Introducing Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in Job Training and Internship

Rajawali Foundation works with SINERGI, one of USAID projects, to conduct training and inclusive job training for disadvantaged and vulnerable young people including women and people with disabilities

The issue of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) has yet to be integrated and implemented in training and internship activities. Generally, these two activities do not specifically address GESI, but more on preparedness to work and regulations. As a result, women and people with disabilities are often underestimated in their work, even so much as to receive unfair and distasteful treatment. Many of their rights are not considered and fulfilled.

“Dismantling mental blocks of both persons with disabilities and non-disabled people is very important, so they can establish equality.”

Rajawali Foundation through SINERGI Project, as a USAID program focusing on inclusive workforce for poor & vulnerable youth, including women and people with disabilities, thinks GESI is very important to be introduced in trainings and internships. As the initial step to introduce GESI, SINERGI held a workshop on the Implementation of Training and Internship Method and Facilitation Technique with Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Perspective in 2018, at Room Inc. Hotel, Semarang.

GESI issue in job training and internship also needs to be integrated on the training curriculum and module. The same goes for the facilitators or trainers, both women and men must be well represented.

On the social inclusion issue domain, workshop participants gained understanding on Breaking the Mental Block for Disabled Youth and Understanding the Pyscho-Social and Cultural Characteristics of Disabled Youth Training Participants. All workshop participants also listened to testimonies from eight youth with disabilities from Komunitas Sahabat Difabel (KSD) of Semarang City.

In the testimony, it is described that breaking mental block is very important for both disabled and non-disabled people to create equality. The disabled youth asked the workshop participants to learn to understand the psycho-social condition of people with disabilities. They can be empowered and do good work when given the opportunity and not being underestimated.

“They can be empowered if they have opportunity to work and not being underestimated.”

In addition to obtaining understanding on GESI through presentation and panel discussion, workshop participants were also engaged to develop and present their action plan and implementation or GESI perspective job training method and facilitation technique, and also practiced micro teaching on the approach and technique of mentoring youth with disabilities, facilitated by a team from Kerjabilitas.

After this workshop, participants, consisting of Action Group (POKSI) members, Job Training Providers (BLK) and Job Training Agencies (LPK), consortia coordinators from 3P (Company – Government – Youth) components, as well as companies partnering with 3P consortia for internship activity, are expected to understand GESI. Furthermore, they are also expected to be able to design their action plan on GESI-perspective job training and internship method and facilitation technique, to be implemented in their respected organizations/institutions.