Empowerment labs: gender equality, employability and theatre catalyzing social change

Abstract

The rising unemployment in Europe is deepening the situations of inequality, injustice and employment discrimination against women (Casaca, 2010). The situation of young women and women of low educational attainment is particularly severe because in these groups the unemployment is higher. In this context, the project developed by Quarta Parede in collaboration with the University of Beira Interior, under the Program Active Citizenship Program funded by EEA Grants aims to address the phenomena of women unemployment by encouraging critical reflection and social change through artistic intervention. This paper presents the research conducted under the first Empowerment lab, which seeks to understand if they achieved the objectives proposed and what are the perspectives of the women involved. The main conclusion is that the participants gain analytical skills and awareness raising capacity in what concerns gender issues and that has empowered them to a more enlightened citizenship but the capacity of commitment is a gap and this necessary affects their employability profile.