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The HERA project was present at the 11th International Digital Public Health Conference held in Barcelona, Spain, from 24 to 26 June 2026. This event brought together a diverse international cohort of professionals, stakeholders, and academics. The project was presented at the plenary session “The Menopause Mission – Digital Empowerment for Healthy Ageing for Women”. The abstract, authored by Nina Soenderbe, Lars Münter, Andrea Marinho, and Carina Dantas, addresses an often-overlooked topic in discussions about healthy ageing, workforce participation, and digital inclusion: the impact of menopause on women’s wellbeing, confidence, career progression, and access to opportunities in later life. As a partner in the HERA – Helping Empower Women through Reskilling and Advancement project, SHINE 2Europe is committed to supporting women aged 45+ through innovative approaches that combine lifelong learning, digital empowerment, community engagement, and policy innovation. HERA aims to reduce gender inequalities by helping women navigate the challenges and opportunities created by the digital and green transitions, while strengthening inclusion, employability, and wellbeing. The Menopause Mission aligns closely with HERA’s vision. By promoting digital literacy, access to trusted information, peer support, and empowerment throughout key life transitions, initiatives such as this contribute to creating more inclusive societies and healthier ageing trajectories for women. The discussion also reinforced the importance of addressing health, wellbeing, employment, and lifelong learning as interconnected dimensions of active participation in society. At SHINE, we believe that empowering women is not only about supporting career transitions; it is about creating the conditions for confidence, health, participation, and lifelong growth. Through HERA, we continue working with partners across Europe to co-create solutions that ensure inclusivity in our increasingly digital world.

The HERA Labs sessions in Sweden are gaining momentum. Implemented by WomeninTech Alliance (WITA), the program has found a receptive audience in a country with a long tradition of peer-led adult learning. The women joining these sessions bring experience, eagerness to learn, a genuine drive to upskill, and a clear sense of what they are looking for. In Sweden, women aged 45+ already show strong educational attainment, solid workforce participation, and an active entrepreneurial spirit. HERA Labs meets them at that point and builds from there. That said, Sweden has required its own approach. Women here tend to choose learning opportunities based on personal interest rather than committing to a fixed program sequence.   For WITA, this has meant thinking creatively, designing sessions around topics that genuinely resonate, moving away from a traditional classroom structure toward something more open and interest driven. It is a learning, but also a reflection of something deeper: the Swedish adaption of HERA Labs is itself an expression of the methodology’s core value: Learning should be relevant, personal, and grounded in real life. Within that spirit, sessions have been carefully shaped around the four phases of the HERA Labs methodology – Team Building & Mutual Aid, Learning to Learn, Stakeholder Engagement, Personal Action Plans – ensuring that the journey, however flexibly navigated, remains purposeful and coherent. The tools provided by the methodology have been woven into the sessions and have been well perceived, offering participants a practical and reflective framework. In one session, participants were invited to reflect on a simple but meaningful question: What truly drives you? Through personal mission-building exercises, women began naming their values, strengths, and passions. One thought stayed with the group long after: Passion without dedicated time and energy remains just a hobby. For many, it was a truth they already knew, spoken out loud. The room was calm, focused, and quietly charged with a sense of clarity. In another session, the focus turned to how mindset shapes the way we learn and grow. Drawing on research into fixed and growth mindsets, participants explored how self-limiting thoughts can hold them back – and how a simple word like “yet” can begin to shift that. What made the session particularly meaningful was the openness in the room. Women shared personal struggles with honesty and generosity, turning what could have been a theoretical session into something grounded and real. It became clear that participants were not only seeking new knowledge, but they were seeking connections and exchange of experiences. Across all sessions, something consistent emerged: women who arrived thoughtful and left a little more certain of themselves – supported by a program that is learning, alongside them, how to serve them best.

Under the European policy experimentation Erasmus+ call, an innovative project is officially launched this March 2025, to empower women 45+ through reskilling and lifelong learning.  HERA is designed to increase the participation of women aged 45+ in adult education, fostering inclusion, social cohesion, and economic growth in the face of rapid digital and green transitions. By developing local ecosystems – known as HERA Labs – the project will create collaborative environments where women, alongside public and private sector stakeholders, can assess their skills, co-develop tailored upskilling and reskilling pathways, and prepare for jobs in sectors facing skills shortages. The HERA methodology combines Innovation Hubs, Living Labs, and Mutual Aid Groups, creating a human-centric, self-sustaining support system that enables women to take charge of their career transitions. These local ecosystems will be piloted in seven regions across Europe, bringing together women seeking employment or career shifts, educational institutions, industry leaders, policymakers, and community organisations. To scale its impact, HERA will develop a virtual Community Portal using AI technology. This online platform will offer personalised skills assessments, career pathway guidance, and access to lifelong learning opportunities, ensuring that the project’s benefits extend beyond its initial pilot regions. Policy impact and European commitment HERA will drive policy change to close the gender gap in employment by equipping women 45+ with future-ready skills. Aligned with the European Skills Agenda, the European Pillar of Social Rights, and the New European Agenda for Adult Education 2021-2030, the project will engage policymakers at all levels to transform findings into actionable policy recommendations. HERA’s evidence-based results will influence policies for wider implementation across regions, sectors and vulnerable groups. Through collaboration with policymakers, civil society and key stakeholders, the project will contribute to addressing labour shortages in high-demand sectors. This project will culminate with the publication of the final HERA Methodology and the finalisation and implementation of the Policy Recommendations. “Empowering women 45+ through reskilling is not just about changing careers – it is about changing lives. It is about health, well-being, and equity. It is about unlocking potential, fostering confidence, and shaping a future where every woman, at any stage in life, can thrive. Through lifelong learning, we build inclusion, economic independence, and a society where every woman has the opportunity to rise, adapt, and lead in a rapidly evolving world.” Sónia Dias HERA’s Coordinator (Dean of the NOVA National School of Public Health) The HERA project | Helping Empower Women through Reskilling and Advancement is coordinated by NOVA University in Portugal and brings together 10 partner organisations and 18 associated partners from eight European countries (Portugal, Greece, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and Cyprus) to address gender disparities in employment and skills development. The online kick-off meeting is scheduled for April 15th 2025, while the firstt in-person consortium meeting will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 20-21.