Tackling the Gender Gap in VET: From Awareness to Structural Change through a UDL Framework

This paper, Tackling the Gender Gap in VET: From Awareness to Structural Change through a UDL Framework, explores how vocational education and training (VET) systems across Europe continue to reproduce gendered inequalities despite increasing formal commitments to equity. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, the paper argues that such inequalities are not biologically determined but socially constructed and reinforced through cultural expectations, institutional design, and symbolic structures. The study identifies Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a promising pedagogical framework capable of dismantling gendered barriers in VET by addressing learner variability from the outset. It proposes a three-pillar strategy—raising awareness, presenting evidence, and promoting good practices—to embed UDL within gender-transformative reforms. The paper includes a full UDL-informed module example in mechatronics, showcasing how inclusive instructional design can challenge stereotypes and broaden participation.