1. Presentation of Greek Women's Engineering Association (EDEM)
ERASMUS+
Engineer for the Future –Engine4F
PT01-KA
Presentation of
Greek Women's Engineering Association (EDEM)
Athens, Greece, website:
Dr. Efi Tritopoulou
Vice-Precident of EDEM
Kick-off meeting January 2016
Venue: Bilbao, Spain

2. Greek Women Engineering Association (EDEM)
website:
Established 1995
Members: Qualified Greek Women Engineers (members of the Technical Chamber of Greece)
Members ~1300
Women engineers in Greece ~25000

3. EDEM’s purposes EDEM's purposes mainly include:
Advancing women in the field of engineering.
Promoting the principals and create provisions for equality between women and men in employment, education and society in general.
Doing research into the status of women and the engineering environment and also into problems concerning women engineers and subsequently, seeking solutions.
Co-operating with other organizations (national & International), which are involved in similar issues.
Improving conditions for women practicing engineering as a profession.
Encouraging community awareness on employment opportunities for women in the traditionally male dominated profession of engineering.
Developing an information unit to support women engineers concerning employment opportunities, training and professional experience.
Realization of training and development programs to enhance women engineers' chances of employment.
Encouraging and promoting activities of women engineers beyond their professional sphere. These can include: artistic creation, cultural activities and improvement of quality of life in general.

4. International Relations of EDEM
EDEM participates in networks & associations which promote gender equality policies in Europe.
WiTEC - European Association for Women in Science, Engineering &Technology (
WOMENTOR - European Federation of Mentoring of Women & Girls (
EPWS - European Platform of Women Scientists (
MENTORING
In Greek mythology, Mentor (Μέντωρ / Méntτr) was in his old age, a friend of Odysseus.

5. European Projects and Experience
EDEM has realized a large number of European and National projects.
EDEM’s experience covers projects about gender & society stereotypes, mentoring, women unemployment, environmental and ICT issues, lifelong learning, women entrepreneurship etc.
Through the participation into these, EDEM has the appropriate background to deal with mentoring activities especially for women.
Also, due to the fact that EDEM’s members are qualified women engineers of all specialties, EDEM is able of contributing to any project dealing with engineering subjects, such as energy efficiency assessment, energy saving, renewable energy sources, ICT, new communication technologies, digital society etc. EDEM is also active in the social media (Facebook, LinkedIn).
Last years, EDEM has been active not only on gender issues but also in environmental ones participated in projects and organizing conferences and seminars about Energy Saving, Renewable Energy Sources etc.

6. EU projects
GRUNDTVIG TYNET50+: ‘How young technological women can do network with women 50+’ (September August 2014). Mentoring guidelines for young women with knowhow in ICT to pass digital skills to women 50+ not familiar with ICT.
SUPPORT of GREEK WOMEN NGOs ‘Women declare their active role for the protection of the Environment – the gender perspective on the Environment’, funded (57000€) by Greece and EU (May April 2014).
GRUNDTVIG ‘Women Educator in Mentoring - We: Mentor’ ( ).
WOMENTOR ΙΙ, ‘Training and Networking’ ( ).
WOMENTOR Ι ‘European Federation of Mentors for Girls and Young women’ (2008).
OCCUPATION SUPPORT ACTIONS WITH ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF NGOS (2008).
Equal Opportunities - Equal Chances ‘Global Interventions on behalf of Women’ ( ).
WOMENG 'Creating cultures of success for women engineers', (Website), ( ).
Tackling Stereotypes ‘Maximizing the potential of women in SET’, (Website), ( ).
PREFACE ‘Preparing Female Students for Academic Entrepreneurship’, (Website), ( ).
EQUAL Ι ‘New employment opportunities with a higher quality of work life’, ( ).
EQUAL ΙΙ ‘Adoption of mechanisms and programs for life learning from the SME's  - certification of educational parcels and recognition of acquired knowledge in the sectors of applications of information technology and technical professions’,( ).

7. EU projects
ALTENER ‘Women and Renewable Energy Sources - RES DISSEMINATION’, ( ).
EDEM organized a 200-hour training seminar of women engineers on Renewable Energy Technologies and participated in the publication of a book titled ‘Renewable Energy Sources in buildings’.
INDECS ‘Potentials of Interdisciplinary Degree Courses in Engineering, Information Technology, Natural and Socio-Economic Sciences in a Changing Society’, ( ). EDEM collected and analyzed data from Greece.
MELLOW – Lifelong Mentoring of Women in and/or towards technical jobs ( ).
A pilot mentoring project was carried out.
WIN –Women In Network ( ) A project to promote women in science and technology with the exchange of good practices.
‘Promoting entrepreneurship and self-employment of women engineers’, ( ).
EDEM organized a training seminar for unemployed women engineers in collaboration with the Training Institute of the Technical Chamber of Greece and set up an information office for women engineers in Chania and Kavala to raise awareness in terms of the professional advancement of women engineers.
Medium term Action program on Equal Opportunities between women and men ( ).
EDEM organized a European conference titled “Women engineers against the challenges of employment and training’.

8. Women Engineers as ambassadors of environmental issues at high schools
Results of national project ʽWomen declare their active role for the protection of the Environment - The gender perspective on the Environmentʼ, funded (57000€) by Greece and EU (May April 2014).
Tree types of action:
Research about Gender perspective on the Environmental issues (management of water resources, urban design, green energy, recycling etc.
Visits at 4 high schools presenting positive engineering environmental solutions – (renewable energy sources, recycling, saving energy, bioclimatic design etc.) and discussing with students their local environmental problems and their future professional plans.
Mentoring for female students who wanted to study engineering and for women engineers who wanted to plan a career in the environmental sector.

9. Women Engineers as ambassadors of environmental issues at high schools
National project ʽWomen declare their active role for the protection of the Environment - The gender perspective on the Environmentʼ
Rhodes’ 1st High School
Agios Ioannis Rentis’ High School

10. Women Engineers as ambassadors of environmental issues at high schools
National project ʽWomen declare their active role for the protection of the Environment - The gender perspective on the Environmentʼ
Veria’s 3rd High School
Kaisariani High School
Veria’s 3rd High Scghool

11. Women Engineers as ambassadors of environmental issues at high schools
Results of national project ʽWomen declare their active role for the protection of the Environment - The gender perspective on the Environmentʼ, funded (57000€) by Greece and EU (May April 2014).
Statistics prove that women are more sensitive, and contribute more in the protection of environment due to their personality characteristics, their social role, behavior, their way of growing up and more active role in the housing. The reasons for being more environmental awaking are due to their social patterns and not to biological reasons.
So the role and the stereotype of women in society are crucial issues for studying the gender dimension in society.
Women are more enthusiastic in choosing environmental studies than other sectors