This thesis examines the reskilling of women for the digital society as a response to the persistent digital gender gap in Slovenia and the European Union. The aim of the thesis was to identify the barriers preventing women from entering or remaining in information and communication technology (ICT) occupations, to explore international best practices in digital reskilling programmes for women, to analyse how Slovenian policies address this issue, and to examine the views of selected Slovenian experts regarding women's needs in reskilling and long-term solutions.
A combined qualitative research design was applied, integrating a systematic literature review following the PRISMA 2020 standard with a qualitative empirical study based on three semi-structured interviews with representatives of the Employment Service of Slovenia, the Women4Cyber initiative, and a public institution responsible for digital policy. The interview data were analysed using thematic analysis based on the Braun and Clarke approach.
The findings show that barriers to women's inclusion in digital occupations are multidimensional, manifesting at the social, self-efficacy, educational, and labour market levels. International good practices, such as the Irish Women ReBoot programme and the Finnish Mimmit Koodaa initiative, demonstrate that mentorship, practical orientation, and strong links with employers are key success factors for reskilling programmes. Slovenia has established relevant strategic frameworks and concrete programmes, yet greater cross-sectoral coordination between digital, educational, and gender equality policies is still needed. The selected Slovenian experts emphasise that reskilling alone should not be the sole solution, and that long-term structural changes in education and the labour market are necessary.
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