We contribute to advancing gender equality in the European Research Area through capacity building, policy exchange and coordination, and provision of strategic policy advice.
GENDERACTIONplus consultation gathers stakeholder insights across Europe on national Gender Equality Plan monitoring guidelines
The EU-funded GENDERACTIONplus project recently hosted its second stakeholder engagement event on 29 November 2023 to gather input and feedback on draft guidelines for establishing Gender Equality Plan (GEP) monitoring systems at the national level. Representatives of national authorities from 14 European countries actively participated in the online consultation, sharing valuable insights, needs and challenges. Developed by partners within the GENDERACTIONplus project, the guidelines aim to provide concrete guidance on how to set up an effective monitoring system at the national authority level to monitor GEP implementation. Incorporating multiple levels of proposed monitoring, they are designed to meet the needs of both Member States and Associated Countries at different stages of national gender equality policy implementation, where GEPs are a mandatory state requirement as well as where they are not. Following an introduction to the GENDERACTIONplus project and draft guidelines by Dr Jennie Rothwell, Senior Manager of the Centre of...
Monitoring ERA Action 5 on inclusive gender equality implementation
A total of 18 Member States have committed to ERA Action 5, focusing on gender equality and inclusiveness: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. While the description of what is expected from those MS is more detailed than in the previous ERA period, there is no requirement to formulate a national action plan to implement those actions. As a consequence, little is known about the MS priorities, objectives and planned or implemented measures. This information is crucial not only for the development of a shared understanding of gender equality concepts and for defining collective goals but also for mutual learning based on the exchange of good practices. For this reason, the first GENDERACTIONplus report on monitoring the implementation of ERA GE policies. It first presents the development of gender equality objectives in the ERA, including a...
RFOs CoP meeting in Vienna
The RFOs CoP has met twice during the consortium gathering in Vienna. The main purpose of the pre-meeting on 22 April 2023 was to get to know each other and the work of the various RFOs in implementing gender equality in the research and innovation funding process. The main objective of the RFO COP workshop organised following the consortium meeting and mutual learning workshop on intersectionality on 25 April 2023 was to share and scale knowledge and practises between RFO CoP members on intersectionality in the R&I funding process. The workshop was organised by using the NOW, HOW, WOW model. The NOW entailed an introduction and state-of-the-art presentation by Vinnova with the aim to get all members on the same starting point before entering the WOW; this took the form of a workshop in smaller breakout groups to discuss what achievements would be desirable to reach during the project time....
Consortium meeting and MLW on Intersectionality
Between 22 and 24 May, GENDERACTIONplus consortium met in Vienna, Austria, to discuss the work ahead and learn more about intersectionality and what it means at the research and innovation policy level. More than fifty representatives of beneficiaries and associates partners engaged in lively discussions that moved us forward in understanding the issues we face and clarifying mutual expectations. The event took place on the premises of our partner Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF). On 22 May the two communities of practice, one of RFOs and the other of national authorities, meet to discuss the upcoming work and priority topics. On 23 April, after the opening speeches of Roberta Schaller-Steidl from the hosting BMBWF and the project coordinator Marcela Linková, the meeting participants were updated by Heidi Holt Zachariassen (Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research) and Fredrik Bondestam (University of Gothenburg) on the results...
Our objectives
1
Develop strategic policy advice on existing and emerging policy solutions in the five key thematic areas in the two Communities of Practice.
2
Enhance the policymaking process through engaging with stakeholders, CSOs and citizens, as relevant, in the five key areas.
3
Build capacities, competence and expertise for gender equality and mainstreaming in R&I among the policy and Research Funding Organisation Communities of Practice members, with special attention to countries with a less comprehensive policy.
4
Create impact through communication, dissemination and exploitation, including National Impact Plans and an EU impact plan.
Intersectionality and inclusiveness
We wil explore the use of terminology, existing policies and practices on intersectionality, diversity and inclusiveness in research and innovation in the ERA, and ensure that the gender+ perspective is mainstreamed into GENDERACTIONplus topics.
We aim at policy coordination and capacity building on gender-based violence and sexual harassment in Research Funding Organisations, Research Performing Organisations and national authorities, through policy benchmarking and targeted mutual learning and development of strategic policy advice.
Gender-based violence
Gender dimension in R&I
We will enhance policy coordination across the EU Member States and Associated Countries to advance the gender dimension in research and innovation from an intersectional perspective through the whole cycle of research and innovation funding.
We will provide indicators for monitoring the implementation of inclusive gender equality policies at the national level. Presented through a dashboard on the project website, indicators will be advanced, and will complement the ERA scoreboard and the ERA monitoring.
Monitoring and evaluation of GE actions
Promoting institutional change
We will develop a system for monitoring and evaluating the implementation and impact of Gender Equality Plans in order to support institutional change as the main instrument to promote inclusive gender equality in the new ERA.
Outputs
- Policy mapping and benchmarking
- Strategic policy advice
- Mutual learning and capacity building
- ERA stakeholder and citizen engagement