EQUIJOBS: Training pathways for the inclusion of rural women in predominantly male sectors. It is a project funded by the EU Leonardo Da Vinci Program – Measures for Transfer of Innovation.
Objectives of the Equijobs project:

• Raising the participation of women in the rural economy through their job placement, supporting the attractiveness of rural areas and slowing down migration and depopulation;
• To support the employment of women through their vocational qualification, especially in those trades for which strong cultural barriers and stereotypical images remain;
• Promoting and supporting entrepreneurship among rural women;
• To implement training paths (methods and content) pertaining to those fields that are still predominantly male-dominated, with the aim of introducing them into the curricula of formal vocational training.

As a result of a survey, it was seen that women in Sardinia are not present in the masonry profession, which remains an exclusively male profession. Therefore, in agreement with the various partners, it was decided to promote a training course for “Construction worker specializing in the use of natural materials for plastering, painting and finishing.”
The course lasted 236 hours (May-June 2010) and was held in Samassi at the headquarters of the Raw Earth City Association.
The 18 course participants were selected from among women residing or domiciled in rural areas* of Sardinia, with priority given to municipalities in the Middle Campidano region, aged between 18 and 50 at the time of publication of the notice had fulfilled compulsory schooling. Participants were given an hourly attendance allowance and a transportation allowance. In addition, two students benefited from the reconciliation measures for mothers with pre-school children.
Course content: Fundamentals of bioarchitecture; Raw earth architecture; Raw earth in Sardinia; Construction site safety; Plastering; Orientation and skills assessment
Mentoring and business financing
Practical workshop: mixture preparation and plaster application, surface treatment, plaster maintenance and recovery, interior and sound design and decorative elements in earth and wool, lime and tadelakt finishes, commercial product demonstrations