or themselves based on the reactions discussed and their own reflections. In this way, the knowledge gained in the workshop can be transferred to the lived institutional culture and benefit it directly. This process is of course tailored to the specific interests of each client, but is generally structured as follows:
Module 1: Breaking down bias
1. Introduction
Starting with an Introduction of the EQT team, moderators and participants and explaining the context, goal and content of EQT: The Gender Equality Toolkit.
2. Sustainability, innovation & gender
An onboarding on the intersection of sustainability, innovation and gender equality issues, showing that equality intersects with everything that we do today in many, often surprising ways.
Interactive exercise
Quiz about surprising gender bias statistics, which act as an icebreaker while simultaneously raising awareness for gender inequality at work
3. Types of bias
Introduction and overview of different types of gender bias in the workplace, which allows participants to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind them and put a name to an often abstractly experienced phenomenon – both of which are necessary to identify bi as as it’s happening.
4. Impact
With the help of expertly designed infographics, participants learn about the real-life impact of gender bias both on individuals and the workplace culture
5. Intersectionality
While the focus may be on gender biases, these are inevitably influenced and reinforced by other factors, such as race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity and religion, which must be taken into account in order to properly understand gender bias.
6. Interactive exercise: Calling bias by its name
Participants practise identifying the types of biases one can encounter during a career. This exercise makes direct use of research from EQT, namely the interviews conducted with women in a wide variety of different industries and at different stages of their careers. Participants are trained to identify and name different forms of bias, and a moderated discussion facilitates insight into the compounding effect, or intersectionality, of biases
Module 2: Bias-busting is (not) a game
1. Introduction to the EQT card game
2. Interactive card game (in smaller groups of up to six)
The EQT card game is a unique role-playing tool that allows players to practise their own reactions to biased behaviour and gender-based discrimination at the workplace in real time – based on situation cards illustrating real-life experiences of sexism at work, participants can select a reaction card they find most empowering. By practising how they would react to a given situation, players open up a discussion on which reaction is the most effective, satisfying, or even fun! Made with comic-style illustrations and humorous puns, the game is designed to facilitate conversations with people of all genders.
3. Reflection round
Participants are invited to reflect on the lessons learned together with the help of visual supports (such as post-its and mind maps).
4. Gender equality action plan:
Individual, team and organisation-wide
Participants gather in small groups to brainstorm what measures they would personally consider, encourage within their team or wish to see on an organisational level in the future to foster gender equality and diversity in the workplace. Results are shared and discussed with the entire group, and can form the basis for the development of an organisational gender equality plan.
5. Conclusion of the workshop
To conclude the workshop, participants are encouraged to continue their efforts towards deconstructing gender bias at work by using the strategies and materials discussed and provided.
Workshop material: The Gender Equality Toolkit (EQT)
Featuring a unique role-playing card game on bias and inequality, an award-winning poster, and an infographic handbook with all the know-how you need to address bias, the EQT toolkit facilitates conversations, raises awareness and helps spur positive change on the topic of equality and diversity in the workplace.
The workshops build on the materials of EQT: The Gender Equality Toolkit for Working Women and Friends. Clients will receive one toolkit to keep (in German or English), which will enable them to play the card game after the workshop and help them continue the conversation on equality. The toolkit materials are designed to be empowering, informative and playful in equal measure, presenting facts and statistics in a fun format that engages a wide range of actors – of all genders – in the discussion.
Every toolkit contains
- a role-playing card game on gender bias and inequality in the workplace with 100 illustrated prompt cards (50 situations + 50 responses) so that the next time you’re faced with a real-life sexist scenario, you’ll be ready!
- an infographic handbook about gender equality that contains facts, statistics, and compelling arguments to recognize biased behavior, speak up when you see it, and create positive change in your organization
- An award-winning infographic poster that celebrates major milestones throughout the history of female empowerment and illustrates key facts and figures by sector, region and representation in high-ranking positions
- Stickers and goodies to spread the word in and out of the workplace
As part of the workshop, clients can keep an EQT toolkit to continue the conversation after the workshop, too. The toolkit materials are designed to be empowering, informative and playful in equal measure, presenting facts and statistics in a playful format that engages a wide range of actors – of all genders – in the discussion.
Contact
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