The EMFAF call for proposals on Women in the Blue Economy, under which WINBLUE is funded, also awarded funding for one other project. Our sister project “WIN-BIG – Women in Blue Economy Intelligence Gathering and Capacity Boosting” will be implemented between May 2023 and April 2026. 

The WIN-BIG project seeks to address the current knowledge gaps regarding women’s role and participation in the Blue Economy across Europe. By conducting extensive surveys and data mining, the project aims to provide widespread and accurate information on gender status and the extent of women’s involvement in the blue economy and its six EU sea basins.

Beyond identifying the skills gaps that hinder women’s entry and progress in blue careers, WIN-BIG aims to create female-specific and basin-adapted capacity building opportunities in emergent sectors such as blue bioeconomy, blue sports, sustainable tourism, marine renewable energies and robotics. Furthermore, the project aims to inspire young girls and women professionals by promoting female role models and innovative media formats that portray blue careers as attractive career options.

Ultimately, WIN-BIG seeks to create a roadmap for capacity building that is transferable across regions and countries for women in the blue economy.