Save the Date: Final conference of GENDERACTIONplus is coming on 12 February 2025!
Campaign for zero tolerance to gender-based violence
On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 November and the 16 days of activism that follow, the GenderSAFE and GENDERACTIONplus projects are launching a joint campaign to urge higher education and research institutions to take definitive action against gender-based violence. We urge our institutions to take definitive action against gender-based violence. Real change begins with commitment. That is why, in this campaign, we will bring attention to the critical need for advancing zero tolerance, providing concrete recommendations, and spotlighting institutions who have already committed to take action by taking the pledge for a zero-tolerance approach. Why is a zero-tolerance approach important? Nearly 62% of respondents in the UniSAFE survey reported experiences of gender-based violence, but 93% students and 77% staff disclosed not considering the behaviour serious enough to report, not recognising the behaviour as violence at the time of the incident,...
Building a more inclusive ERA: Calling for Stronger Intersectional Policies in EU Research
On 22 October, the European Commission released a communication on the European Research Area (ERA), emphasizing the need for more inclusive gender equality plans. GENDERACTIONplus supports this recommendation and, in its position paper A New ERA of Inclusion and Intersectionality, highlights the key gaps and delivers recommendations to address them. Four years ago, the Commission adopted a Communication titled ‘A new ERA for Research and Innovation’ which described a new vision for a stronger European Research Area (ERA). In its latest communication, titled Implementation of the European Research Area (ERA) and published on 22 October, the Commission reflects on progress made and identifies areas for improvement. In relation to the ERA priority of inclusive gender equality, the Commission acknowledges that there is “Scope for stronger action to develop inclusive gender equality plans and policies that address intersecting inequalities and discrimination on the grounds of gender, gender orientation, ethnicity, age, sexual...
Save the Date! GENDERACTIONplus final conference is coming
Towards new Horizons: Inclusive Gender Equality in FP10 and Beyond When: 12 February 2025 | Where: Brussels & online You can find the registration form here. Over the past three years, Horizon Europe project GENDERACTIONplus has worked to advance inclusive gender equality in the European Research Area. Our work is coming to a close at a time of intense policy negotiations that are shaping the future priorities for research and innovation, including Framework Programme 10. This is happening against the backdrop of strengthened right-wing anti-gender politics, social upheaval, and an emerging policy framework focused on competitiveness. The aim of the conference is to review the progress made in advancing inclusive gender equality in research and innovation in the EU; assess advances in policy coordination accomplished through GENDERACTIONplus Communities of Practice; and engage in a ‘whole system’ dialogue with policy makers, research funders, ERA stakeholder organisations, ERA gender equality officers, and...
Mutual learning workshop addressed gender bias in research and innovation funding
Last week, GENDERACTIONplus Research Funder community gathered for an insightful mutual learning workshop (MLW) dedicated to a critical issue in research funding: mitigating bias. The workshop, designed in collaboration with Joanneum Research, work-group lead Emer Cahill, and Vinnova as the Community of Practice (CoP) lead, offered participants a dynamic platform to share, learn, and innovate on this complex challenge. Mitigating bias is fundamental to ensuring that public funds for research are distributed equally and fairly. Extensive research has revealed various factors that can introduce bias at different stages of the funding process. Addressing these requires not only raising awareness but also building capacity among Research Funding Organizations (RFOs) to identify and counteract such biases effectively. A needs assessment conducted in the GENDERACTIONplus RFOs CoP identified bias mitigation as an urgent issue for the CoP. This workshop took a significant step towards addressing this priority by selecting subtopics and corresponding speakers....
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, 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.
Communities of Practice
Two Communities of Practice are active in GENDERACTIONplus, working to build shared understandings and insight; enable policy dialogue and practice on emerging topics; stimulate capacity building through mutual learning, mentoring and self-reflection, benchmark and diffuse existing knowledge. All this is geared toward designing policy solutions, achieving policy coordination and, ultimately, generating policy change.
The Community of Practice of Research Funding Organisations (the RFO CoP) is led by Vinnova, in close collaboration with Joanneum. The Community of national authorities (the Policy CoP) is co-led by the Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences and South Denmark University. The two CoPs organise bimonthly meetings for peer support and mentoring and organise online and onsite mutual learning workshops for the development of practical strategies and skills.
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