Educational practices for the promotion of gender equality in non-formal spaces of the EPT: demands and challenges based on listening to working women from a Collective of Artisans in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre
Professional education and non-formal spaces. Women's empowerment. Initial and continuing training courses.
This Master's dissertation in Professional and Technological Education (ProfEPT) was developed in the concentration area of Teaching - Professional and Technological Education (EPT), specifically in the research line Educational Practices in EPT, within Macroproject 2 – Inclusion and Diversity in Formal and Non-Formal Teaching Spaces in EPT. The study focused on the actions of a Women's Collective, formed by workers who graduated from an Initial and Continuing Education Course (FIC) offered by IFRS – Viamão campus, between 2014 and 2015. This collective works to promote the inclusion of women in the workforce and the continuation of their educational processes, providing an environment where women artisans inspire each other and promote actions focused on sustainability, the solidarity economy, and support. The research aimed to understand the potential and challenges faced by these women, listening to their experiences and producing theoretical and methodological contributions to improve teaching practices in EPT in non-school settings, with a special focus on promoting gender equity. The qualitative study included bibliographic research, document analysis, and participatory research. The latter was conducted through interviews and structured questionnaires applied to the women who have been part of the Collective since its creation up to the present day. The data were organized into categories based on Bardin's (2016) studies, whose analyses served as the foundation for the development of four thematic workshops, carried out in partnership with the Women's Collective. The results were compiled into a guide with suggested workshop outlines, aimed at improving educational practices in the context of FIC courses, with the goal of promoting gender equity. This educational product aims to inspire other initiatives in non-school contexts, contributing to the creation of inclusive and diverse spaces and strengthening the relationship between professional and technological education and gender equity practices.