Gender in research •Historical background•Gender toolkit and training

Nathalie Wuiame, Engender

EDIT NoE, Paris, 19/1/2011

Brief history of gender mainstreaming in the EU

• UN Beijing Conference (1995)

• Gender mainstreaming Communication (96) on « Incorporating equal opportunities for women and men into all Community policies and activities »

• Treaty of Amsterdam: equality between women and men is one of the Union’s objectives; confirmed in Lisbon Treaty.

• Adoption of Directives on gender equality

• Council and Commission recommendations and resolutions

• The Women’s Charter and the new strategy for 2010-2015

• Actions programmes: Progress programme for 2007-2013, DG EMPL, EC

Institutional arrangements

• Units in the Commission are going through Institutional changes: – The gender equality Unit moved from DG

EMPL to DG Justice, Fundamental Rights and citizenship.

– In DG research, new Unit “Ethics and Gender” under Directorate B European Research Area.

• European Institute for gender equality based in Vilnius.

Gender in EU funded research: from FP5 to FP7

Approach is threefold

- Women’s underrepresentation in research = research by women

- Gender dimension of the research agenda, addressing women’s and men’s needs = research for women

- Gender-specific research enhancing understanding of gender issues = research about women

In FP5

• FP5 (1998-2002)

Communication on «Women and science: mobilising women to enrich European Research», 1999

New Unit in DG Research: Women and Science, 2001

Gender watch system: aiming at participation of women of 40%; gender impact assessment studies.

• Several « women and science » conferences;

• Specific studies on the situation of women in science;

• Helsinki group since 1998.

FP 6

• Running from 2000- 2006

More comprehensive approach:

Specific gender calls; Collecting statistics and systematic monitoring (gender monitoring studies)

Statistics (she figures)

GAP: Mandatory for all Networks of Excellence and Integrated Projects

FP6

Financial Support for the creation and running of a Platform of women scientists.

Important research on gender bias in research.

Deficit in FP6 : need for awareness raising & reinforce capacity building.

FP7 seeks to promote

gender equality by:• Actively promoting the role of women in

science – target of 40% women’s participation at all levels has been set

• Equally addressing women’s and men’s realities when gender relevant

« wherever human beings are involved in the research (as consumers, users and patient) gender will be an issue and should be considered and addressed.

Gender in FP7

• mandatory reporting on workforce statistics;

• mandatory reporting on gender aspects (and other horizontal project-related issues) as a compulsory deliverable at the end of the project;

• No gender gap anymore.

The Toolkit and Trainings Gender in EU-funded research :

The Toolkit and Trainings : a ‘Stand-alone specific action’

overall introduction into gender and research

gender interwoven with all aspects of research

gender dimension of research content contributes to excellence in research

case studies based on concrete examples drawn from nine specific research fields

Two main activities:

• Toolkit: ‘Gender in EU-funded Research’• Part 1: overall introduction into gender and

research

• Part 2: how to make research gender-sensitive

• Part 3: case studies based on concrete examples drawn from nine specific research fields

• Training activities: 30 one-day training sessions at different locations in Europe

Toolkit Gender in EU-funded research

Case studies from nine research fields :1.health2.food, agriculture and biotechnology3.nano-sciences, materials and new production

technologies4.energy5.environment6.transport7.socio-economic sciences and humanities8.science in society9.specific activities of international cooperation

Practical guidance to

• Help researchers to understand gender and science issue and make them more sensitive towards the gender dimension of/in science;

• Help researchers include the gender dimension throughout a research project

• Show why it is important to create a gender-balanced research team

• Help research results more relevant for society

Excellent research is Gender-sensitive

• Investing in equal opportunities for men and women in research makes for teams that perform better, and attracts top-level researchers;

• Mixed team if well managed are more efficient than single-sex teams, more creative, more diverse point of views and improved quality of DM

• Best possible talent from the entire potential talent tool: working conditions and culture that allow men and women to equally fulfilling careers.

Equal Opportunities for women and men

• EO = absence of barriers to participation• Barriers are often indirect and difficult to discern• Caused by structural phenomena and social

representations resistant to change• EO is founded on the rationale that a whole

range of actions are necessary to redress deep-seated sex and gender inequities

• Is different than equal treatment which merely implies avoiding direct discrimination

Two aspects: •EO and the Gender Action Plan•Gender in the content of the research

Is gender relevant in the content of your research?To assess relevance you have to get « human » in the picture.At which stage of the research are they coming in? As beneficiaries? as users? Could they influence the identification, description, classification? For example in interpretation of behaviours?

What is your assessment of the EO dimension in your project?Is there a gender balance in the project team, at all levels and in decision making positions?Do working conditions allow all members of the staff to combine work and family life in a satisfactory manner?Are there mechanisms in place to monitor gender equality aspects (e.g. workforce statistics)?

Questions for discussions

Project website:

More information at

http://www.yellowwindow.com/genderinresearch/

Thank you very muchnathalie.wuiame@skynet.be

+3225021880

Publications

• DG research, Stocktaking 10 years of « women in science » policy by the European Commission 1999-2009.

http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/stocktaking-10-years-of-women-in-science-book_en.pdf

• She Figures, 2009. http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.topic&id=1282&lang=1

• DG Research, Gender and excellence in the making,

2004.http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/pdf/bias_brochure_final_en.pdf

• Talent at stake: changing the culture of research – gender sensitive leadership, 2010.

http://kifinfo.no/binfil/download.php?did=7312

Publications

• ETAN Report on Women and Science: Science Policies in the European Union: Promoting excellence through mainstreaming gender equality, 2000.

ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/improving/docs/g_wo_etan_en_200101.pdf

• DG Research, THE GENDER CHALLENGE IN RESEARCH FUNDING: Assessing the European national scenes, 2006.

http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/gender-challenge-in-research-funding_en.pdf

For more info on gender and science:

http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.topic&id=1409

http://cordis.europa.eu/improving/women/documents.htm