Based upon a previously funded Leonardo da Vinci project (Vocational Qualifications, Titles and Transparency in Health Services in European Member States) the EQUOTE project will undertake a detailed survey in relation to the obstacles facing women in reaching the higher echelons of the health sector.The project aims to survey, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the initial and vocational training conditions and opportunities offered to women that wish to embark upon a profession in the health sector. In parallel, the project will explore and document the social conditions that, to a great extent, shape the choices that women make and will examine the relationship between training status and employment opportunity.To accomplish this, the project will create systematic, reliable, accessible, harmonised and sex-disaggregated data, making full use of the data developed by the previous project, whereupon more than 200 occupational titles in the health services sector were listed, categorised and compared across the EU. Further to this approach, a qualitative interpretation of the numeric and statistical findings will be produced and will present an integrated picture of the social and economic conditions and background underlying gender inequalities in health professions.End results will be made available both on CD-Rom and online, with the latter further providing both live updates and a users 'suggestion' forum. Dissemination will be primarily through the project website and through presentation to relevant policy makers and other interested parties. Results will further be published in relevant scientific and sectoral press and journals.