Section 6
Good Practices on Gender-Sensitive Career Guidance
Good practices on gender-sensitive career guidance (GSCG) refer to methods and approaches recognised as effective in ensuring that career guidance considers gender-specific challenges, barriers, and preconceptions. These practices aim to help people of all genders make career choices that are not restricted by gender stereotypes.
As a career counsellor, it is crucial to recognise and challenge the gender norms that influence career decisions. Gender-sensitive career guidance focuses on identifying stereotypes, creating an inclusive environment, and encouraging diversity in career choices. This ensures that individuals are free to explore careers based on their strengths and interests rather than being limited by traditional gender expectations.
One key aspect of good practice in GSCG is identifying and addressing gender stereotypes that may influence career choices. These stereotypes can often restrict individuals from pursuing careers that are traditionally seen as being “for men” or “for women.” To help with this, we’ve provided a digital tool that allows you to identify explicit gender stereotypes/biases in career choices. You can use this tool in your counselling sessions to help individuals reflect on how these stereotypes might be influencing their decisions.
A key part of gender-sensitive career guidance is actively encouraging individuals to consider a wide range of career options, regardless of traditional gender roles. By promoting diverse career paths, you help people expand their horizons and challenge the limitations imposed by gender stereotypes. This can be achieved through exercises, discussions, and reflection tools that allow individuals to explore career options they may not have previously considered.
To further explore how to encourage diverse career choices, we’ve created the “Co-creation Model”, which provides a structured framework for reflection exercises. These can be used to guide individuals in considering career paths that might challenge traditional gender norms.
Good practices in GSCG also include ensuring that career counsellors are trained to understand and address gender perspectives. This training helps you offer objective, unbiased guidance and support individuals in making career decisions that align with their interests and strengths.
If you’re looking to improve your skills in delivering gender-sensitive career guidance, our training program is a great resource. It provides a comprehensive approach to understanding gender perspectives and offerssupport that is inclusive and unbiased.
In summary, good practices on gender-sensitive career guidance are about ensuring that career counselling is fair, inclusive, and free from gender-based discrimination. By identifying and addressing gender stereotypes, creating an inclusive environment, encouraging diverse career choices, using gender-neutral materials, and providing training for career guidance professionals, you can help individuals make informed career decisions without being limited by traditional gender expectations.
We recommend exploring the following: Digital Tool for identifying stereotypes in career decisions, The Co-Creation Model, and the Online Training Programme in Gender Sensitive Career Guidance to deepen your understanding and apply these practices effectively.
You can also explore the sections of this toolkit on “Knowledge, Skills, and Values for Gender-Sensitive Career Guidance” and “Gender-Sensitive Career Designing Competences” for practical strategies and training programs.
Practical Application
Inclusive Career Guidance Environment Checklist
Creating an inclusive environment in career guidance is essential to ensure that all individuals feel welcome and can explore their career options without being influenced by gender stereotypes. This checklist will help you assess and improve your practice to make guidance more inclusive.
- Physical Environment
- Neutral and diverse imagery: Ensure that posters, brochures, and other materials in your guidance space feature people of all genders in a wide range of professions e.g., men in nursing or education and women in technology or leadership.
- Gender-neutral facilities: If guidance takes place in a physical location, make sure that facilities (including toilets and waiting areas) are inclusive and welcoming for all genders.
- Privacy and safety: Some individuals may require private conversations without fear of judgment or external influence.
- Language and Communication
- Use gender-neutral terms: Avoid gendered job titles like “stewardess” or “policeman”. Instead, use “flight attendant” or “police officer” to ensure inclusivity.
- Avoid assumptions about gender and career choices: Ask open-ended questions about interests rather than assuming a person’s career choice is based on their gender. Example: Instead of saying, “Have you considered a career in nursing?” to a client based on their gender, ask “Which fields interest you the most?”
- Use inclusive forms of address: If relevant, ask individuals about their preferred address and pronouns.
- Materials and Resources
- Review existing guidance materials: Are your brochures, presentations, and online resources free from gender stereotypes? If they contain examples, do they reflect diversity in careers and representation?
- Integrate case studies and success stories: Use examples of individuals who have chosen careers not traditionally associated with their gender to inspire and normalise broader career choices.
- Digital resources: Ensure that your digital career guidance materials reflect gender neutrality and diversity.
- Behavior and Guidance Practices
- Self-reflection and bias training: Consider taking a course on unconscious bias to become more aware of your assumptions.
- Be an active listener: Allow individuals to define their interests without steering them towards a particular choice based on gender stereotypes.
- Encourage open discussions on gender and career choices: Prompt individuals to reflect on how societal norms may have shaped their perception of career opportunities.
- Collaborate with businesses and educational institutions: Work with organisations that promote gender diversity in different sectors and provide information on mentoring opportunities or professional networks.
Tools and Resourses
- Best Practice Database on Gender-Sensitive Career Guidance (Best Practices – Guide your future)
- Euroguidance: European network that supports career guidance professionals Lifelong Guidance | Euroguidance Network
- UNESCO Gender Equality Toolkit for Career Guidance Practitioners (Gender Equality Tools | UNESCO)
- European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) Resources on Gender and Education (Toolkits and guides | European Institute for Gender Equality)
- UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Gender Equality and Decent Work (In focus: Women and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth | UN Women – Headquarters)
GOOD PRACTICE
Institute of Physics (United Kingdom):
The Institute has developed guidelines for gender-inclusive career guidance, including the use of accurate information on educational pathways and required skills for various professions. They also recommend collecting and analysing student feedback to identify and address gender bias following guidance sessions [Gender Inclusive Careers Guidance]
Klischeefrei Initiative (Germany):
This initiative has developed method sets for different educational levels to encourage reflection on gender stereotypes in career choices. For example, the primary school method set includes tools for educational work with children, instructions for sensitisation and self-reflection among teaching staff, and parental involvement strategies.[Gender-sensitive career guidance method sets | Euroguidance Network]
Breaking Barriers in Education (The U.S.):
This project focuses on integrating gender-sensitive teaching practices into teacher education. Its goal is to equip future educators with the tools to support stereotype-free career guidance and inclusive teaching methods. Workshops, materials for gender-neutral pedagogy, and reflective excises help create environments that promote equality. [Breaking down the barriers: Integrating the school and beyond in education]
Role Model Campaigns (The Netherlands):
These campaigns highlight individuals from underrepresented genders in various professions to inspire youth to explore diverse career paths. For example, “Equals’ 2025 Role Model Campaign” showcases successful women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and men in care professions. Through videos, articles, and social media, these role models help break stereotypes and broaden career perspectives. [Role Model Campaign 2025 – Equals] and [Amsterdam’s Equals launches 2025 ‘Role Model’ campaign]
References and Links
- European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). (n.d.). Gender and career development. European Institute for Gender
Equality. Retrieved from https://eige.europa.eu - OECD. (2021). The impact of gender stereotypes on career aspirations. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org
- UNESCO. (2021). Gender equality in education and employment. Retrieved from https://www.unesco.org/en/
articles/gender-equality-education - United Nations. (n.d.). Sustainable Development Goals: Goals 5 & 8. Retrieved from https://sdgs.un.org/goals
